The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

MOSCOW, Russia: Veteran quarter-miler Chris 'Fireman' Brown and sprinter Sheniqua 'Q' Ferguson were the first two Bahamian athletes to advance in their respective events at the 14th IAAF World Championships.

Competing in the morning session of day two of the nine-day competition on Sunday at the Luzhniki Grand Sports Stadium, Brown got into the semifinal of the men's 400 metres, while Ramon Miller and LaToy Williams both missed out on a lane for Monday night (lunchtime here in The Bahamas.)

As the last of the three to compete, Brown clocked 45.39 seconds for third place in heat four.

That placed him 12th overall, heading into the semis where he has drawn lane eight in the second of three heats.

Brown, who turns 35 on October 15, will need to finish in the top two or at least have one of the next four fastest times in order to clinch a berth in the final.

He will run in his semis against Jonathan Borlee from Belgium, who has lane three; Deon Lendore from Trinidad & Tobago in lane four and American LaShawn Merritt in lane six.

The final will be ran on Tuesday at 8:50 pm, again lunchtime in The Bahamas.

As the first competitor out of the blocks, Miller struggled to get around the track with a hamstring injury and he ended up fifth in 47.53.

The injury means he won't run the relay race.

American Tony McQuay won in 45.06.

Williams followed in heat three and he also had some difficulties as he crossed the line sixth in 46.65.

Merritt took the tape in 44.92.

In the women's 100, Sheniqua Ferguson powered out of the blocks in lane three and built a significant lead until she was caught and passed about 20-30 metres at the line.

She faded at the end in third in 11.33. Murielle Ahoure won in 11.22 and American defending champion Carmelita Jeter was second in 11.24.

Ferguson finished 19th overall and will now run out of lane nine in the last of three heats in Monday's semifinal at 7:51 pm.

A pair of Jamaicans, Kerron Stewart (Ferguson's training partner) and Shelly-AnnFraser-Pryce are in lanes five and seven respectively.

The first two in each heat and the next two fastest finishers will advance to the final on Monday at 9:50 pm.

Cache Armbrister, who moved her training site to Jamaica this year dropping down from the 400m, was sixth in heat three in 11.55.

American English Gardner was the only competitor to dip under 10 seconds, winning the heat in 10.94.