Stumble costs Williams-Mills at Indoors

BY KAYON RAYNOR Senior staff reporter raynork@jamaicaobserver.com

Sunday, March 14, 2010

A mix of disaster and under-performance contributed to Jamaica ending the second and penultimate day of the 13th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Doha, Qatar, without a medal despite having four athletes competing in finals.

Novlene Williams-Mills was denied the opportunity to become the only Jamaican women to win a 400m World Indoor medal after Sandie Richards after stumbling at the 200-metre mark. She was being passed by Russian silver medallist Tatyana Firova at the time of the incident.

Williams-Mills, the 2007 World Outdoor bronze medallist who started in lane three, was in the top three up to the 200m, but was tripped by Firova, who started in lane six, as they began to cut inside for a sprint finish. Williams-Mills did not finish.

Jamaica-born American Debbie Dunn won gold in 51.04 seconds ahead of Firova 51.13 and Vania Stambolova of Bulgaria 51.50.

The men's equivalent went to Chris Brown of the Bahamas who clocked a season-best 45.96secs. It was Brown's first individual gold medal Indoors after collecting bronze medals in Moscow 2006 and Valencia 2008.

'I did what I had to do. Outdoors I didn't do what I had to do, but indoors I've got two bronze and now the gold. That speaks for itself. I came in with the most experience. It paid off for me to lead," Brown said.

William Collazo of Cuba collected the silver with a personal best 46.31, ahead of American Jamaal Torrance, 46.43.

In the 60m hurdles, Vonette Dixon with 7.99 and Lacena Golding-Clarke with 8.02 found the going tough as American LoLo Jones copped the gold medal in a championships record of 7.72 seconds.

The Canadian pair of Pedita Felicien and Priscilla Lopes-Schliep collected silver and bronze, respectively, in 7.86 and 7.87.

Nesta Carter, who started Jamaica's world record 4x100 relay team in 2008, failed to spark in the 60m final after reacting seventh to the gun.

He finished seventh in a pedestrian 6.72secs in a race won by Britain's Dwain Chambers in a world-leading 6.48secs. Mike Rodgers of the USA took silver in 6.53secs, followed by Antiguan Daniel Bailey with 6.57 for the bronze.

Bailey, who trains in Jamaica alongside world 100m and 200m record-holder Usain Bolt at the Racers Track Club, was ecstatic at winning his country's first medal at a World Indoor Championships.

"I'm so excited to put Antigua and Barbuda on the world map of athletics. This is our first medal in the history of the World Indoor Champs. I keep setting high goals. I'm also hoping for a good summer. Thanks to the people of Antigua, wish me all the best this season and I'm happy to represent them to the fullest," Bailey said.

"It has been pretty tough and I have tried to get adjusted to the climate. I took it race by race, step by step, just focused on executing and performing well," added the Glen Mills-coach sprinter.

Jamaica still have opportunities to secure medals on today's third and final day of competition in Doha. The nation will be represented in both men's and women's 4x400m relay.

The women got a bye to the final, but the men's team of Edino Steele, Sanjay Ayre, Lancford Davis and Ricardo Chambers returned a season-best of 3:06.03 to finished second in the semi-final to advance as the second fastest qualifier behind USA, 3:05.28.

Jamaica have been drawn in lane three in the male final, while the women will run from lane five.

Veronica Campbell-Brown, Sheri-Ann Brooks and Maurice Wignall will compete in the semi-finals of their events today.

Campbell-Brown and Brooks run in the 60m, while Wignall competes in the 60m hurdles.

Did you watch American football's Super Bowl on Sunday?
	Yes, but just for the advertisements
	Yes, just for the game itself
	Yes, for both the game and advertisements
	No, I did not watch the Super Bowl.

View Results
Results published weekly in Sunday Finance

Username:
Password: