EUGENE, Oregon (CMC) – Grenadian Kirani James remained on course for a third World Championship medal when he produced a strong performance to lead three Caribbean runners into today’s final of the men’s 400 metres.
The 29-year-old, a former World champion, clocked 44.74 seconds to win semi-final two at Hayward Field here Wednesday night, while Jamaican Chris Taylor qualified with a season-best 44.97 after finishing third in the opening semi-final.
Barbadian Jonathan Jones was also third in semi-final three in 44.78 to book his berth in the title race as well.
Running out of lane three, James timed his effort well, and led comfortably over the last 100 metres to finish ahead of Botswana’s Bayapo Ndori (44.94).
“There is a lot of talented guys out there. I am just happy to be back in the moment,” said James, World champion in Daegu 11 years ago.
Jamaican Nathon Allen pulled up in lane eight and hobbled off the track.
American Michael Norman captured the opening semi-final in 44.30 while countryman Champion Allison was timed at 44.71 in winning the third semi-final.
In the women’s equivalent on day six of the championships in the Pacific Northwest, double Olympic champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo of The Bahamas maintained her quest for a first-ever World Championships gold when she qualified fastest for today’s finals.
The 28-year-old, who claimed silver last time in Doha, sped to a season-best 49.55 to win semi-final one with Jamaican Candice McLeod also clocking a season-best 50.05 to be second.
Jamaican Stephenie-Ann McPherson also qualified for the final when she finished third in semi-final two in 50.56 while Barbadian Sada Williams also joined her by coming home second in the third semi-final in a season-best 50.12.
Guyana’s Aliyah Abrams (51.79), Cuban Roxana Gómez (51.12) and Jamaican Charokee Young (51.41) all missed out.
In the women’s 400 metres hurdles, of the three Jamaicans reaching the semi-finals only Rushell Clayton managed to reach today’s finals when she finished third in semi-final two in 53.63.
Her teammates Janieve Russell (54.66) and Shiann Salmon (54.16) both failed to qualify after finishing third in semi-final one and semi-final three respectively.
The lone Caribbean representative in the men’s 800 metres heats never made it to the penultimate round, Jamaican Navasky Anderson slumping to seventh in heat three in one minute 48.37 seconds.
Yesterday’s day seven was headlined by the finals of the men and women’s 200 metres finals where several Caribbean sprinters were involved.
The Jamaican trio of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Elaine Thompson-Herah and Shericka Jackson, who swept the podium places in the women’s 100 metres, are once again favoured in the half lap while Trinidadian Jereem Richards is the Caribbean’s lone representative in the men’s equivalent.
The semi-finals get underway at 19:35hrs (22:35hrs Eastern Caribbean time).
