Shot putter Danielle Thomas Dodd captured Jamaica’s first medal at the IAAF World Indoor championship in Birmingham yesterday.
Thomas-Dodd formerly of Edwin Allen high and was a fourth place finisher at last year’s world outdoor championships in London, hurled a lifetime best and national indoor record of 19.22 meters for the runner up position behind Anita Marton of Hungary.
Marton of Hungary struck gold with a world leading throw of 19.62 meters.
Meanwhile double Olympic gold medallist Elaine Thompson just missed out on a medal in the women’s 60 meters as she finished fourth in 7.08 mete5rs. Remona Burchell finished 8th in 7.50 seconds as Murielle Ahorie of the Ivory Coast struck gold in 6.97 seconds ahead of her team mate Marie Jose Talou.
Meanwhile Damar Forbes leapt 7.21 meters but could only manage 15th in the men’s long jump – Cuban teenager Juan Miguel Echevarria struck gold with a leap of 8.46m meters while the silver went to outdoor world champion Lluvo Manyonga of South Africa, the 2016 indoor champion Marquis Dendy of the United States took bronze.
Tovea Jenkins booked her spot in the women’s 400m final after being elevated to the runner up spot in semi-final 3 in 52.42 seconds; following the disqualification of Maria Belimpasaki of Greece who crossed the line in second place
However commonwealth champion Stephanie Ann McPherson was disqualified in her semi-final of the women’s 400 meters this after she had comfortably won the race in 52.26.
Javon Francis also failed to make progress to the men’s 400 meters final after placing fourth in his semi-final in 46.73.
Earlier today history was created at the world indoors when every runner, including Jamaica’s Steven Gayle and was disqualified in a bizarre 400 meters heat
Gayle was timed at 49.45 seconds for 4th spot in heat 3 before an historic disqualification of the entire field.
National champion Kemoy Campbell was disqualified in heat two of the men’s 3 thousand metres event.
Aisha Pruaght the other Jamaican competing on the day booked her spot in the semi-finals of the 15 hundred meters after finishing third in her heat behind 3 thousand meters champion Genzebe Dibada of Ethiopia