Source: www.guardian.co.tt
Story by: Clayton Clarke
Double Olympic silver medallist Richard Thompson began his 2011 season with at the LSU Tigers Relays in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA recently. The 2008 Beijing Olympic 100m silver medallist anchored the Tigers Olympians 4x400m relay team to second place in 3:05:79,(tenth fastest in the world). In the 4x100m relay he was also part of the Tiger’s team which was second in the heats in 39.46. Thompson is preparing for the 2011 World Outdoor Athletic Championships set of Daegu, South Korea from August 27 to September 4. Thompson is the reigning national double sprint champion.
At the Florida Relays, Rondell Sorillo (Kentucky) was third in the men’s 200m in 20.57 while Jovon Toppin (Florida) was 22nd in 21.57. Hilenn James (Georgia University) was fifth in the women’s shot put with a personal best of 16.14m. James held the lead briefly when she had her best throw in the second round but lost ground and eventually slipped to fifth. In a close competition 11 centimetres separated the top five. Aleesha Barber was 11th quickest in the women’s 100m hurdles. The national record holder clocked 13.80 seconds to finish 5th in heat one. Kyron Joseph(Kentucky) topped heat eight in the men’s 100m but his time of 10.86 ranked him 28th overall.
In other results, Aeela Bravo (Jacksonsville) was seventh in the women’s discus with 45.14 and tenth in Hammer (49.63). Morgan State’s Emmanuel Stewart threw 55.9m in the javelin (55.9m) and finished 23rd in the shot putt (13.94). Aleena Brooks (Minnesota) clocked a new personal best (53.55) in taking the women’s 400m at the Jim Click Shoot Out meet. Shawna Fermin was third in 54.38. Brooks’ schoolmate Nyoka Giles was third in women’s 200m in 23.93 (pb). At the Auburn Tigers Classics Robert Collingwood (University of South Missouri) bagged bronze in the men’s shot putt (17.22) while his twin brother Richard was seventh in the discus (48.81). Kendal Bacchus (Middle Tennessee) was also seventh (10.68) in the men’s 100m.