The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

Steven Gardiner continued an outdoor season of milestone accomplishments while Trevor Barry returned to form in their latest appearances on the athletics circuit.

Both Bahamian athletes took first place in their respective events yesterday at the 9th Kamila Skolimowska Memorial Meet in Chorzow, Poland.

Gardiner returned from June’s injury scare to run to a virtually uncontested win in the 400m with his time of 44.43 secs.

He finished nearly a full second ahead of Poland’s Karol Zalewski (45.32 secs) and the USA’s Christian Taylor (45.34 secs).

Gardiner, the national record holder now looks ahead to the 400m at the IAAF Diamond League final, August 30 in Zurich, Switzerland where he is ranked on the list with 16 points.

Gardiner heads into the event with the second fastest time this year of 43.87 secs behind American Michael Norman, who ran 43.61 secs.

In June, at the sixth stop on the Diamond League tour in Stockholm, Sweden, Gardiner came off the curve in about third place and he stumbled, attempting to get into a groove on the home stretch. Playing it safe, he decided to ease up as he coasted through to the finish line in 23.35 secs for eighth place.

As for Barry, he took first place in the high jump field with a clearing of 2.27m, a new season’s best.

Jeron Robinson of the USA was second at 2.24m along with Edgar Rivera of Mexico who finished third.

It was Barry’s second first-place finish in as many meets after he leaped 2.26m on August 18 in the Czech Republic.

The Kamila Skolimowska Memorial has been organised to pay homage to the late hammer thrower and Sydney Olympics champion.

The first edition of the meeting was held on May 2, 2009 and, at that time, only women and men’s hammer throwing competitions were held.

It was the first event hosted at the Kamila Skolimowska Warsaw Hammer-throw Centre.

The Memorial returned to the athletics calendar in 2011 and has been taking place every year since then.