The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

It didn’t take Shaunae Miller-Uibo that long to get her legs back under her. In fact, in just her second international meet since having her baby boy on April 20, she said it’s all about getting ready to defend her women’s 400 metre title at the Olympic Games in Paris, France.

Falling short of advancing out of the first round with seventh in her heat at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary where she made her global return, Miller-Uibo took the spotlight in the pre-race programme at the Weltklasse Zurich Diamond League in Switzerland.

Yesterday as she opened the meet at the Letzigrund Stadium, Miller-Uibo clocked 51.83 seconds to lower her season’s best of 52.65 she ran as a wild card entry in defending her title at the World Championships, holding off a field that had a pair of competitors from Switzerland trailing as Anna Fahr got second in 51.97 and Julia Niederberger got third in 52.11.

“It has been a long season, and obviously it would have come in handy for this to be the start of it,” said Miller-Uibo, referring to her journey as a new mother, calling the birth of her son the greatest of blessings.

“I just have to build for next season, and to get the body used to the shock again and be ready for next season.”

While she continues to shock everybody with her quick return to competition, coming out of Budapest, the focus of attention for the Bahamas was on sprinter Anthonique Strachan and hurdler Devynne Charlton, who were the only two members of the 11-member team to get into the final.

Strachan, who is having a breakout season at the senior level, duplicated her sixth-place finish at the World Championships in Zurich where she ran 22.65 in another hotly contested race that was won by her Jamaican training partner and world champion Shericka Jackson in 21.82.

Great Britain’s Daryll Neita got second in 22.25 and American Kayla White was third in 22.33.

Despite her position, Strachan stays in contention for a spot at the Diamond League Final as she’s in fifth place with 15 points with Jackson leading the pack with 24 in the 13-race series that got started in Doha, Qatar on May 5.

Strachan, who celebrated her 30th birthday in Budapest, also contested the 100m in Zurich where she placed ninth in 11.39.

American Sha’Carri Richardson, the world champion, pulled off another victory in 10.88 with Jamaicans Natasha Morrison and Elaine Thompson-Herrah following in identical times of 11.00.

Like the 200m, her specialty, Strachan is tied with two others for ninth place with 11 points in the qualifying standings for the Diamond League Final.

Marie-Josée Ta Lou leads the field with 32 points with Jackson and Richardson in second and third with 26 and 24 points respectively. There are only two more events left and that is the Xiamen in China, which has replaced the Shenzhen, on September 2 and Brussels on September 8 before the finals is staged in Eugene, Oregon, September 16-17.

Charlton, on the other hand, was eighth over her 10 flights of hurdles in 12.75. She was coming off her fourth place finish in 12.52, just outside of getting on the podium in Budapest and many wondered how well she would fear in such a short space of time.

Jamaican world champion Danielle Williams weathered the storm, taking the tape in 12.54. American Alaysha Johnson got second in 12.58 as she held off her compatriot Kendra Harrison, the World Championship bronze medalist, who did 12.59.

With her performance, Charlton is now in 12rth place in the standings with six points and is mathematically out of contention for a shot at the Diamond League final. American Nia Ali, who , leads with 25 points, just ahead of Johnson and world record holder Tobi Amusan, tied for second with 23. Harrison follows with 20, American Tia Jones is next with 19 and Puerto Rico’s World Championship silver medalist Jasmine Camacho-Quinn and Poland’s Pia Skrzskoska are next with 16.

While she won’t be eligible for the Diamond League Final for the first time after her pregnancy denied her the opportunity to compete in any races, Miller-Uibo said she’s blessed to be back on the international scene and she’s just taking it easy as she prepare for next year.

“I was looking forward to it,” said Miller-0Uibo about running in the pre-programme race. “We don’t want any big races right now. Just trying to get the feeling of running again.”

With one more race left before she shut down her season, Miller-Uibo said she’s been happy with her performance and she’s trying to get back in shape and racing again. Hopefully it will all come together when she defend her title in Paris.