The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

RIO de Janeiro, Brazil: Men's 400 metre national record holder Steven Gardiner was the only Bahamian to advance out of the first round as the athletic competition got underway on Friday at the National Olympic Stadium.

Gardiner, one of three quarter-milers lined up to compete on day one, posted a time of 45.24 seconds for second in the seventh and final heat to finish tied for sixth overall with Trinidad & Tobago's Lalonde Gordon, won his heat.

The fastest qualifier was Grenada's Kirani James, who showed signs that he's on course to successfully defend his Olympic title, as he crossed the line in 44.93 in heat six.

"It feels really good to make it to the semi-final in my first Olympic Games," Gardiner said. "I just have to get ready tomorrow for the semis."

On Saturday, he will be running out of lane five in the last of three heats at 7:44 pm EST in his bid to get into the final that will be contested on Sunday at 9 pm EST. He will run sandwiched between American Gil Roberts in four and Grenada's Bralon Taplin in six.

Gardiner, 20, was hoping that he would have had some company moving on, but while veteran Chris 'Fireman' Brown came close to getting in, he had to wait until the end before it was determined that his season's best of 45.56 for fourth in heat four was just two spots out of advancing in 20th spot. The top 18 advanced.

"I just think the Lord for allowing me to be here and get this experience under my belt," said Brown, in his fifth and final Olympics as he will close this chapter in his career without that elusive Olympic individual medal. "This was my first race since (the BAAA's) Nationals (and final Olympic trials), so I was a bit dusty, so just being able to come and take part was a blessing for me."

Brown said he will now just have to focus on getting the men's 4 x 400 metre relay team prepared to defend their title at the end of the week. He will be join rookie Alonzo Russell, who was fifth in heat three in 46.23, but was eventfully disqualified for running out of his lane.

"It didn't go as I had planned for it to go and I felt as if I made a rookie mistake, trying to follow the guys ahead of me at their pace through the first 200m and I think I kind of paid for it at the end," said Russell, before he got the DQ behind his name.

Also in action on day one was sprinter Ty'Nia Gaither in the women's 100m heats. She came in fifth in the fourth of eight heats in 11.56 for 39th overall. Gaither opted not to speak, indicating that she would prefer to wait until after she come back for the 200m that starts on Monday.

Meanwhile, over at the Olympic Swim Complex after all of the excitement at the athletics, Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace closed out her appearance here by finishing fourth in the first semi-final heat of the women's 50m freestyle.

Vanderpool-Wallace, the 26-year-old veteran who was also seeking her first medal in three Olympics, clocked 24.60, but was edged out for the eighth and final spot by Aliksandra Herasimenia of Belarus, who was fifth in the second semis in 24.53.

With both swimming and rowing now completed, the focus switches on athletics and will continue at 10:28 am EST on Saturday when Shaunae Miller will run out of lane five in the fifth of eight heats.

She will need to finish in the top two or turn in one of the next eight fastest times in order to secure her berth in the semi-final on Sunday, starting at 7:35 pm EST. The final is set for Monday at 9:45 pm EST.

Also in action today will be Shavaz Hart, Adrian Griffith and Jamil Rolle in the men's 100m heats, starting at 11 am EST. Their heats will be determined following the completion of the preliminary rounds.