The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

RESORTING to a new race model, Shaunae Miller-Uibo didn’t get the finish she expected, but it was smooth sailing for quarter-miler Steven Gardiner, high jumper Jamal Wilson and triple jumper Tamara Myers.

The elite athletes competed in a series of meets in three different locations over three days over the weekend.

While Gardiner and Wilson both prevailed in Ponce, Puerto Rico on Thursday, and Myers soared to victory in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on Saturday, Miller-Uibo struggled in Doha, Qatar on Friday.

At the start of the Wanda Diamond League in Doha, Miller-Uibo faded down the stretch to third place in the women’s 400m in 51.84 seconds. Dominican Republic’s Marileidy Paulino got the win in a season’s best of 51.20.

Paulino was the silver medalist behind Miller-Uibo as she secured her second consecutive gold medal in the women’s 400m at the delayed 2020 Olympic Games last August in Tokyo, Japan.

Miller-UIibo, who had surged ahead of the pack on the back stretch, only to watch as Paulino took over on the home stretch. As Miller-Uibo attempted to go after Paulino, she ran out of real estate and as she slowed down going through the finish line, Miller-Uibo was passed by Jamaican Stephanie Ann McPherson in her season’s best of 51.69 for second.

Miller-Uibo, the World Athletics’ World Indoor Championship’s 400m champion in Belgrade, Serbia in March, was joined by two other members of Team Bahamas from the championships at the meet in Doha.

Devynne Charlton, coming of her silver medal performance in the women’s 60m hurdles at the World indoors, ran 12.61 in Doha in the women’s 100m hurdles for fourth place in 12.61.

American world record holder Kendra Harrison took the tape in 12.43. Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan was second and Jamaican Britany Anderson got third in a photo finish in 12.44.

And Anthonique Strachan, a semifinalist in the 60m at the World’s Indoors, ran 22.78 for fifth place in the women’s 200m as American Gabrielle Thomas posted a season’s best of 21.98 to erase fellow American Felix Allyson’s meet record of 21.98 that she established in 2015.

Strachan’s MVP training partner in Jamaica, Shericka Jackson, was second in a season’s best of 22.07; Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith was third in her season’s best of 22.37 and American Tamara Clark was fourth in 22.72.

Gardiner/Wilson in Puerto Rico

Moving down to the 300m, Abaco native Steven Gardiner stretched out his 6-foot, 3-inch frame for an easy win in 31.52, well ahead of American Vernon Norwood, who picked up second in 31.81. Jamaican Nathan Allen was third in 32.04.

In a field of five competitors, including two Bahamians, Jamal Wilson soared to victory with a leap of 7-feet, 3 ¼-inches or 2.22 metres in the men’s high jump. Donald Thomas finished at the other end of the spectrum in fifth place with 7-2 ¼ (2.19m).

Myers wins/Culmer second

Tamara Myers and Kaiwan Culmer picked up a victory and second place respectively in the women’s and men‘s triple jump at the Felix Sanchez Track Classic in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic.

The duo were accompanied by their Leap of Faith coach James Rolle.

Myers, the Bahamian national record holder, soared 43-11 ¾ (13.40m) to clinch the win in the women’s triple jump, despite competing in the rain and wind.

Culmer came in second in the men’s segment of the hop, skip and jump event with 51-5 ½ (15.68m). American Donald Scott cleared 52-11 (16.13m) to snatch the title.

Two other Bahamians also competed in the meet with Grand Bahamian Alonzo Russell taking fifth place in the men’s 400m in 46.00, while Shakeem Smith had to settle for sixth place in the men’s 400m hurdles in 51.24.