Sopot (Poland), March 8 (IANS/CMC) The Caribbean will have a big shot at gold in the men’s and women’s 400 metres at the IAAF World Indoor Championships after securing five spots in Saturday’s finals.
Competing in Friday’s opening day of the championships here, the Jamaican pair of Patricia Hall and Kaliese Spencer, along with Bahamian Shaunae Miller, did well in the semi-finals to qualify for the women’s title race, reports CMC.
Bahamian Chris Brown and Trinidadian Lalonde Gordon, meanwhile, will line up in the men’s final after coming through their semi-finals unscathed.
Hall left no doubt about her place in the final by winning the first semi-final in a time of 52.82 seconds while Spencer finished second in the second semi-final in 51.58, behind winner American Francena Mccorory (51.35).
Miller, a former World Youth and World Junior champion, also booked her place in the final by placing third in the second semi-final in 51.63 seconds.
“It feels awesome. Thank God. I have been working for this for so long. I am grateful to God that he is finally helping me out with this,” said an elated Hall.
Veteran Brown, meanwhile, who won gold in the London Olympics in the distance relay, captured semi-final two in a time of 46.19 seconds while Gordon, an Olympic bronze medallist, finished third in semi-final one in 46.29.
“I just thank God. I am one step closer to achieving my goal to get to the podium. I’ve just got to concentrate on myself and I just got to execute my own race,” said Brown, the 2010 World Indoors 400m champion.
In the 60 metres sprint, St. Kitts and Nevis’ Jason Rogers booked his spot in Saturday’s semi-finals when he won his heat Friday.
The 22-year-old clocked 6.59 seconds in heat three to lead home Bahamian Warren Fraser (6.61) and China’s Peimeng Zhang (6.65).
Jamaican Kimmari Roach also clinched a spot in Saturday’s penultimate round when he finished second in heat one, behind winner Gerald Phiri of Zambia.
Roach, 23, was timed at 6.59 in a dead heat with Phiri.
–IANS/CMC
sr/bg
