Dash for glory

However, Trinidad and Tobago’s (TT) other sprint hope Darrel Brown pulled up with an injury midway through his second round heat which was run off yesterday and finished in a time of 10.93 seconds. Brown will now be relegated to cheering for his countrymen who run in the semis today.

Burns and Thompson cruised into the semis with times of 10.05 seconds and 9.99 seconds respectively at the Bird’s Nest Stadium, Beijing, China. In this morning’s first semi-final race, Burns has been placed in lane four while World record holder Jamaican Usain Bolt will run in lane seven. The lanky Jamaican cruised to the finish line in yesterday’s second round in a quick time of 9.92. He will be favoured by many to triumph in today’s first semi-final heat.

The other competitors in this morning’s first semi-final are Kittian Kim Collins, running in lane five, Jamaican Michael Frater in lane nine, Quatar’s Samuel Francis in lane three and Derrick Atkins of the Bahamas in lane two, Walter Dix of the United States and Tyrone Edgar of Great Britain will run in lanes six and eight respectively. The other semi final heat will comprise former world record holder Jamaican Asafa Powell in lane six, Thompson, who has drawn lane seven, Marshall Mbandjock of France who will be in lane two, Japan’s Naoki Tsukahara in lane three, Martin Churandy in lane five and veteran Netherlands sprinter Francis Obikwelu in lane eight, Americans Tyson Gay and Darvis Patton complete the line up in lanes nine and four respectively.

Meanwhile, Trinidad and Tobago’s Kelly Ann Baptiste was among the TT women team to begin their campaign in the 100 metre sprints last night. Action in the 100 metres will continue this morning while Cleopatra Borel-Brown will also begin action in the women’s shot putt today.

Former national 400 metres sprinter Ian Morris said yesterday he hoped Burns and Thompson do not allow themselves to be distracted in the run up to the semi-finals.

He said that while it is obvious that Burns and Thompson will be eyeing Jamaicans Bolt and Powell, they should remain focussed on the task at hand. “If they focus on what Bolt and Powell can do, they will seize up and it will affect their races,” Morris said.

Morris who was narrowly edged out for the bronze medal at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain told Newsday that he is expecting Burns or Thompson, or both, to medal in the 100 metres finals.

With local swimming ace brothers George and Nicholas Bovell failing to qualify for the finals of their swimming meets, the focus of TT’s medal hopes shifts sharply to athletics. Brown’s injury in the second-round of the 100 metre sprint would surely be a worry for camp TT with the preliminary rounds of the men’s 4x100 sprint relays nest week.