The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Fresh off his bronze-medal performance in the men’s 400 metre hurdles at the 15th IAAF World Championships in Beijing, China, Jeffery Gibson picked up a victory at the Atletica Mondiale XXIX Meeting in Padova on Sunday night.

The 25-year-old Grand Bahamian native clocked 48.73 seconds in his post-World Championship meet where he posted a national record in both the semi-final and the final. He was short of his national record of 48.17 that he ran in Beijing, but it was well ahead of Omar Cisneros of Cuba, who followed in a season’s best of 49.26 and Rasmus Magi of Estonia in 49.99.

“I was a bit nervous about the race and how I would run,” Gibson told The Tribune after the race. “After running such fast rounds in Beijing and dropping my times I wasn’t sure how I would be two weeks later for competition.”

As for the time, Gibson said he was just as pleased.

“The time was somewhat what I expected,” he said. “I know based on how I ran my race it wasn’t going to be a fast time but I was still surprised that it was in the 48-second range. I know that I can do much better and will in my next race.”

And he couldn’t ask for a better field to run against in a low keyed meet that turned out to be an exciting affair.

“The competition was good. I’ve ran against Rasmus from Estonia before and knew that he is a good hurdler,” Gibson said. “It was the gentleman from Cuba, Omar (Cisneros) whom I’ve never ran against and so I wasn’t sure what he would bring to the table. The meet was a small but impressive meet with some big names. I was a little shocked at who showed up.”

Looking at the crowd and their reaction to the competition, Gibson said it reminded him of competing at home.

“The people of Padova are track and field fans just like the Bahamian people. They came out and cheered for their athletes and for international athletes to run fast as well. They were nice and I’m glad I got to meet them,” he said. “The crowd was hype with good music and cheering for field events where clapping was needed. The high jump was especially lit.”

Gibson now prepares for his final meet of the season at the Diamond League in Brussels on September 11 as the IAAF Golden League comes to a close. It will also culminate what has been a fantastic year for Gibson, who still can’t believe that he has prepared as well as he did, breaking the national record four times and winning a medal at the Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada, before he got his bronze at the World Championships.

“I know that (my season) it is still going on and honestly I can only say thank you to God for all the blessings that have happened this season,” Gibson said. “In the quite hours when I’m on the track by myself and think about my season I’m just so humble at his grace for me.

“This season makes me anxious and a little fearful about what the future holds for me. I have many questions about the future but I’m just going to take it one day at a time because that’s all I can worry about.”

Gibson is expected home after Brussels where he is ranked at No.7 with Ireland’s Thomas Barr and Russian Denis Kudryavstev - all with one point in a three-way tie for seventh place in the men’s 400m hurdles.