World U-20 Athletics
Guyana’s medal hopes at the World U-20 Athletics Championships in Lima, Peru, all but evaporated yesterday at the Estadio Atlético de la Videna.
Carifta and South American U-20 Men’s 400m champion Malachi Austin went into the games as a strong favourite to medal in the event, and he seemed on course to live up to that expectation when he got 2nd in his heat, confirming progression to the semi-final of the event later in the day.
However, in an anti-climatic way, Austin pulled out of the race with about 150m remaining after keeping abreast with the race leaders. Even before the start of the race, Austin appeared to be in some sort of discomfort and was seen signalling to race officials, but he went ahead with the race anyway and eventually stopped running close to the final quarter of the event.
Earlier, the Guyanese had clocked 46.92s en route to second place in his heat.
On the distaff side of the event, Tianna Springer, multi-Carifta Gold Medallist in the quarter mile, missed out on qualification to the next phase of the women’s 400m. She finished fourth in 54.49 seconds.
Meanwhile, Narissa McPherson, who also ran the women’s 400m, stopped the clock at 54.67 seconds and finished sixth and outside of the qualifiers.
Today, Guyana’s last athlete and chance for a medal in the competition, Athaleyha Hinckson, will be looking to do one better in the 200m after she failed to make it out of the opening round of the 100m on the opening day.
