The Tribune

From BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

in Beijing, China

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS national record holder Jeffery Gibson knows that if he's going to be in contention for another major championships medal, he will have to run a much better race than he did in the opening round of the men's 400 metres here on Saturday.

On day one of the 15th International Amateur Athletic Federation World Championships, following a colourful opening ceremony at the Bird's Nest stadium, Gibson came out of the blocks in the first heat of the first event of the evening session.

He took control of the race on the back stretch, but coming through on the final bend, he clipped the seventh of the 10 rows of hurdles. He regained his composure to stay ahead of the pack.

But as he headed to the finish line, he eased up and ended up third in 49.09 seconds. In taking victory, Kenya's Nicholas Bett stopped the clock in 48.37 for the fastest of the five heats. Russian Timofey Chalyn got second in a season's best of 49.05.

The three, along with Kurt Couto of Mozambique, who did his season's best of 49.15 for fourth, automatically qualify for Sunday's semi-finals.

"It was good. I didn't have as much intensity as I did for the other races, but I knew this was just a small step for me to get ready for the semi-final," Gibson said. "So I tried to preserve some energy for that. But I had some problems on the seventh hurdle that I know I will have to correct if I want to get into the final."

Gibson, 23, was the first member of the Bahamas' 25-member team to compete in the nine-day meet. He clinched the 13th best time overall going into the semi-finals, where he will run out in lane nine in the second of three heats. He will need to finish in the top two or post one of the two fastest times to take a place the final that will be contested on Tuesday.

"There's a very strong field of competitors here, so I know that I will have to be at my best in order to get into the final and hopefully win a medal," said Gibson, who is looking to add to his Commonwealth Games' bronze medal last year in Glasgow, Scotland, and the gold from the Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada, this year.

"If I can be more aggressive at the start of the race and I attack the hurdles, I know anything is possible. So I'm looking forward to the competition. I think I maybe coming down with some allergy problem, but I'm not going to let that get me down. I still have a job to do."

The job has just started for Team Bahamas.

Day two (Sunday in China) also sees the men's 400m and the women's 100m first round taking place. Here's how the Bahamians stack up:

Men's 400m first round (first three in each heat plus the six fastest times qualify for the semi-finals to be on Monday).

Michael Mathieu - heat two, lane two. Mathieu has a season's best of 45.00 seconds and is fourth fastest this year of those in the heat. Defending champion LaShawn Merritt, from the United States, has the fastest time in the heat of 44.36. He is entered in lane five.

Steven Gardiner - heat five, lane nine. Gardiner has the fastest qualifying time of 44.27, a national record, but he will be pushed by American Vernon Norwood, who has done the next best of 44.75.

Chris 'Fireman' Brown - heat six, lane four. He has the second fastest season's best of 44.54 behind Wayde Van Niekkerk, of South Africa, who will run out of lane nine.

Women's 100m first round

Sheniqua 'Q' Ferguson - heat seven, lane nine. Ferguson goes in with a season's best of 11.21 seconds. American English Gardner in lane three has the fastest time of 10.79.

Men's 400m hurdles semi-finals (first two in each heat plus the two fastest times qualify for the final to on Tuesday. Jeffery Gibson runs in heat two, lane nine. American Johnny Dutch in lane four has the fastest time of 48.13.

Follow the Bahamians' performances on tribune242.com with Brent Stubbs

*China is 12 hours ahead of EST