CRUISE CONTROL: Shaunae Miller-Uibo (left) wins the 200 metres at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Tuesday. In a season’s best performance, she set another meet record.

Friday, July 12, 2019

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#While Shaunae Miller-Uibo, with her silver hairstyle, inked her name on another meet record in producing a season’s best performance, Steven Gardiner fell shy of eclipsing his own mark as they were both victorious in their respective events in Szekesfehervar, Hungary.

#On the eve of Independence Day on Tuesday, Miller-Uibo sprinted around her first half-lap race for 2019 to win the women’s 200 metres in 22.18 seconds at the Gyulai Istvan Memorial, a Hungarian Grand Prix meet.

#As the 2016 Olympic champion pulled away from the field, she went on to erase the meet record of 22.26 that was posted by Jamaica’s Veronica Campbell-Brown in 2011.

#In the process, the six-foot, one-inch Miller-Uibo left arch-rivals Marie-Josee Ta Lou and Jenna Prandini trying to catch her. Ta Lou of the Ivory Coast came in second in 22.76 and American Prandini was third in 22.88.

#Although she ran away from the field, the 25-year-old Miller-Uibo was just off the world leading time of 22.00 that was produced by Jamaican world champion Elaine Thompson at the Jamaica National Trials in Kingston, Jamaica, on June 23.

#The Bahamian double national record holder at 21.88 in the 200m and 48.97 in the 400m is tied for fifth place on this year’s world list with Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith with her win in 22.11 in Stockholm, Sweden, on May 30.

#Miller-Uibo also tops the 400m list with her 49.05 she established on April 27 in Gainesville, Florida. She is followed closely by Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain with 49.17 on Friday in Lausanne, Switzerland.

#While Miller-Uibo was enjoying her debut in the half-lap race in Szekesfehervar, Naser took care of business in the one-lapper in her winning time of 50.13 over American Phyllis Francis, who did 51.24 and Jamaican Stephenie Ann McPherson (51.76).

#Miller-Uibo, however, still holds the meet record of 49.54 that she recorded in her victory in the one-lapper last year. She now holds both the 200/400 records at the meet.

#Gardiner triumphed in 400m

#Gardiner, on the other hand, was almost as equally impressive over his one-lap victory.

#He clocked 44.45 to win the men’s 400m, but the world silver medallist was shy of surpassing his meet record of 44.30 that he posted in 2015.

#In securing the win, the lanky, 6-2 Abaco native came across the line well ahead of his American counterparts as Tyrell Richard got second in 45.59 and Vernon Norwood was third in 45.62.

#The 23-year-old Gardiner’s time in Hungary now has him at No.5 on the performance list for 2019.

#Four Americans are ahead of him, inclusive of Michael Norman with 43.45, Kahmari Montgomery at 44.23, Stewart Trevor at 44.25 and Rai Benjamin at 44.31.

#The double Bahamian national record holder at 19.75 in the 200m and 43.87 in the 400m is also 12th in the 200m, having ran a season’s best of 20.04 on April 13 in Coral Gables, Florida.

#American Noah Lyles leads 10 other competitors under 20 seconds with his world-leading time of 19.50 done in Lausanne, Switzerland on Friday. American world indoor champion Christian Coleman, in just his second 200m race since June 2017, crossed the line in a meet record of 19.91, well ahead of world champion Ramil Guliyev (20.23) and Canada’s Aaron Brown (20.24).

#Thomas missed a mark

#Donald Thomas also competed in the meet on Tuesday, but he didn’t post a mark in the men’s high jump that was won by Ilya Ivanyuk, an authorised neutral athlete from Russia, who cleared a world leading height of 2.33 metres or 7-feet, 7 3/4-inches.

#Thomas, the 2007 world champion, is not yet on the world’s list that includes Jamal Wilson, tied with eight other competitors at 2.25m (7-4 1/2) for his victory in Shanghai, China on May 18 and Trevor Barry, with 2.24m in his victory as well in Opole, Poland on June 23, matched by 13 others for 47th place.

#Gaither split sprint double

#Coming off her victory in the women’s 100m at the Star Athletics Sprint Series in Montverde, Florida on Friday in 11.11, Tynia Gaither showed up at the 2019 Spitzen Leichtathlerik in Lucerne, Switzerland on Tuesday for the sprint double. In the straight-away race, she held on for fifth place in 11.29 in the final after placing third in the second of two heats of the 100 in 11.35 for the fourth fastest time.

#Gina Luckenkemper of Germany took the final title in 11.20.

#Gaither, 26, came back in the 200m and picked up the crown in 22.69 with Canadian Crystal Emmanuel trailing in 22.90.

#From the meet in Montverde, Gaither is now tied with six other competitors in the 100m and her time in the 200m in Lucerne has her pegged at No.12 with American Gabrielle Thomas after she won the half-lap in race in Lausanne on Friday.

#Elaine Thompson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce share the top of the 100m leaderboard after their photo finish at the Jamaica National Trials in Kingston, Jamaica, on June 21.

#BAAA Nationals

#The Bahamian athletes are all gearing up for the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ National Championships, scheduled for the weekend of July 26-28 at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex.

#It’s the same weekend that the United States will hold their national championships.

#From the nationals, athletes will qualify for team selection to the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) World Championships in Doha, Qatar, September 28 to October 6.

Steven Gardiner (file photo)

Sunday, August 23, 2020

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#LIKE his Bahamian On Track Management, Inc. counterpart Shaunae Miller-Uibo, World Championship men’s 400 meter champion Steven Gardiner showed his versatility and speed over the weekend by competing in a pair of meets in Mariette, Georgia. 

#On Saturday night at the Atlanta 150m Challenge at the Life University in Mariette, Georgia, Gardiner erased Chris ‘Fireman’ Brown’s Bahamian national 150m time of 15.10 seconds that he ran in Manchester, England on May 17, 2014 when he clocked 15.07 to pull away from his nearest rival Christopher Belcher of Nike, who did 15.58 for second. Alonzo Edward of Adidas was third in 16.08.

#Earlier in the day at the American Track League Meet #6 at the same facility in Georgia, Gardiner raced to victory in the second of six heats of the century in 11.19. However, that was only good enough for 10th place overall.

#Edward had the fastest time overall in 10.37 as he took heat six. Another quarter-miler Fred Kerley of Nike won heat three in 11.05 for eighth place overall.

#Gardiner, who improved from the men’s 400m silver medal at the 2017 World Championships in London, England to gold in Doha, Qatar last year, is now the national record holder in the 150m, 200m (19.75), 200m straight (19.88), 300m (31.83) and 400m (43.47). His name is also on the indoor 300m record with a time of 32.24.

#Claude Bryan, the chief executive officer of On Track Management, Inc., the management group for Gardiner and Miller-Uibo, simply stated that they were “quite pleased with his run.”

#Gardiner, the 24-year-old sprinter from Murphy Town, Abaco, who started his international journey as a 200m competitor under coach Anthony Williams, adds his 150m time to his season’s best of 19.96 in the 200m and 31.83 in the 300m.

Shaunae Miller-Uibo pictured in July.

#As for Miller-Uibo, who had to withdraw from the finals of the women’s 100m last week at the Star Athletics Sprint Showcase in Florida where she ran 13.56 seconds in the first round of the event, was back in action as she contested the women’s 150m in the same meet Saturday night.

#Still not at full strength from her unconfirmed condition, Miller-Uibo had to settle for sixth place in 20.35. American Jessica Beard, also representing Adidas, was the overall winner in 18.02 with Chrisann Gordon-Powell second in 18.18. Hannah Cunliff was third in 19.32.

#Before her final two races, 26-year-old Miller-Uibo was the world leader up to August 9 with 10.98 before Jamaica’s 1-2 punch of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (10.87) and Elaine Thompson-Herah (10.88) surpassed her in a meet last weekend as well in Kingston.

#Miller-Uibo, however, remains the world leader in the 200m at 21.98 and 400m with 50.52. She also holds the Bahamian national records in the 150m straight (16.23), 200m (21.74), 200m straight (21.76), 300m (34.41) and 400m (48.37). The 2014 World Indoor Championships’ bronze medallist also holds the national indoor 300m record (34.35).

#Both Gardiner and Miller-Uibo have opted from competing in the 400m this year. Last year, Gardiner ascended to the top of the podium at the World Championships with the gold in the men’s 400m, just a day after Miller-Uibo had to settle for the silver in a sterling run in the women’s event behind Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser in Doha, Qatar.

#Naser, who rocked the championships by producing the third fastest time of 48.14 to become the first woman athlete from Asia to win the 400m gold, is under investigation by World Athletics for a doping violation.

#If she is proven guilty, Miller-Uibo could be elevated to the gold after her Central American and Caribbean and Bahamian national record breaking silver medal feat of 48.37, adding to her title in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

#The results could also determine whether or not there will be a rematch at the 2020 Olympic Games, which have been postponed to 2021 in Tokyo, Japan because of the coronavirus pandemic as Naser could face a suspension for the violation.

Tynia Gaither and Steven Gardiner.

f Monday, August 24, 2020

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#The coronavirus pandemic may have limited the amount of meets that they compete in, but quarter-miler Steven Gardiner and sprinter Tynia Gaither are making the best of the opportunities they’re provided with.

#Competing at the American Track League Meet #7 on Saturday at Life University in Marietta, Georgia, the duo pulled off victories in the 100 metres.

#Gardiner, coming off his national record-breaking performance in the men’s 150m a week ago, produced his lifetime best of 10.35 seconds. The 24-year-old Adidas-sponsored athlete took the race ahead of Cejhae Greene of the Knoxville’s All-Stars in 10.38.

#“I wished I was more explosive because I have the foot speed, but overall I felt good about it,” Gardiner told The Tribune. “I don’t normally start on the straight away, so my coach told me to be explosive coming out and to work on my arm movement.

#“I did that and I came across the line in a pretty good time. I was working on my technique and my drive phase.”

#Gaither, on the other hand, emerged on top of the field in the women’s century in 11.61 over Madison Fleming, who did 12.51.

#Gaither, 27, came back in the finale of the meet and lowered her time to 11.59 for another victory over Kimberly Williams of Adidas in 12.07.

#Prior to the meet, Gaither picked up a pair of victories at the Back to the Track Series III Meet at Prairie View A&M University in Prairie View, Texas in the 60m in a personal best time of 7.46 and the 100m in a wind-aided 11.25.

#Looking back at his time of 15.07 the previous weekend at the Atlanta 150m Challenge at the same site to erase Chris ‘Fireman’ Brown’s national record of 15.10 in the 150m, Gardiner said he was fully prepared for the century this weekend.

#“It showed that I am in great shape. I could have gone faster, but I am still pleased with the way I performed,” he said.

#“It’s been a great season. It’s not what I expected, but I ran some really good times this year in the 200m, 150m and now the 100m, so I feel good about my performances.”

#Now that he’s officially done for the year, Gardiner said he can take a break and get ready for the long haul towards to the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, which was postponed in July to July 2021.

#“This year we won’t be able to compete in the big races, so hopefully next year everything will be back to the way it was,” said Gardiner of the season that was interrupted due to the coronavirus.

#“I just want to continue training and working hard, regardless of what happens. I know I will have to be ready for whatever happens next year.”

#As the 400m champion at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Qatar last August, Gardiner has not contested any one-lap races this year and he indicated that the focus next year will probably be on his assault of the 200m, an event he made his international debut in when he came from Moore’s Island, Abaco when he was coached by Anthony Williams.

#“I think we will be switching it up from now on,” said Gardiner, referring to the recommendation from his current coach Gary Evans. “You will see me doing a lot more 200m with the 400m. I enjoy competing in both and I believe I can have just as much success in the two of them.”

#With limited amount of fans or in some cases none at all due to the coronavirus protocols, Gardiner said he has been able to concentrate on his mission and that is to run as fast as he can.

#In addition to his PR in the 100m, Gardiner has also produced season’s bests of 15.10 in the 150m, 19.96 in the 200m and 31.83 in the 300m.

#Gardiner’s manager Clyde Bryan, the chief executive officer of On Track Management. Inc. said he was pleased that Gardiner “finished the race injury free. On to 2021.”

#Bryan is also the manager for female Olympic champion and World Championship silver medallist Shaunae Miller-Uibo, who didn’t compete this weekend.

#The 26-year-old Miller-Uibo was sixth in the 150m race in the Atlanta 150m Challenge in 20.35 when she returned to action a week ago after she had to withdraw from the finals of the women’s 100m the previous week at the Star Athletics Sprint Showcase in Florida where she ran 13.56.

#Bryan said Miller-Uibo will compete again prior to season’s end, but he was not at liberty to announce when or where.

#Miller-Uibo is also waiting on the results of the case against Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser, who was provisionally suspended for missing three drug tests in a 12-month span after last year’s World Championships. If she does, Miller-Uibo will be elevated to the top of the podium.

Shaunae Miller-Uibo (file photo)

f Monday, August 31, 2020

#In her second straight meet, Bahamian Olympian 400 metre champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo was unable to complete the finals of her event, prompting her to put a lid on the coronavirus-laden track and field season on Saturday.

#Three weeks after she withdrew from the final of the women’s 100m at the Star Athletic Sprint Showcase at the Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida, Miller-Uibo returned to action, but pulled up in the 200m at the Drake Blue Oval Showcase at the Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa. Miller-Uibo didn’t finish the last of two heats in the half-lap race.

#In the race was fellow Bahamian and two-time World Championships finalist Tynia Gaither, who picked up a third place in 23.08 seconds for fourth place overall.

#Lynna Irby, sponsored by Adidas just as Miller-Uibo and Gaither, had the fastest time in winning with 22.52 with Kyra Jefferson of Nike coming in second in 22.69. Shakima Wimbley, also of Adidas, won heat one in 23.07 for third place.

#After withdrawing from the final of the 100m on August 10, Miller-Uibo’s manager Claude Bryan, the chief executive officer of On Track Management Inc., said it was “just a mild discomfort so she opted for caution.”

#However, after Saturday’s race, Miller-Uibo said she “felt a little discomfort in my leg and decided to stop.” She nor Bryan gave any indication of what might have caused the discomfort.

#Coming off her silver medal performance at the World Championships in Doha, Qatar last October behind Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser, Miller-Uibo stormed out of the resumption of the track and field season after the world-wide stoppage of sports in March because of the spread of the coronavirus.

#Except for coming in second in a 150m virtual race behind American Allyson Felix and ahead of Mujinga Kambundji of Switzerland at the ‘Weltklasse Zurich Inspiration Games on July 9, Miller-Uibo has been unbeaten in all of her races in face-to-face competition on the track.

#She has also produced the world-leading time of 21.98 in the 200m at the National Training Center in Clermont, Florida and previously had the best time of 10.98, now listed at No.4 in the 100m. “We’ve had a really great season and it just wasn’t worth taking the risk,” said Miller-Uibo about whether or not she intends to continue competing this year with the European circuit now in full swing.”

#Miller-Uibo, like fellow Bahamian male compatriot Steven Gardiner, under the management of On Track Management Inc., has signalled the end of her season.

#“This is my last competition of the season,” she stated. “So now it’s time to take a break and focus on being ready for next season.”

#Miller-Uibo, the reigning Olympic champion from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2016, has hinted that she will probably just concentrate on the 200m in Tokyo, Japan with the 2020 Olympics rescheduled for July 2021 because of the coronavirus.

#She was hoping that the World Athletics and the International Olympic Committee would have granted her request to amend the schedule so she could pursue the 200/400m double, but that has been denied. So Miller-Uibo is more committed to contesting the shorter race.

#If she does, Miller-Uibo could be providing a 1-2-3 punch in the half-lap race for the Bahamas with Gaither and Anthonique Strachan, who is training and competing in Kingston, Jamaica with Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson-Herah.

#At the American Track League Meet #7 at Life University in Marietta, Georgia, Gaither clocked 11.61 after running 11.59 in the heats for her victory in the 100m.

#Two weeks prior at the Back to the Track Series III Meet at Prairie View A&M University in Prairie View, Texas, the 27-year-old Gaither, now training in Texas, took 60m in 7.46 and the 100m in 11.25, the latter of which is listed in the top 25 in the world.

#Strachan, who celebrated her 27th birthday on August 22 cramping up in the 100m at a meet in Jamaica, came back Saturday at the Velocity Fest 7 Track Meet and placed second in the 200m in 23.87 behind Thompson-Herah (22.79) at the Sports Development Foundation National Stadium. (See full story below)