The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

AFTER bowing out of the consolation final of the women’s 100 metres, Tynia Gaither returned to snatch the victory in the 200m at the 2021 USATF Open Athletic Performance Ranch in Fort Worth, Texas.

While Gaither surged to the top on Tuesday, fellow Bahamian Steven Gardiner slipped and fell onto the track with just 10-15 metres from the finishing line after he had total control of the men’s 400m race and was unable to finish.

Gaither, preparing for her second shot at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, placed 10th overall after she got third in her heats of the 100m preliminaries in 11.72 seconds.

Jamaican veteran sensation Veronica Campbell-Brown took the race in 11.56, followed by Canada’s Crystal Emmanuel in 11.62.

While finishing in 10th place, one spot shy of advancing to the final, Gaither made it to the consolation final, but opted not to compete as Rosemary Chukwuma went on to win in 11.54.

American Mikiah Brisco, the fastest qualifier out of the preliminaries, was the winner of the A final in 11.42 with Campbell-Brown taking second in 11.55.

Gaither, 28, came back in the 200m and posted the fastest time overall in the last of two heats combined for the title in 23.11 for her first legal time in the half-lap race where she did a wind-aided 22.70 on April 24. American Candice Hill was second in 23.17.

Already this year, Gaither has clocked season best times of 11.02 in the century to surpass the A Olympic qualifying cut of 11.15 at the TruFit Classic, the same meet she did the wind-aided time in the 200m.

The qualifying standard for the Olympics in the 200m is 22.80.

Reigning Olympic 400m gold medallist and World Athletics’ 400m silver medallist Shaunae Miller-Uibo heads the world’s list with her qualifying times of 22.03 in the 200m and 49.08 in the 400m.

In the men’s 400m, 25-year-old Gardiner surged from behind in lane five off the first curve to power out front on the back stretch.

He slowly pulled away and held a considerable lead going onto the home stretch.

But as he headed towards the finish line, Gardiner’s legs cramped up and he stumbled onto the track. He laid down as the rest of the field passed him with American Michael Cherry taking the win in 44.37.

It was a lifetime best and the second fastest time this year for Cherry as he now only trails collegian Noah Williams of LSU, who ran 44.30 at the Alumni Gold on April 24.

Mexico’s Valente Mendoza came in second in the race behind Cherry in 46.17.

Gardiner, who posted a season’s best of 44.71 on April 17 to surpass the Olympic qualifying time of 44.90 and matched the 200m standard of 20.24, was well on his way to a fast time before he fell.

He was eventually assisted off the field by a group of persons, but there was no indication of the severity of the injury as he was unavailable for comments.

Also competing in the 400m was Kinard Rolle.

He was entered in the first heat where he crossed the line in fourth place in 47.97 for 14th place overall.

Nigeria swept the first two spots in the heat with Samson Oghenewegba Nathaniel winning in 46.52 and Sikiiru Adeyemi coming in second in 47.41.