Double Olympic silver medallist Richard Thompson failed to advance to final round of the men’s 100m at the 13th IAAF World Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Daegu, South Korea yesterday. Running in the second of three heats Thompson was beaten into third in 10.20 seconds with only the top two assured of a place in the finals. Finishing ahead of Thompson were world record holder Usain Bolt (Jamaica) 10.05 and Christophe Lemaitre (France) 10.11). Thompson was well off his national mark of 9.85. Keston Bledman also bowed out after finishing fifth in the first heat in 10.14. Yohan Blake (Jamaica) was the winner (9.95) ahead of Walter Dix (USA) 10.05, Jimmy Vicaut (France) 10.10 and Daniel Bailey (Antigua and Barbuda) 10.14.

Speaking after the race Thompson said he did not run well enough to make it into the medal round: “We just did not run well because we saw Michelle Lee Ahye ran a personal record in the women’s 100m first round, Semoy Hackett around what she has been running. Renny Quow ran a seasonal best in the 400m heats. I don’t want to make any excuses. It is a real disappointment for me because I know I let down my supporter, Trinidad and Tobago and I let down myself. Hopefully next time at the Olympics I will be able to get it together.”  Thompson said the focus will now be on the men’s 4x100m relay where he anchored the national team to silver in Berlin, Germany in 2009.

“I still we have a good chance of winning. We just have to refocus. Keston and I didn’t have great runs here but I still think we could pull it together as we have some time.” he said. He added that the relay members will practice over the next couple of days ahead of heats and final on Sunday: “Over the next week we are going to do some exchanges and form a better chemistry than we had in the past. Relay is about great exchanges and not just about leg speed.” Blake went on to strike gold in 9.92 seconds following the shocking disqualification of Bolt for a false-start. Dix took home the silver in 10.08 with 2003 champion Kim Collins (St Kitts/Nevis) in third 10.09. Renny Quow will contest the men’s semifinals set for today at 6.00am/7.00pm after placing second in his first round race.

The reigning World bronze medallist was runner-up in heat one clocking a season’s best time of 44.84 to finish behind Rondel Bartholomew of Grenada, who won in 44.82. Quow is in the first semi and runs from lane 5. He will be looking to finish first or second to be assured of a lane in tomorrow’s final carded for 8.45am (TT)/9.45pm  (Daegu). Last night Jehue Gordon was in action in the men’s 400m hurdles which were set to run off from 10.30pm. The 2010 World Junior champion lines up in lane 2 of the fourth heat.  He will be looking to finish in the top four to advance to the semifinal set for tomorrow at 6.30am/7.30pm. CC

Results

Men’s 400m-Round 1
Heat 1
1    Rondel Bartholomew    Grenada    44.82
2    Renny Quow    T&T    44.84

Men’s 100m-Finals (-1.4m/s)
1    Yohan Blake    Jam    9.92
2    Walter Dix    USA    10.08
3    Kim Collins    St Kitts/Nevis    10.09
4    Christophe Lemaitre    France    10.19
5    Daniel Bailey    Antigua & Barbuda    10.26
6    Jimmy Vicaut    France    10.27
7    Nesta Carter    Jamaica    10.95
Usain Bolt    Jamaica    DQ

Semis
Heat 1 (-0.4)
1    Blake        9.95
2    Dix        10.05
3    Vicaut        10.10
4    Bailey        10.14
5    Keston Bledman    T&T    10.14

Heat 2 (-1.0)
1    Bolt        10.05
2    Lemaitre        10.11
3    Richard Thompson    T&T    10.20

Heat 3(-0.8)
1    Collins        10.08
2    Carter        10.16

Source: www.guardian.co.tt

By Clayton Clarke