The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

SHAUNAE Miller-Uibo picked up where she left off last year at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil by posting the world’s leading time as she kicked off her 2017 campaign on a high note.

As one of two Bahamians competing in the Shanghai Diamond League on Saturday in Shanghai, China, Miller-Uibo ran away from the field to easily take the women’s 400 metres in a blistering time of 49.77 seconds.

The time, just off her personal best of 49.44 that won her the Olympic gold, was the world’s fastest time this year as she was no match for runner-up American Natasha Hastings, who did 50.74 for second.

Miller-Uibo now joins Bahamian Steven Gardiner, who also holds the fastest time in the men’s 400m. Gardiner didn’t compete in the meet as there wasn’t a men’s 400m.

Gardiner won the race in Doha the previous weekend in 44.60, but he has the world’s best time of 44.26 that he ran to win the B final at the inaugural Grenada Invitational in St George’s, Grenada on April 8.

Donald Thomas, coming off a third place finish in a season’s best of 2.29 metres or 7-feet, 6-inches, failed to clear a height in Shanghai as the only other Bahamian to compete in the meet.

Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar won the event with 2.33m (7-7 ¾). He duplicated his victory at home in Qatar on May 4 with a leap of 2.36m (7-8 ¾).

Up next for the Diamond League is the Prefontaine Classic at the Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, May 26-27.

Miller-Uibo and Gardiner are both training and competing out of the On Track Management Company in Florida, headed by Claude Bryan.