Barbadian Jonathan Jones is one of several Caribbean athletes who bowed out of the men’s 400 metres semi-finals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games earlier today.
Compatriot Tia-Adana Belle’s run also came to an end in the semi-finals of the women’s 400 metre hurdles.
Jones lined up in a tough heat 3 from which even two-time World Champion and Olympic gold medallist Wayde van Niekirk (45.14) did not advance.
The Barbadian clocked 45.61 seconds to finish eighth.
Belle also finished eighth in heat 2 of the women’s 400m hurdles in 59.26 seconds.
Both Jones and Belle did season’s best times to reach the semi-finals.
Jamaican Janieve Russell reached the women’s 400m hurdles final with 54.10 seconds, even as Sydney McLaughlin (53.03) and Dahlilah Muhammad (53.30) of the United States, along with Femke Bol of the Netherlands with 53.91, all dipped under 54 seconds to set up a mouth-watering final.
Muhammad is the reigning world and Olympic champion.
There were mixed results for other Caribbean athletes.
Bahamian Steven Gardiner won heat three of the men’ 400 metres in 44.14 seconds, American Michael Norman was second in 44.52 and Jamaican Demish Gaye advanced as one of the fastest losers with 45.09
London 2012 gold medallist Kirani James of Grenada leads all comers with 43.88 seconds and Jamaican Christopher Taylor also reached the final with a season’s best 44.92.
Missing out were Trinidad and Tobago’s Dwight St Hillaire (45.58), Machel Cedenio (45.86) and Deon Lendore (44.93), as well as Alzonzo Russell of The Bahamas with a time of 46.04 seconds. (SAT)
