Steven Gardiner and Jamaica's Rusheen McDonald (right) compete in the men’s 400m semifinal at the World Athletics Championships at the Bird's Nest stadium in Beijing. (AP)
By RENALDO DORSETT
Sports Reporter
rdorsett@tribunemedia.net
THE 15th IAAF World Championships may have been the biggest meet on the track and field calendar but the season continues for several Bahamian track and field athletes.
Neither reached the medal podium last week at the Bird’s Nest in Beijing, China, but Steven Gardiner and Donald Thomas are scheduld to continue competition this week in the IAAF Diamond League in Zurich, Switzerland, on Thursday, September 3.
Gardiner will compete in a stacked 400 metre field that includes the three medallists and top six finishers from Beijing.
The field includes Kirani James of Grenada, Isaac Makwala from Botswana, LaShawn Merritt and David Verburg of the United States, Liguelin Santos of the Dominican Republic, Wayde van Niekerk of South Africa and Rabah Yousef of Great Britain.
The high jump field will include Thomas and the top seven finishers from Beijing, including medal winners Derek Drouin of Canada, Guowei Zhang of China and Bohdan Bondarenko of Ukraine.
The remainder of the field includes Mutaz Barshim of Qatar, Daniil Syplakov of Russia and Baba Jaroslav of the Czech Republic.
In Beijing, the 19-year-old, who this year lowered the national record of 44.40 held by Chris ‘Fireman’ Brown to 44.27, finished the semi-final in 45.26.
In the high jump, Thomas soared to a sixth place for the second consecutive championships at 2.29 metres or 7-feet, 6-inches and Barry, back in the championships since he won the bronze medal in 2011 in Daegu, ended up 10th with 2.25m (7-4 1/2).
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