media_artricles :: 2013

Jehue lands a ‘Diamond’ in Monaco

Jehue Gordon sounded a stern warning ahead of next month’s World Championships in Moscow, Russia, when he scorched the track in 48 seconds flat to win the men’s 400 metres hurdles, at the IAAF Diamond League meet, in Monaco, yesterday.

The Trinidad and Tobago athlete was just four-hundredths of a second outside his 47.96 national record, and the victory was his first-ever Diamond League success.

Gordon’s 48.00 seconds run was the second fastest time of his career, and also the second fastest time in the world this year, behind Javier Culson’s 47.96.

Yesterday, Culson was among the seven hurdlers who trailed Gordon to the line, the Puerto Rican getting home in 48.35 seconds to secure bronze, the same colour he had bagged in the Olympic final last year. American Johnny Dutch (48.20) and Senegal’s Mamdou Kasse Hanne (48.50) finished second and fourth, respectively.

Another American, Justin Gaymon (48.64) was fifth, ahead of Dominican Republic’s reigning Olympic champion Felix Sanchez (48.83), T&T-born American Kerron Clement (48.93), and France’s Mickael Francois (51.61).

With the World Championship men’s 400m hurdles final less than a month away, yesterday’s sizzler was a timely return to 48-second hurdling for Gordon. His previous best this season was 49.02 seconds, recorded in Birmingham, England, on June 30.

As he looks ahead to the World Championships, the August 15 final in particular, Gordon will have the confidence of knowing that 47-second hurdling is just one-hundredth of a second away.

Jarrin Solomon was also in winners’ row, yesterday, the T&T quartermiler grabbing gold in the men’s 400m event at the Bottrop Gala, in Germany. Solomon completed his lap of the track in 45.62 seconds.

Top