The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

MOSCOW, Russia — Coming into the 14th IAAF World Athletics Championships, coach George Cleare said he knew Shaunae Miller’s best chance to shine here would be in the women’s 200 metres.

No one can second guess that decision after Miller blasted her way into the final when she came from behind to take one of the two automatic qualifying spots in the first of three heats of the semifinals in 22.64 seconds.

The new junior national record holder trailed Murielle Ahoure from the Ivory Coast, the winner in 22.46 as she came off the curve behind the pack and finished just ahead of American Jeneba Tarmoh, who took third in 22.70 to also qualify.

The Bahamas was hoping to get two Bahamians into the final, set for 9:15pm or 1:15pm (ET), but Anthonique Strachan fell short in her bid in heat three. Miller said she’s just elated that she came through.

“I just thank God that I was able to make the final. That’s the main thing,” said Miller after she took care of business.

“But the race definitely didn’t go as planned, but I was able to take it home and pick up a few people on the home stretch.”

Now as a finalist in her first global appearance in the shorter distance after she pulled up with a hamstring coming around the first curve of her 400m debut at the Olympic Games last year in London, England, Miller said she can get the monkey of her back.

“It feels pretty good. Now I can go in there with the mindset of just going in there and representing my country to the best of my ability. That is the main thing right now,” she said.

No doubt, the decision by coach Cleare to allow her to concentrate on the half-lap instead of the full lap has paid off big dividends for the 6-foot, 2-inch 18-year-old who has also decided to skip the remainder of her collegiate eligibility at the University of Georgia and will now be running as a professional.

“I trust my coach 100 per cent,” she said. “He said we were going to go for the 200 and I didn’t question him. I’m a finalist now, so we will see what happens there.”

Other than her mother, Maybelene, who is also here as the assistant manager of the team, nobody was more thrilled about her accomplishment than Cleare.

“We take each round as it comes, knowing that each race poses different challenges,” said Cleare, who is the head coach of Team Bahamas. “In the first round she ran a very good bend and was able to control the race. In the second round she did not execute her start and with 40m to go she was in 6th place. But her 400m strength was able to come through for her.”

As for the final, Cleare expects a different story.

“In the final, she won’t have the luxury of starting poorly. So we will work out the kinks and hope to put her best possible race together at the right time,” he said.

But, as her personal coach, Cleare said he is pleased and win, lose or draw, he is satisfied. “She is out there competing and being her first senior major championship, making the finals is a huge accomplishment,” he said.

Strachan missed out

As the specialist of this event, everybody expected the 19-year-old Strachan to join Miller in tonight’s final. However, like Miller, Strachan also got left behind and coming off the curve, she wasn’t able to pass enough of her rivals to get in. She ended up fourth in 22.81 in a heat that was won by Jamaican 100m champion Shelly-Ann Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in 22.54.

Mariya Ryemyen of Ukraine was second in 22.70 and American ChaRonda Williams got third in 22.80 as they all qualified.

A disappointed Strachan, who opted not to give an interview after the race, ended up tied for ninth on the chart, just one 10th of a second shy of getting in. The eighth and final spot went to Williams.

Here’s the line-up for the final:

Lane Name Country SB PB

2 Jeneba Tarmoh United States 22.70 22.28

3 ChaRonda Williams United States 22.71 22.52

4 Allyson Felix United States 22.30 21.69

5 Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Jamaica 22.13 22.09

6 Blessing Okagbare Nigeria 22.31 22.31

7 Murielle Ahoure Ivory Coast 22.24 22.24

8 Shaunae Miller Bahamas 22.45 22.45

9 Mariya Ryemyen Ukraine 22.61 22.58