GLASGOW, Scotland, CMC- Jamaica made a clean sweep of the women’s 400m final while Grenada’s Olympic champion Kirani James cruised into the finals of the men’s 400 metres at the XX Commonwealth Games here yesterday.
The Grenadian 2012 Olympic Games gold medallist posted 45.15 seconds in the semi-final race glancing left to right as he crossed the finished line.
“That was impressive from Kirani James, although that’s what we expect from him because he’s the class of the field. I know it sounds strange but I would like to see someone break my world record one day,” said athletics pundit Michael Johnson said on BBC One.
“At some point he has to develop power because he has great endurance. I wonder if he will ever do that, because he could become a world record holder if he does that”.
South Africa’s Wayde Van Niekerk picked up second place behind James in 45.41 to secure the other automatic qualifying slot for Wednesday’s medal race.
Renny Quow of Trinidad and Tobago finished third and also qualified for the final.
In another 400m semi-final race, Trinidad and Tobago’s Jarrin Solomon was second with Chris Brown from the Bahamas taking third in 45.49.
T and T’s Lalonde Gordon won the third and final semi-finals in 45.37 seconds while second spot went to Bahamas’ Latoy Williams, who ran 45.44 to join Gordon in the medals race.
Meantime Jamaica’s Stephanie McPherson edged compatriot Novlene Williams-Mills on the line to win the 400m women’s final.
McPherson clocked 50.67 ahead of Williams Mills who finished in 50.86 while another Jamaican Christine Day left it late to nick bronze from Botswana’s Amantle Montsho in 51.09 secs.
Two other Caribbean nationals Kineke Alexander of St.Vincent and the Grenadines and Shaunae Miller of the Bahamas were 6th and 7th respectively.
There was success for Grenada in the field after the Eastern Caribbean Island picked up its second medal in the history of the Commonwealth Games.
Kurt Felix, slipped from second position to take bronze in the Decathlon with a new National Record of 8070 points, eight years after Alleyne Francique climbed the podium in the 400 metres.
Felix’s Brother Lindon Victor, who at one point was in 8th position, finished 9th in the same event posting personnel best of 7429 points.
Meanwhile Barbados won its first medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow after Shane Brathwaite crossed the finish line in 13.49 seconds to win bronze in the 110 m hurdles.
Jamaican Andrew Riley took gold in 13.32 seconds and William Sharman of Canada finished second in 13.36 seconds.
The Bajan pair of Ryan Brathwaite and Greggmar Swift finished 5th and 6threspectively.
Also, the Caribbean nearly swept the women’s triple jump final.
Jamaica’s Kimberly Williams won with a leap of 14.21; Trinidad and Tobago’s Ayanna Alexander was third leaping a distance of 14.01 while Jamaica’s Shanieka Thomas placed fourth.