Michelle-Lee Ahye was the best of the Trinidad and Tobago athletes on show at the American Track League meet, in Atlanta, United States, on Saturday night. Ahye picked up silver in the women’s 100 metres dash in 11.29 seconds. Jamaica’s 2007 world champion Veronica Campbell-Brown clocked 11.22 to claim gold. Bronze, meanwhile, went to another Jamaican, Simone Facey (11.30). The other T&T sprinter in the race, Kai Selvon got to the line in 11.70 seconds to finish seventh.
Ahye and Selvon are coming back from injury, and used Saturday’s meet to prove their fitness ahead of the August 22-30 IAAF World Championships in Beijing, China.
Semoy Hackett secured bronze in the American Track League women’s 200m, the T&T athlete getting home in 23.37 seconds. Campbell-Brown was also the winner in the half-lap event, the two-time Olympic 200m champion stopping the clock at 22.82 for a comfortable cushion on second-placed Charonda Williams (23.25) of the United States.
Like Ahye and Selvon, Deon Lendore ran a comeback race at the American Track League meet. The T&T quartermiler was sixth in the men’s 400m, completing his lap of the track in 45.94 seconds. Nineteen-year-old Bahamian Steven Gardiner triumphed in 45.11, forcing decathlete Ashton Eaton to settle for the runner-up spot in 45.55. Eaton’s fellow-American, Kyle Clemons clocked 45.76 to finish third.
In a Twitter post, on Saturday night, Lendore said: “I’m thankful I’m not hurt no more but I’m disappointed I didn’t trust myself in this race. Brighter days ahead.”