The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

MOSCOW, Russia: From multiple champion at Carifta to back-to-back singular queen at both the IAAF World Junior and Youth Championships, Shaunae Miller has arrived at the global senior level with a fourth place finish at the 14th IAAF World Championships.

Not in her speciality, but the 6-feet, 2-inches junior national record holder rose with a remarkable transformation yesterday at the Luzhniki Grand Sports Complex in her most cherished moment.

Now she is listed as the second competitor at 19-years-old to make it to a women’s 200 metres final when she stormed from last place coming off the curve to power her way to fourth in 22.72 seconds in a race that saw Allyson Felix go down with an injury and her other three American compatriots follow in the remaining three spots.

Felix, who had to be assisted off the track after she suffered the injury midway coming around the curve, was the first competitor at 19 to make it to a final.

That same year in 2005 in Helsinki, Finland at the 10th Worlds, Felix went on to collect the gold medal.

The gold here in the women’s half lap went to Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser in 22.17. It was a double dose of victory for Fraser-Pryce, who on Monday, triumphed as the century champion. The silver went to Murielle Ahoure of the Ivory Coast and Blessing Okagbare took the bronze, both in 22.32

For Miller, whose party last year was thwarted by a hamstring pull as she came off the first curve in the first round of the 400m at the Olympic Games in London, fourth-best is not bad for a debut at these biennial championships.

“I feel pretty good and I thank God for just allowing me to get the opportunity to run in my first world championship final,” she said yesterday.

“I know I have some things to work on, especially the first bend. But the straightway was really powerful as I was able to come back to get fourth place. I competed with the best and so for the first time doing it, I don’t feel so bad.”

Running out of lane seven, Miller said she didn’t get to see what happened to Felix until after the race. But she wished her all the best and hoped it wasn’t anything serious. “It’s a sad thing, but it happens in track,” said Miller, who knows so well the feeling having suffered a similar fate last year.

“I’m just glad that I came out without any injuries. It’s been a pretty long season, but it was a pretty good one.”

As an outsider looking in, Fraser-Pryce said how she was in awe of Miller, not just because of her performance in the final, but the threat she poises on the pro circuit as a 200/400 combo athlete.

“She’s very talented and the fact that she is younger and can actually do the 200 and the 400 and to come here and finish fourth in a major championship at her age speaks for the level of work ethic she outs into her preparation,” Fraser-Pryce said.

“She has lots more years to come doing this 200 and 400 and hopefully she can be successful in producing the double one day at a major championship. She’s also very humble, so she’s going to be one of the big contenders, so I know I will have to look out for her next year.”

Team manager Ralf McKinney said the Bahamas should be proud of what Miller accomplished.

“Fourth place isn’t bad. She’s one of the youngest females ever to make it to a final at the World Championships, so that’s another plus,” he said. “We are just so proud of her.”

Nobody seemed to be more proud than Miller’s mother, May Miller, who assisted McKinney on the management of the team.

“I felt good about the race for her. I know she wanted to medal, but to God be the glory, great things he has done,” she said.

“He brought her this far and she is now the world’s fourth fastest woman in the 200, so I’m happy.”

The elder Miller said she wasn’t as excited watching the final as she was the heats and the semifinal because she knew it took a whole lot to get into the final.

“Once she got there, I felt a little more at ease because I knew whatever happen will happen in the final,” she said.

“You saw what happened to Allyson when she went down. So I just stood up and cheered like I normally do and try to cheer her on as much as I could. I was happy that she came fourth.”

The younger Miller will now concentrate on the women’s 4 x 100m relay that will be run on Sunday. She’s anxious to get back out there and run again as it will be the first time for her with the crew of competitors, Anthonique Strachan, Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie and Cache Armbrister, at this level.

Nivea Smith is expected to return to school on Sunday, so she won’t be available.

“I think we have a very good team,” Miller said. “We are all ready to run.”

Fraser-Pryce, however, said Jamaica have a very strong team as well and while the Bahamas has some young athletes, the experience that they will gain will be huge in the coming years and their development will speak volumes.

“I think really it’s not all about speed. It’s about gelling and the cohesive of the team in getting the stick around,” she stressed. “I think it will be a very good run for both of us and hopefully we can see both Caribbean countries on the podium.”

The women’s 4 x 100m relay heats are at 8.15am, Bahamas time, on Sunday with the final at 10.10am.

The Bahamas will also be fielding a team for the men’s 4 x 100m relay, with the heats at 8.50am, Bahamas time, and the final at 10.40am.

The finals are the last two events of these championships.

Follow all the action live on www.tribune242.com and our Twitter account, @Tribune242.

See Monday’s Tribune for a full roundup of results and pictures.

For more on the events so far and reaction from the BAAA’s Mike Sands on Team Bahamas’ performance, see pages 43, 44 &45.