The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

SPRINTERS in the 100 metres and 400m yesterday took to the track first for Team Bahamas at the IAAF World Under-18 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya.

Adrian Curry delivered the first standout performance for the Bahamas at the meet and advanced for a sixth-place finish in the Boys' 100m final.

Curry ran 10.86 seconds in a race topped by a South African duo on the medal podium with Tshenolo Lemao first in 10.57 and Retshidisitswe Mlenga second in 10.61. Tyreke Wilson of Jamaica was third in 10.65.

Lemao became the first South African to win a world 100m title in any age division.

In the opening heats, Joel Johnson was up first for the Bahamas, and he advanced as an automatic qualifier when he finished third in heat one in 10.77.

Curry finished second in heat four and also advanced as an automatic qualifier with his time of 10.61.

In the semi-finals, Johnson was unable to advance with a fourth place finish of 10.68 in the first of three heats. In heat two, Curry reached the final with a second-place finish in a time of 10.59.

The Bahamas fielded a full slate of competitors in the 400m on both the boys' and girls' side.

Doneisha Anderson took first place in heat one of the girls' event in 54.36 to automatically qualify for today's semi-finals.

Wendira Moss ran 57.68 in heat two and was unable to advance after a seventh-place finish.

Anderson will enter the next round with the third fastest qualifying time. Only Mary Moraa of Kenya (54.07) and Giovana Rosalia Dos Santos of Brazil (54.29) were faster in round one. Both Moraa and Dos Santos will run in the second semi-final while Anderson will be placed in the first.

In the boys' event, both Correy Sherrod and Tyrell Simms are through to the semi-finals.

Sherrod finished fifth in heat one but his time of 48.79 was one of the "next four" group of qualifiers to finish outside the top four and qualify on time.

Simms was an automatic qualifier, fourth in heat five in 49.15.

Day two will be a busy one for team Bahamas with five athletes in competition.

In the morning session, Denvaughn Whymns will contest the boys' 110mH (SB - 13.81) and return in the afternoon session to compete in the Long Jump (SB - 7.31m).

The afternoon session will also feature Matthew Thompson in the boys' 400mH (SB - 54.04) along with the semi-finals in both the boys' and girls' 400m.

More than 800 athletes from 131 countries, as well as an athlete refugee team, have assembled in the Kenyan capital for what will be the final edition of the global championships for athletes in the under-18 age group. The championships will conclude on July 16.