media_artricles :: 2013

New Hurdles Record

Thomas strikes gold in Florida in 13.19

Mikel Thomas established a new Trinidad and Tobago record in the men’s 110 metres hurdles when he stopped the clock at 13.19 seconds to strike gold at the Star Athletics Sprint Series meet, in Florida, USA, on Saturday.

Thomas’ clocking was a big improvement on the previous national record of 13.37--set last year by Wayne Davis II.

On Saturday, Thomas beat Jamaica’s Dwight Thomas (13.27) and American Devon Hill (13.38) into second and third, respectively.

In the qualifying round, Mikel Thomas topped heat one in a wind-assisted 13.55 seconds. In the championship race, he upped his game, crossing the line in 13.19--a full two-tenths of a second faster than his previous personal best of 13.39.

T&T’s Emanuel Mayers bagged bronze in the men’s 400m hurdles in 50.45 seconds. T&T-born American, Kerron Clement clocked 49.49 to claim the top spot, ahead of Puerto Rico’s Eric Alejandro (49.88).

T&T’s Richard “Torpedo” Thompson clocked 10.14 seconds to finish fourth in the men’s 100m dash. Zimbabwe’s Gabriel Mvumvure was first home in 9.98. Barbadian Ramon Gittens (10.02) and Bahamian Derrick Atkins (10.06) were second and third, respectively.

In the men’s 100m “B” race, T&T sprinter Marc Burns finished eighth in a wind-aided 10.58.

In the qualifying round, Thompson topped the opening heat in a windy 10.24, Burns finished third in heat five in 10.31, and Rondel Sorrillo was a non-finisher in heat four.

Thompson got to the line in 21.06 seconds, for fifth spot in the men’s 200m. And in the “B” race, Zwede Hewitt was fifth in 21.27.

Hewitt produced a 46.86 seconds run to finish fourth in the men’s 400m event, while Ade Alleyne-Forte secured third spot in the “B” race in 46.88.

At the Cezmi Or Memorial meet, in Istanbul, Turkey, on Saturday, T&T quartermiler Jarrin Solomon struck gold in the men’s 400m in 45.83 seconds. Ukraine’s Vitaliy Butrym was a distant second, in 46.63, while third spot went to Poland’s Rafa Omelko (46.73).

Two Saturdays ago, Solomon clocked 45.72 seconds to finish second in the men’s 400m at the Atletica Geneve meet, in Switzerland. Britons Nigel Levine (45.50) and Conrad Williams (45.86) were first and third, respectively.

At the Joensuu Games, in Finland, yesterday, T&T’s reigning Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott earned bronze in the men’s javelin with a 78.90 metres throw. Finland’s Teemu Wirkkala produced a winning effort of 82.38m, while the runner-up spot went to another Finn, Lassi Etelatalo (80.39m).

And at the BVI Twilight meet, in the British Virgin Islands, two Saturdays ago, Hewitt finished fourth in the men’s 400m in 46.84 seconds.

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