The Tribune

From BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

in Beijing, China

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

ON THE day that Jeffery Gibson received the first medal for the Bahamas at the 15th IAAF World Championships, Leevan 'Superman' Sands had an emotional leap into the men's triple jump final.

Originally left out of the team because he didn't make the standard, but eventually qualifying through his bronze medal at the Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada, Sands held back the tears as he tried to explain the exhilaration that he felt as his road to recovery continued.

Back in the Bird's Nest where he won his first Olympic Games' medal - a bronze in 2008 - Sands also made his comeback after a near career-ending injury at the last Olympics in London, England, in 2012, Sands almost didn't make it as he got in with the slightest of margins in the 12th and final spot.

With a jump of 16.73 metres (54ft 10 3/4in), Sands was left tied with American Marquis Dendy, but looking at the count back, Sands' performance in the second round was able to get him in and left Dendy out after he did it a little too late in the third round.

Also out of the final picture was 20-year-old collegian Latario Collie-Minns, who had the final chance to either keep Sands in or knock him out. He finished short on his final attempt.

Collie-Minns, who was hailed by Sands as the jumper of the future, eventually posted a best of 16.21m (53ft 2 1/4in) that ranked him 23rd overall.

The final of the triple jump will be held on Thursday at 7.10am EST and will be one of the two on the night and the third that the Bahamas will be involved in so far at the nine-day championships.

Set to go at 8.05am EST will be Shaunae Miller in the women's 400m final. She will be running in lane five with Jamaican Shericka Jackson in four and American Allyson Felix in six.

Also on Wednesday, Sheniqua 'Q' Ferguson failed to advance from the women's 200m heats just as she did in the 100m. Her return to the Bird's Nest where she made her Olympic debut in 2008 came to an end when he placed sixth in her heat in 23.44 seconds and 42nd overall.

In addition to the finals for Sands and Miller, Bianca 'BB' Stuart will begin her quest for a place in the final of the women's long jump. Starting at 7:50 pm EST tonight, Stuart will be the 11th out of 17th competitors in the one group of of the qualifying round.

At 7.25am EST, the final two individual competitors on the track will compete in the women's 100m hurdles. National champion Adanaca Brown will run in lane nine in heat two and Devynne Charlton will follow in heat three in lane six. The first four and the next four fastest losers will advance to the semi-finals on Friday, the same night as the final.

Still left to compete in their preliminaries are the Bahamian high jump trio of national champion Ryan Ingraham, former world champion Donald Thomas and Trevor Barry. They will compete on Friday for places in Sunday's final.

As the championships start to wind down, all of the attention will switch to the relays, where the Bahamas will be represented in the men's 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m and the women's 4 x 400m. The relays will be held from Friday to Sunday.

After watching Gibson pick up his medal, the remainder of the team are all eager to come out for the rest of the championships and get their opportunity to join in the celebrations.

Full reports and photographs, see tomorrow's Tribune