The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

LONDON, England — They both ran their slowest times for the year, but while Michael Mathieu advanced to the semifinal in his second appearance at the Olympic Games with a third place finish in his heat, Trevorvano Mackey’s debut ended with a first round exit.

For Mathieu, his goal is to get past the semifinal where he got eliminated in 2008 in Beijing, China and he’s on his way to achieving it.

The Grand Bahamian native got off to a sluggish start running out of lane seven in the third heat.

Mathieu, the 28-year-old national record holder, did manage to cross the line in 20.62 for third place and an automatic qualifying spot in today’s semifinal. He trailed American Maurice Mitchell (20.54) and Great Britain’s Christian Malcolm (20.59).

Mitchell had the 20th fastest qualifying time, but he admitted that he could have been much better.

“I just felt like I wasn’t too warm out there, but it was all right because I made it back to the semifinal,” Mathieu said. “I was just trying to make the top three overall, so I was pleased with my performance.”

As he prepares for tonight’s semifinal, Mathieu will have to run out of lane two in the last of three heats. He will have to be one of the top two finishers or produce one of the next two fastest times in order to get into the final that will conclude the night’s action.

“I know I have to run faster,” Mathieu said. “I know I can. That was my slowest time all season, so I think I can now go faster.”

He will definitely need to, considering that included in his heat are Mitchell in lane four, Malcolm in five, Jamaica’s Warren Weir in six and Netherlands Antilles’ Churandy Martina in seven. The other two heats will comprise of defending champion and world record holder Usain Bolt and his arch-rival Yohan Blake, who got gold and silver respectively in the 100, as well as American Wallace Spearmon and Christophe Lemaitre of France.

“The competition is pretty stiff, but I’m going to try my best,” said Mathieu, who remembered his last outing on the global stage when he ran in the same heats with Bolt, only to pull up coming off the curve with a hamstring injury.

MACKEY NOT

DISAPPOINTED

BY EXIT

Mackey, the last man to officially qualify for Team Bahamas, had indicated that he wished he would not draw an inside lane during his training sessions. He was denied his wish as he was placed in lane two in the last of seven heats.

He came off the curve right in the mix, but as he got on the home stretch, he struggled to maintain his form and eventually faded. His time of 21.28 seconds left him well out of contention for one of the three automatic spots or a losing qualifying spot.

“I just went out there and did what I had to do,” said the national champion, who qualified when he competed at the NACAC Under-23 Championships following the final trials. “I think my main thing was a lack of experience.

“I got out too hard and I didn’t run my race. I ran the guys race. It just showed that I lack the experience. But I hope that next year, I will just get it together from here on in.”

On drawing lane two, Mackey said “it was what it was,” but he wasn’t disappointed in his effort.

“I just want to thank God that I made here this far,” he said. “I had a long college season indoors and outdoors, but I actually made the Olympic team, so that’s something for me to be thankful for. Many tried out and didn’t make it. I still give God thanks.”

Mackey, 20, said he just has to take this as a learning experience and get ready for the IAAF World Championships next year in Moscow, Russia and hopefully his second trip to the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2016.