The Tribune

From BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

in Beijing, China

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

ALTHOUGH she hadn't run since she walked off the track running the 200 metres in Monaco last month with a slight injury, Shaunae Miller shook off the rust, winning her first round of the women's 400m at the 15th IAAF World Championships on Monday morning.

In what was an extremely fast start to the three rounds of competition at the Bird's Nest, Miller clocked 50.53 seconds to stay ahead of Jamaican Christine Day, who trailed in 50.58 for second.

Miller's time turned out to be the fifth fastest in the field overall. Topping the list was Jamaican Stephanie Ann McPherson in a season's best of 50.34 in heat four. Bianca Razor, of Romania, had the second fastest time in a personal best of 50.37 and Jamaican Shericka Jackson had the third fastest qualifying time of 50.41.

Miller made up the stagger on the field and was in control of the race on the back stretch. She came off the final curve and into the home stretch well ahead of the pack.

As she sped to the finish line, she checked on her rivals to the right and then a few steps later, took a turn to see what was happening on the left. But it didn't matter: she was not to be denied the opportunity to cross the line first.

The 21-year-old will run out of lane six in the semi-final on Tuesday next to Jamaican Christine Day in five and Joyce Zakary, of Kenya, in seven.

The first two finishers in each of the three heats and the next two fastest finishers will advance to the final on Thursday.

For Miller, her quest is to go for her first global medal since the bronze she achieved at the World Indoor Championships in Sopot, Poland, in 2014 following the completion of her sensational reign as the IAAF World Junior and Youth Championship champion in 2010 in Moncton, Canada, and in 2011 in Lille, France, respectively.

Miller, whose parents Shaun and May are both here as a coach and official on Team Bahamas, has also qualified to compete in the 200m, but she indicated that because she has been running more consistently in her specialty, she decided to go for a medal in the 400m.

Full report and photographs in The Tribune on Tuesday