NATIONAL men’s 400m record-holder, Winston George stormed the field to win the men’s 400m yesterday on the opening day of competition at the South American Senior Championships being held in Paraguay.
The Olympian completed the quarter-mile in 45.42 seconds, to rule the race and leave Colombia’s Jhon Zapata in second place in a time of 45.77 seconds.
Zapata’s compatriot Herrera Andres took third, clocking 46.02 seconds.
The 45.42 seconds marks a season’s best for George, who only earlier this month clocked 45.49 seconds, qualifying for the event at this year’s IAAF World Championships set for London in August.
However, he’s still yet to make the 20.44 seconds qualifying time in the men’s 200m, with his 20.57 seconds SB just a bit off. Nonetheless, he will have a chance to change his fate today, being scheduled to run the men’s 200m at the Championships, where he will be able to qualify, by making the qualifying mark or winning the race.
The World Championships qualifications rules allow for the gold medallist of the events at the South American Senior Championships to qualify and participate in the respective events at World Championships, regardless of if they make the qualifying standard in that event.
Also expected to be in today’s men’s 200m, representing Guyana, is Owen Adonis, who yesterday finished fifth in the men’s 100m final.
However, Adonis was still able to celebrate a new personal-best after he clocked 10.57 seconds in the event which was won by Brazil’s De Barros Tenorio in a time of 10.22 seconds.
Guyana’s other representative at the event, Jenea McCammon will be in the women’s 400m hurdles today, after she finished fourth in the 100m hurdles yesterday.
McCammon clocked 13.49 seconds. The event was won by Brazil’s Moraes Dos Santos with a time of 12.86 seconds.