The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

After disappointment in the long jump, Laquan Nairn returned yesterday to lead Bahamian qualifiers at the 8th IAAF World Youth Championships in Donetsk, Ukraine.

Nairn reached the qualifying mark of 2.09m in the high jump and will advance to Friday’s final, 10:15am local time.

Of the 12 finals competitors, Nairn comes into the competition with the fourth highest jump of the season at 2.11 metres.

Christoff Bryan of Jamaica has leapt 2.19m this season, Sanghyeok Woo of Korea leapt 2.18m and Jiaxu Bai of China reached 2.16m.

“The competition out there today was great, very competitive, but I did everything my coach told me to do and by the grace of God I was able to make it through to the finals,” Nairn said, I am expecting great things in the finals. I know what I have to get done, for me I am 100 per cent confident about the finals and I expect to do great things.”

In the morning session, Xavier Coakley was fifth in heat two of the 110mH, in a time of 14.05 to qualify for the semifinals. He will run in lane two of semifinal three today at 10:45am local time. It was one of the fastest of the six heats and fielded six qualifiers.

Marlon Humphrey of the United States was the top qualifier with a personal best time of 13.42.

Twelve of the 24 qualifiers for the semifinals ran their personal best times in the preliminary round.

On a busy day for him, Coakley returned in the afternoon session for the 400mH where he ran 53.78s to finish sixth in heat one. He finished 19th overall and will not advance to the final.

In the shot put, Brashae Wood finished 24th in Flight A and 47th overall with a throw of 13.27m.

A personal best time of 47.23 was not enough for Janeko Cartwright to advance to the final of the 400m. He finished third in heat two, won by Jamaica’s Martin Manley in a personal best time of 46.65 while Abbas Abubaker of Bahrain was second in a personal best time of 46.85.

Ryan Clark of the United States was the top qualifier for the final in a World Youth leading time of 46.33s.

Five of the eight qualifiers for the final recorded personal best times yesterday to advance.

Jenae Ambrose finished seventh in semifinal one of the girls 100m in 12.02, 19th overall and was unable to advance to the final.

Ariana Washington of the United States was the top overall qualifier in 11.48 and the eighth qualifying time was 11.77 by Jessie Maduka of Germany.

Team Bahamas returns today competing in the 200m, javelin and triple jump.

In the girls 200m, Ambrose will run in lane four of heat seven and Loushanya Neymour will run in lane eight of heat three at 3:05am.

On the boy’s side, Cartwright will run in lane five of heat six and Ian Kerr will run in lane three of heat three at 4:30am.

In the afternoon session, Denzel Pratt takes part in Group A of the javelin at 9:30am. He has a season’s best throw of 63.01m and will need a qualifying performance of 71.0m to make the top 12 at 9:30am.

Kaiwan Culmer will compete in Group B of the triple jump at 10am. He needs a qualifying jump of 15.30m and enters with a season’s best of 14.65m.