The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

PARIS, France — As the first session of the men's decathlon came to a close on Friday, Bahamian Ken Mullings found himself sitting in 12th place after the first three events completed.

Mullings, the first member of Team Bahamas track and field team to see competition at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, accumulated a total of 2,592 points.

To begin the morning session on Friday, Mullings raced to seventh place in his heat of the men's 100 metres in a time of 10.60 seconds for 952 points. Canadian Damian Warner had the fastest time overall in 10.25.

In his next event in the long jump, competing out of Group B, Mullings soared 7.36 metres or 24-feet, 1 3/4-inches on his second attempt scoring 900 points for tenth.

In his other two attempts, Mullings cleared 23-4 (7.11m) on his first and 23-8 3/4 (7.23m) on his third. That put him in 12th place overall. Leo Neuigebauer of Germany cleared 26-2 1/4 (7.98m) to win the event.

And as he closed out the first session in the shot put, Mullings was 11th in his group with a heave of 46-6 3/4 (14.19m) on his second attempt. 

He did 45-8 (13.92m) on his first and scratched his third as he remained in 12th place overall. Neugebauer again took the event with his best heave of 54-3 3/4 (16.55m).

When the evening session is held, Mullings will be back to compete in the high jump and the 400m.

On Saturday, he will complete the gruelling two days of competition with the 110m hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and the 1,500m.

Neugabauer currently leads the field with 2,876 points, followed by Warner with 2,798 points in second and American Ayden Owens-Delerme with 2,786 points for third.

Both the Bahamas Olympic Committee president Romel Knowles and the Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg were in attendance to watch the performance by Mullings.