Pan Am Games….
Guyana’s standout sprinters experienced mixed fortunes on the opening day of track and field action when this year’s Pan American Games continued yesterday in Santiago, Chile.
In the women’s 400m event, Aliyah Abrams finished second in semi-final one in 51.82s behind Chile’s Martina Weil (51.47s) with Ecuador’s Dayci Caicedo placing third in 52.32s in the five-person field.
Following the two semis, the national 400m record holder was seeded third best for tomorrow’s final scheduled for 19:23hrs.
Later on the track at the Julio Martinez National Stadium, Emanuel Archibald crossed the line third in heat one of three 100m events in 10.35s and earned a berth to the final of the marquee sprint event.
Jose Gonzalez (10.30s) of the Dominican Republic and Brazilian, Felipe Bardi (10.33s), were the sprinters ahead of Archibald in their semifinal event.
Archibald, who has a personal and season’s best of 10.13s, also qualified with the third fastest time ahead of today’s final penciled for 20:03hrs.
Meanwhile, in the women’s version of the blue riband sprint event, Jasmine Abrams clocked 11.60s, crossing the line in first place in heat two to book her spot in today’s final scheduled for 19:55hrs.
In contrast, Keliza Smith finished sixth in a pedestrian 11.78s in her heat and did not qualify for the final.
Jasmine Abrams’s finish was the second fastest only behind heat three winner, Yunisleidy Garcia of Cuba who clocked 11.53s, leading Trinidad’s Michelle-Lee Ahye (11.64s) and Colombia’s Patricia Martinez (11.70s). Based on her seeding, the national 100m record holder is poised for a podium finish today.
