The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

LONDON, England — Nobody likes to be the last man standing out of the medal picture. But for the second consecutive trip to the Olympic Games, Chris ‘Fireman’ Brown couldn’t get over the hump and now will have to once again wear the label of the fourth best quarter-miler in the world - again.

In a gallant effort in a highly anticipated showdown between the future stars of the one-lap race, Brown’s push in the last 50 metres was a little too late as he couldn’t catch Trinidad & Tobago’s Lalonde Gordon for the bronze medal. The gold and silver had already been secured by world champion Kirani James, who posted a Grenada national record of 43.94, followed by Dominican Republic’s Luguelin Santos in 44.46 for the silver. Both are just 19 years old.

Gordon, 23, held on for the bronze in a personal best of 44.52 and Brown, the oldest man in the field at 32, had to settle for fourth again in 44.79.

“Fourth place just telling me that I’m getting closer and closer,” he said. “I really thought that this was it, but I have to give God thanks for me and Demetrius (Pinder) making the final. We are just looking to regroup and come back and strike with vengeance in the 4 x 400.”

Pinder, the three-time national champion from Grand Bahama, was a part of what turned out to be an historic one-lap final for the Bahamas. But the 21-year-old eventually faded down the stretch and ended up in seventh place in 44.98 behind the Belgium twin brothers of Kevin (44.81) and Jonathan (44.83) in one of the fastest 400 held at the Olympics. It was indeed the fastest race held at the National Stadium in London.

But for Brown, it was a position that he just couldn’t seem to shake off his back.

Four years ago in Beijing, China, he actually had the bronze sewed up. But American David Neville dove across the finish line to rob him of a chance to get on the medal podium for his first individual medal. In 2005 in Helsinki, Finland and again in 2007 in Osaka, Japan at the IAAF World Championships, Brown had to settle for the dreaded fourth place in the men’s 400. Now in his fourth Olympics, Brown was once again denied the opportunity to put the hardware around his neck.

Brown, who has had a stellar career winning an IAAF World Indoor gold and three bronze, a Pan American Games gold and a silver and bronze at the Central American and Caribbean Championships, thanked God for allowing him to come back to the games to represent the country like he did. But he admitted that fourth was definitely not where he wanted to be.

“Fourth place is definitely not what I’m looking for. I don’t know what it is with this fourth. Fourth, fourth, fourth,” said Brown of his position now in the last three Olympics. “But it was a tough run. I put my best into it, but it just didn’t happen.”

As for the race, Brown said he felt he might have settled back too long on the back stretch and it cost him in the end as he tried to catch the field.

“I had too much ground to make up,” he said. “I tried to make my move on the home stretch, but it just didn’t happen. I didn’t underestimate the field. I knew that everybody in there had a best of 44-something, so I didn’t underestimate the field.”

With James trailing him at the start, Brown said he was hoping to keep him there. But coming down to the final 200, James took control of the race, first passing Brown and then as he came off the final curve, he kicked into another gear and was too strong for anybody to catch him.

“The guy ran 43 seconds, so it shows that he’s fit and ready to run,” Brown said. “My personal best is 44.4, so I ran 44.7. Today just wasn’t the day.”

PINDER SETTLES

FOR SEVENTH

After getting out with the pack and staying in contention on the back stretch, Pinder came off the final curve right where he wanted to be. But running out of lane eight, he may have exerted a little too much energy and he couldn’t maintain his position as he faded into seventh at the tape.

“It was all about me and my race strategy and what I wanted to do,” he said. “I wasn’t worried about the field. I was trying to get a medal. I was trying to run my race. Tonight just wasn’t mine. Everybody has their season. This is Kirani’s season. I’m proud for him. Hopefully mine will come soon.”

Running in honour of his sister, Claudia, who died and was buried all while he was here preparing for the games, Pinder said he wasn’t concerned about the field. He said this exposure will certainly make him better.

“I’m proud of the Bahamas, a little country like us to have two guys in the world in an Olympic final is a blessing,” he said. “Just want to give God thanks for getting me here, helping me to stay strong, losing my sister and everything. I just want to give God thanks.”

With the 400 done with, Pinder said they are now going to prepare for the 4 x 400 relay that will have the heats on Thursday and the final on Friday.

“When that time comes, I will be ready to just give it everything I got.”

Hopefully by falling short of getting a medal in the 400, he and Brown will do it as a team.