Ahye skips Malmo Games
Wayne Davis II found form at the Malmo Games indoor meet, in Sweden, yesterday. The Trinidad and Tobago athlete faced the starter in the men’s 60 metres hurdles final, and got to the line in a seasonal best 7.67 seconds—the same time clocked by American David Oliver, the reigning 110m hurdles world champion. Davis, though, had to settle for fourth spot, Oliver earning bronze by the narrowest of margins.
The race for the top spot was also a close contest, with Cuba’s Orlando Ortega and American Aries Merritt—the 2012 Olympic 110m hurdles champion and world record holder in the 110 hurdles at 12.80 seconds—being awarded the same time of 7.52. Ortega had the edge in the photo finish, and was awarded the gold.
In the qualifying round, Davis finished fourth in heat one and sixth overall in 7.75 seconds to secure a lane in the final. Another T&T hurdler, Mikel Thomas was sixth in heat two and 11th overall in 7.84, and did not advance to the championship race.
Yesterday’s 7.67 seconds clocking was the fifth fastest time of Davis’ career. He is the national record holder at 7.59. Going into the Malmo Games, the 23-year-old athlete was not at his best, clocking 7.92 and 8.01 in his previous 2015 outings.
Michelle-Lee Ahye was among the sprinters listed to compete in the Malmo Games women’s 60m dash. However, the T&T track star opted out of the meet, and returned to her training base in Texas, USA.
Ahye enjoyed a successful indoor campaign, and is now looking forward to the outdoor season. Her best indoor run came on February 14, at the Millrose Games in New York, USA, where she clocked 7.11 seconds in finishing second in the 60m event to Ivory Coast sprinter Murielle Ahoure, who got to the line in a world-leading 7.05. Ahye is currently third on the 2015 world indoor performance list with her 7.11 run.
Last Thursday, Ahye won the 200m at the XL-Galan IAAF Indoor Permit meet in Stockholm, Sweden in an indoor best 23.37 seconds. And in her final indoor outing for 2015, the Carenage-born athlete got home in 7.17 seconds for third spot in the 60m dash at the Sainsbury’s Indoor Grand Prix IAAF Indoor Permit meet, in Birmingham, England, last Saturday. Ahoure (7.10) and American Tianna Bartoletta (7.15) were first and second, respectively.
Ahoure was back in action at yesterday’s Malmo Games, dominating her rivals with a 7.14 seconds golden run.
Like Ahoure, Kim Collins is unbeaten in finals during the 2015 indoor season. The 38-year-old sprinter won the Malmo Games men’s 60m dash in 6.52 seconds to maintain his 100 per cent record. Collins is the world-leader at 6.47—a St Kitts and Nevis national record.