by Stuart WeirThe 100 meters is one of the most popular events in all major championships. With 71 countries represented in Gold Coast, Queensland, from the 1.3 billion of India to the diminutive Nieu (a populace of 1,624), much of the world is watching each day of athletics. Thanks to J. Stuart Weir, our misidentified Scotsman (actually, a proud Englishman) and Justin Lagat (from Eldoret, Kenya), we have the 2018 Commonwealth Games covered! Here’s Stuart’s commentary on the three 100 meter races!
Michelle-Lee AHYE, 2018 CG Gold medalist, 100 meters, photo by PhotoRun (from London 2017)
Akani SIMBINE, 2018 CG 100 meter champion, Gold, photo by PhotoRun.net (London 2017)
A tale of three 100s
The highlight of Day 2 was the two 100 meter races – just 25 minutes apart. First the women, with Michelle-Lee AHYE winning in 11.14. She said afterwards: “I think my family and country will be very proud. It means a lot to me to represent Trinidad and Tobago. I was just determined throughout the heats and kept to my plan. . I still have to run in the relay I will then look at the rest of the season and maybe target a 10.7”.
There were three Jamaicans in the first 5 – can you guess who?
Elaine Thompson – no, she is running the 200 only.
Shelly-Ann – no, although she is in Gold Coast with her husband and son.
Campbell-Brown – wrong again.
It is Christania WILLIAMS (silver), Gayon EVANS (bronze) and Natasha Morrison (fifth). The next generation of Jamaican sprinters does not seem too bad!
Asha Philip (England) was fourth as she had been in Glasgow four years ago, leaving the 2017 European Indoor Champion, still seeking her first championship 100 meter medal.
While I take nothing away from Michelle-Lee’s win, I was disappointed that Elaine Thompson (Olympic Champion) and Blessing Okagbare (Commonwealth Champion) who are both in Gold Coast opted not to run the 100m.
Running 10.03, Akani SIMBINE won the men’s 100 in 10.03, the first South African victory in the Commonwealth Games 100 meters. And just to rub it in, another South African, Henricho BRUINTJIES (10.17) took silver. Simbine said of his win, “It’s an amazing feeling, I’m really excited, I’m really humbled by the experience. I knew it was something I could do. It was just a matter of me coming in here and making sure I put the perfect race together. I was focused on myself and making sure I got out fast and that I got to the 50m as quick as I could. I knew if I could put that together, the rest of my race would come together smoothly and I’d win”.
“For me this is probably my best achievement so far. I placed fifth at the Olympics (Rio 2016), fifth at the World Championships (London 2017), but this is my first international title.” And finally, the secret of his success – perhaps? “I actually ate a lot of broccoli while I’ve been here”.
The biggest disappointment was Yohan Blake who finished third. After running 10.15 and 10.06 in the earlier rounds, he could only manage 10.19 in the final. Blake summed up his race: “I was stumbling all the way and I didn’t recover from it. I’ve been feeling good and it was not to happen today. I’m disappointed because I’ve been feeling good. I didn’t get the start and I was all over the place. I couldn’t recover from it.
“I couldn’t catch the field as I wanted to. I was supposed to take this (race) very easily because I was ready and feeling good. It was just never meant to be I guess. Maybe I was too confident and over thought it.”
There was a third 100 meters race in the program. Evan O’Hanlon (Australia) won T38 (cerebral palsy) race in 11.09. And in the slightly messy way disability races are sometimes combined classifications, Charl du Toit (a T37) came third in 11.35 but set a T37 World Record.
