400m hurdles silver for McFarlane

ATHENS: The English-speaking Caribbean lifted their medal tally to six yesterday, when Jamaican Danny McFarlane battled to a silver medal in the men’s 400-metres hurdles at the Olympic Stadium here. World champion Felix Sanchez scored a predictable win in a world leading time of 47.63 seconds, chased by McFarlane, who clocked 48.11.

“It’s a good feeling for me,” McFarlane told CMC Sport after the race. It was the first silver medal at these Athens games for the English-speaking Caribbean, adding to gold medals by Bahamian Tonique Williams-Darling (women’s 400 metres) and Jamaican Veronica Campbell (200), and bronze medals by Campbell (100), Bahamian Debbie Ferguson (200) and Trinidad and Tobago’s swimmer George Bovell (200 IM). McFarlane, the oldest starter in the field at 32, rallied from a struggling position at the halfway point and ran past American James Carter down the stretch to secure the silver medal.

Naman Kieta, of France, ran on strongly at the end to secure third in 48.26 seconds. In other highlights for the region on the night, Jamaica’s Maurice Wignall ran a new national record and advanced to tonight’s men’s 110-metre hurdles final. The 28-year-old Wignall captured semi-final two in 13.17, smashing his previous national record of 13.28, and heads into the final as joint second fastest with American Terrence Trammell. In the women’s sprint relay semis, the USA — with 2000 Sydney Olympics sprint double champion Marion Jones on the backstretch leg — won heat one in an impressive 41.47 over defending champions Bahamas (43.02), and Jamaica placed second in semi-final two in 42.20, as Russia won in 42.12. Jamaica, resting their 200-metres Olympic gold medallist Campbell, who tearfully received her gold medal yesterday, used a team of Tayna Lawrence, the Sydney 100-metres bronze medallist, Sherone Simpson, Bev McDonald, and Aleen Bailey.

Jamaica’s James Beckford missed a medal in the long jump final. His best jump was measured at 8.31 metres, a season’s best, good enough for fourth as Americans Dwight Phillips (8.59 metres) and John Moffitt (8.47) won ahead of Spain’s Lino Martinez (8.32). Jamaican officials were lodging a protest over Beckford’s finish, however, claiming that Martinez’s 8.32m leap that edged out Beckford was a foul jump. A televison replay of the incident suggested the Jamaican appeal was legitimate.