Shaunae Miller-Uibo (File photo)
Steven Gardiner (File photo)
Jamal Wilson (File photo)
#By BRENT STUBBS
#Senior Sports Reporter
#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
#WHILE Steven Gardiner prevailed in Ponce, Puerto Rico, Shaunae Miller-Uibo struggled in Doha, Qatar as the Bahamian reigning Olympic Games’ 400 metre champions took on some worthy opponents over the past two days.
#Gardiner, dropping down to the rarely ran 300m, was joined by high jumper Jamal Wilson and the duo were victorious at the Puerto Rico International Classic 2022, a World Athletics Continental Tour Silver Level Meeting on Thursday in Ponce.
#One day later at the start of the Wanda Diamond League in Doha, Miller-Uibo faded in the stretch for third place in the women’s 400m in 51.84 seconds. She couldn’t catch Dominican Republic’s Marileidy Paulino, who held on for the win in a season’s best of 51.20.
Marileidy Paulino of Dominican Republic celebrates after winning the women’s 400m race at the Qatar Diamond League athletics meet in Doha, Qatar, Friday. (AP Photo/Hussein Sayed)
#Paulino was the silver medalist behind Miller-Uibo as she secured her second consecutive gold medal in the women’s 400m at the delayed 2020 Olympic Games last August in Tokyo, Japan.
#Miller-UIibo, who had surged ahead of the pack on the back stretch, could only watch as Paulino took over on the home stretch. With Miller-Uibo running out of real estate to catch Paulino, she slowed down going through the finish line and was passed by Jamaican Stephanie Ann McPherson with her season’s best of 51.69 for second.
#Miller-Uibo, the World Athletics’ World Indoor Championship’s 400m champion in Belgrade, Serbia in March, was joined by two other members of Team Bahamas from the championships.
Devynne Charlton (File photo)
#Devynne Charlton, coming off her silver medal performance in the women’s 60m hurdles at the World indoors, ran 12.61 in Doha in the women’s 100m hurdles for fourth place in 12.61.
#American world record holder Kendra Harrison took the tape in 12.43. Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan was second and Jamaican Britany Anderson got third in a photo finish in 12.44.
Anthonique Strachan (File photo)
#And Anthonique Strachan, a semifinalist in the 560m at the World’s Indoors, ran 22.78 for fifth place in the women’s 200m as American Gabrielle Thomas posted a season’s best of 21.98 to erase fellow American Allyson Felix’s meet record of 21.98 that she established in 2015.
#Strachan’s MVP training partner in Jamaica, Shericka Jackson, was second in a season’s best of 22.07; Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith was third in her season’s best of 22.37 and American Tamara Clark was fourth in 22.72.
#Gardiner/Wilson in Puerto Rico
#Moving down to the 300m, Abaco native Steven Gardiner stretched out his 6-foot, 3-inch frame for an easy win in 31.52, well ahead of American Vernon Norwood, who picked up second in 31.81. Jamaican Nathan Allen was third in 32.04.
#In a field of five competitors, including two Bahamians, Jamal Wilson soared to victory with a leap of 7-feet, 3 ¼-inches or 2.22 metres in the men’s high jump. Donald Thomas finished at the other end of the spectrum in fifth place with 7-2 ¼ (2.19m).