media_artricles :: 2015

Jehue's reign over - Injured Bledman out, bitter over Pan Am

Jehue Gordon was under no illusions about the uphill battle he faced at the IAAF World Championships here in Beijing, China. But he is a true warrior, and was not prepared to surrender his title without a fight.

Gordon battled in the opening round of the men's 400 metres hurdles. But while the 2013 world champion's mind was willing to do the work required, his body was weak. He could only finish seventh in heat two in 49.91 seconds—not fast enough to earn a semi-final lane as a “fastest loser”.

“I know what I've been working with,” Gordon told the Sunday Express, “and how challenging things have been.”

Diagnosed with a sports hernia, Gordon had been working against the clock to get ready for his title defence.

“I wanted to come out there and at least not back down from the fight. It's better to go out there and give a good effort. I wasn't able to give an effort that I think I was capable of, but that's the nature of sport. Nothing's ever guaranteed, and I still have to be thankful to God.”

Gordon stayed away from competition for six weeks as he tried to get his body strong enough to compete with the best one-lap hurdlers in the world.

“Things have definitely been getting better over the last couple weeks, but today with the hurdles I just wasn't as sharp as I would like to be.

“I'm a bit disappointed that I wasn't able to at least make it to the next round, but I can't be angry with myself knowing what I've been faced with and what I've been trying to do. It's definitely not going to turn me off. It's just to continue working hard and believing.”

Kenya's Boniface Tumuti won heat two in a personal best 48.79 seconds to advance to the semis fourth fastest, behind his teammate Nicholas Bett (48.37), Russia's Denis Kudryavtsev (48.51), and T&T-born American Kerron Clement (48.75).

Gordon was 31st overall. Pre-Championship favourite Bershawn Jackson was also eliminated, the American clocking 50.14 seconds for 34th spot.

Keston Bledman was T&T's lone representative in the men's 100m dash. And while he was determined to secure a lane in today's final, the groin injury that had cost him 21 days of training ahead of the World Championships was always going to make it a difficult task.

As it turned out Bledman was unable to successfully negotiate the opening round. Running in heat three, the 27-year-old sprinter struggled from the start, and eventually crossed the line eighth and last in 10.75 seconds.

“I got all kinds of shots in my groin,” said Bledman, “real painful shots just to run. In practice I was going like 30 per cent. From the time I pushed out the block, I felt like everything in my groin just stayed open. I trained really hard, I dieted, I did everything right. It just wasn't my time and it wasn't in God's works.”

But while he accepted his fate, Bledman told the Sunday Express the outcome could have been different had he not competed at last month's Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada.

“To be honest, I didn't want to go to Pan Am because I knew I had a groin injury. I told Trinidad and Tobago that, and they said once you're getting Government funding you have to come. My coaches, Lance Brauman and Gunness Persad called them and told them my main focus was Beijing. I really didn't want to go.

“I told Trinidad going Pan Am would risk it for Worlds, and that's exactly what happened. I was in great shape this year, but I went to Pan Am, got hurt, and blew my chance in the first round.”

American Justin Gatlin led all qualifiers into the semis with a wind-assisted 9.83 seconds triumph in heat six. Jamaica's Usain Bolt, the defending champion, won heat seven in 9.96 to progress fifth fastest.

Bledman's injury has ended T&T's hopes of fielding a men's 4x100m relay team at the Championships. With Rondel Sorrillo and Dan-Neil Telesford also injured and expected to leave Beijing today, only Emmanuel Callender, Kyle Greaux and Mikel Thomas are left in the sprint relay pool.

At 12.14 this morning (TT time), Michelle-Lee Ahye will clash with Ivory Coast sprinter Murielle Ahoure in the third women's 100m first round heat. Semoy Hackett takes on Netherlands athlete Dafne Schippers in heat five. And in the sixth heat, 2011 World Championship bronze medallist Kelly-Ann Baptiste battles Jamaica's 2015 Pan Am Games champion Sherone Simpson.

The women's 100m semi-finals and final are scheduled for tomorrow (Monday) morning (TT time).

After press time, last night, 19-year-old Machel Cedenio opened his World Championship campaign in the first of six men's 400m heats. He squared off against American David Verburg.

The three 2012 Olympic Games medallists—T&T's Lalonde Gordon (bronze), Grenadian Kirani James (gold) and Dominican Republic's Luguelin Santos (silver)—featured in heat four. And in the final heat, T&T's 2009 World Championship bronze medallist Renny Quow matched strides with evergreen Bahamian Chris Brown and South African sensation Wayde van Niekirk.

Also in action after press time was Sparkle McKnight, T&T's lone entrant in the women's 400m hurdles. She clashed with Jamaican Kaliese Spencer in the opening first round heat.

The men's 400m and women's 400m hurdles semis will be contested tomorrow morning (TT time).

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