The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

RIO de Janeiro, Brazil: National record holder Steven Gardiner's bid for the final of the men's 400 metre in his first Olympic Games slipped just out of his grasp.

With all of the top guns stacked in the first two heats, Gardiner seemed to be a sure bet to advance out of heat three of the men's semi-final on Saturday night at the Olympic Stadium.

Gardiner, however, fell behind in the first 200m and by the time he tried to accelerate coming of the final curve and into the home stretch, the field was already too far ahead. Gardiner managed to attempt a late comeback, but it was only good for a fifth place finish in 44.72.

The race was won by Grenada's Taplin Bralon in 44.44 for the fourth fastest time as he joined his compatriot Kirani James, who will get a chance to defend his title from the London Olympics In 2014. He pulled away from American LaShawn Merritt in the stacked first heat in a season's best of 44.02. Merritt had to settle for second in 44.21.

Gardiner, the 20-year-old rising star, had to receive medical attention after the race and was unable to come through the mixed zone to talk to the reporters. When contacted, Team Bahamas head coach George Cleare, who also serves as Gardiner's personal coach, would only say that "he is good".

The final on Sunday night will be a rematch of last year's IAAF World Championships in which Wayde van Niekerk of the Republic of South Africa upset the field in pulling off the win over Merritt and James. Van Niekerk had the fifth fastest time of 44.45. Also in the mix for the Caribbean is Trinidad & Tobago's Machel Cedenio, who had the third fastest qualifying time of 44.39.

Gardiner was the only one of the three Bahamians to advance to the semi-final. Both veteran Chris 'Fireman' Brown and newcomer Alonzo Russell were eliminated in the first round.