The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

GOLD Coast, Australia -- National record holder Jeffery Gibson said he didn't anticipate running as slow as he did, but he's grateful that it was good enough to get him into the final of the men's 400 metre hurdles at the XXI Commonwealth Games.

As he began competition for Team Bahamas on day three of the track and field segment at the Carrara Stadium, Gibson had to come-from-behind for a second place finish in the last of three heats in 49.75 for an automatic qualifying spot in the final, despite placing 10th overall in the standings.

The final is set for Thursday at 7:45 pm (Australian time).

"I was a bit weary about how I would run today," said Gibson after the race. "In my training sessions, I made some changes to my approach to the hurdles and which leg, so I wasn't exactly confident about which leg I would use over each hurdle. As I approached each hurdle, I was a little hesitant about it."

However, Gibson's approach over the 10 flights of hurdles didn't have that much effect because he remained in contention until the pack came off the final curve and into the home stretch. That was where Gibson used his 6-foot, 1-inch frame to stretch it out and stayed behind Kenya's Nicholas Kiplagat Bett, the winner in 49.24.

Gibson, 27, is going after his second medal at the Commonwealth Games after picking up a bronze in 2014 in Glasgow, Scotland.

He came back in 2015 at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing, China, where he also won a bronze. However, last year at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, he could only muster a 46th place overall as he failed to get out of the heats.

Now training in Florida, Gardiner said things are a lot different and he expects to be ready for the final.

"I like it. I've never been to Australia, so I'm taking it bit by bit," he said. "Hopefully in the Bahamas, I will be able to perform a lot better."

Among his training partners in Florida is Steven Gardiner, who over the weekend added the men's 200m national record to his ledger in the men's 400m. The new 200/400m double national record holder will not be here competing as he remains in the US taking care of his green card issue.

Gardiner said there was a lot of buzz in the Games Village from Team Bahamas about Gardiner's impressive 19.75 clocking.

"I expected it out of him because he trains with me, so I knew he was capable of doing it," Gardiner summed up.