Jehue Gordon came agonisingly close to booking a spot in the IAAF World Championship men's 400 metres hurdles final, the 19-year-old Trinidad and Tobago athlete missing out by just one-hundredth of a second, here in Daegu, Korea, yesterday.
Gordon clocked 49.08 seconds to finish third in heat two, behind Briton David Greene (48.62) and Dominican Republic's 2004 Olympic champion Felix Sanchez (49.01).
With just the top two in each of the three heats qualifying automatically for the final, Gordon had to wait on the result of heat three to know if he would advance as a "fastest loser". Aleksandr Derevyagin finished third in the final heat, and when "49.07" appeared next to the Russian's name, a dejected Gordon trudged into the belly of the stadium.
"I was really disappointed. I was having a good run up until the eighth hurdle, where I kind of took my mind off the race. That was the mistake that cost me the whole race, and the spot in the final."
On the home straight, Gordon was locked in a three-way battle for second with Sanchez and Jamaica's Isa Phillips. Sanchez was strongest in the dying stages of the race, the veteran hurdler securing second spot, in 49.01 seconds, and a lane in tomorrow's final. Phillips clocked 49.16 to finish fourth.
Two years ago, Gordon emerged as one of the stars of the World Championships, in Berlin, Germany. Just 17 at the time, he finished fourth in the one-lap hurdles final.
"I'm just glad," Gordon told the Express, yesterday, "that I came out here and got the experience again. It's a learning experience for me."
Also on show in the second semi-final heat was two-time defending champion Kerron Clement. The T&T-born American surrendered his crown, finishing eighth and last in the race in 52.11 seconds.
"For the past couple of months," Clement told the Express, "I've been battling a groin injury. Of course no one knows about that, because I haven't been talking about it. I don't like to make excuses. I'm a strong person, and I thought I could come out here and fight through the pain. I did that in the first round and made it to the semis, but when I tried to go faster in the semis I felt it pull by the third hurdle."
Clement, the 2008 Olympic silver medallist, said he's now even more motivated to grab gold at the 2012 Games. He acknowledged that Gordon will be among his chief rivals in London.
"Jehue is a great athlete. I commend him. He's young, he's fast. I wish him all the best."
Another talented Caribbean teen, Kirani James, created history at the Daegu Stadium, yesterday.
The 18-year-old became Grenada's first-ever World Championship medallist, and he did it in style, running from behind to win the men's 400m title in a personal best 44.60 seconds.
American LaShawn Merritt, the defending champion, earned silver in 44.63, while bronze went to Belgium's Kevin Borlee (44.90).
"It's a great feeling," James said, after the race. "Just being here and making everyone proud to be a Grenadian."
James is the youngest-ever 400m world champion.
Nineteen-year-old T&T sprinter Kai Selvon will be in action tonight (T&T time), competing in the opening round of the women's 200m. And T&T's men's 4x400m team will bid for a berth in Friday's final.
-Kwame Laurence in Daegu
Source: www.trinidadexpress.com