media_artricles :: 2013

Gordon predicts 4x400m medals at World Championship

TOBAGO’S first-ever Olympic medallist, Lalonde Gordon expressed optimism in the national 4x400m team towards securing a podium finish at the forthcoming 2013 IAAF World Championships, which runs off in Moscow, Russia, from August 10-18.

Gordon and the Olympic 4x400m bronze medal team of Deon Lendore, Jarrin Solomon and Ade Alleyne-Forte, have been recording commendable indoor and outdoor performances since the start of the new season.

On Saturday, the 24-year-old Gordon bagged another silver medal (46.73 seconds) in the 400m event of the British Athletics Grand Prix, which was held at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, England.

Currently, Lendore is in pole position (45.91s) on the World Indoor 400m Rankings, having clocked the fastest time for the year thus far. Compatriot Solomon sits in sixth (46.32s), while Gordon lies in 20th (46.73s) and Alleyne-Forte 30th (46.88s) respectively. Speaking after his runner-up performance on Saturday, Gordon was delighted with his team-mates present positions on the international charts and looked forward to the Moscow meet. “That’s good to see the guys running fast times indoors. When the outdoor season comes they all should be running 45 (seconds) low or sub 45. I have a good feeling we would medal at Moscow,” he explained.

At the British Grand Prix however, the double Olympic bronze medallist (400m, 4x400m) intended to improve on his one-year standing personal best time of 46.43s. Gordon finished just 0.3s off his pb time and expressed a bit of disappointment with his somewhat shaky start.

“It was a slow opener. I had a problem at the beginning of the race. I stumbled a few times but I am still surprised I ran that time because almost for the whole race I was in the back. I made my move at the last 150m.”

Gordon was pleased with the performances of his compatriots and is hoping that the national squad maintains their dominance in the outdoor season. The Tobagonian is expected to contest his final 400m indoor race for the season at the XL Galan Meet in Stockholm, Sweden, on Thursday.

Top