media_artricles :: 2013

Gordon golden at final Diamond League meet

TRINIDAD AND Tobago’s Jehue Gordon maintained his impressive form of late with a gold medal in the men’s 400-metre hurdles at yesterday’s 14th and final IAAF Diamond League meeting in the King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium.

The race was Gordon’s first competitive action since he captured gold in last month’s IAAF World Championships in Moscow, Russia.

The 21-year-old, in lane five, accelerated in the final 80 metres to take the gold in 48.32 seconds, with Omar Cisneros of Cuba (48.59) getting silver and the fading Javier Culson of Puerto Rico (48.60) having to settle for the bronze.

Michael Tinsley of the United States, who got silver at the World Championships, placed fourth in 48.60 - the same time as Culson - but the Puerto Rican got the edge courtesy a photo-finish.

Rounding off the field were Leford Green of Jamaica (48.84), Justin Gaymon of the US (49.43), Kasse Mamadou Hann of Senegal (49.93), Rhys Williams of Great Britain (50.13) and Stef Vanhaeren of Belgium (50.63).

The Maraval resident captured US $10,000 for yesterday’s win, but, on the points standings, Gordon placed second in the final Diamond Rankings with 12 points, three behind Culson while Tinsley was third with nine.

As a result, Culson took the Diamond Trophy, created by the Switzerland-based Beyer — one of the oldest and most respected jewellers in the world.

On Twitter yesterday afternoon, Gordon blogged, “took the (win). You guys don’t know what your support does for me, especially when I’m out here by myself. What a way to end (off) my season.”

Gordon is due to return home tomorrow to continue his studies at the University of the West Indies (UWI) St Augustine campus.

As far as the 2013 Diamond League is concerned, this was Gordon’s second victory, having prevailed in 48 seconds flat at the Stade Louis II, Monaco, on July 19.

Gordon’s mother, Marcella Woods, admitted that it was the power of prayer that guided the national hurdler to victory at Brussels.

“I’m happy. I must say thank God for everything and I believe in God, you can do anything through Christ,” she said.

“(Yesterday) morning when I spoke to him, I said “don’t worry, in the beginning and (in the ending). I said don’t worry son, you’re going to make it. And I offered a word of prayer with him before he ran.”

Woods continued, “at work, I kneeled in prayer, at 11 (am) and I started to pray for goodness. I said ‘Father Jesus, I believe in you. Jehue is going to do it today. Everything is Jehue’s own today. Make this country feel proud.’ I called a friend and I said ‘Jehue is going to perform today and it’s another gold for Trinidad’,” she revealed.

Woods admitted she was encountering problems with her cellphone, so she was unable to reach Gordon after his successful race.

With regards to his impending return, Woods said, “Jehue’s coming back about Sunday evening about six o’clock and I think (Sports Ministry officials) said he’ll go from the airport to the Hyatt, and from the Hyatt to Maraval.

“I feel when he reach in Maraval, if he could stay up in the village (Papia Village on Morne Coco Road), and other people in Maraval can greet him (that will be great),” she added. “So the people can come out and see Jehue and congratulate him for his good work.”

Gordon’s coach at the Memphis Pioneers Athletic Club, Dr Ian Hypolite, and Sports Minister Anil Roberts were both unavailable for comment. Hypolite disclosed, via a text message, that he was in a meeting while Roberts was attending Parliament.

Meanwhile, TT sprinter Keston Bledman was last in the Men’s 100m in a slow time of 10.19. Jamaica’s Usain Bolt won gold in 9.80.

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