Miller-Uibo, who has yet announced whether she will be defending her 400m title in Tokyo or step down to the 200m in which she has the world-leading time, destroyed the field to win in 22.08.
The USA’s Kortnei Johnson was second in 22.40 and Wadeline Jonathas third in 22.57.
The men’s event went to Canada’s Jerome Blake, who ran a personal best 19.89 defeat Zharnel Hughes, who also ran a personal best of 19.93. Third was Aldrich Bailey Jr of the USA, who clocked 20.45.
Goule outsprinted long-time rival Ajee Wilson to win the 600m in a national record and world-leading time of 1:24.77. Wilson clocked 1:25.007 for second place while Allie Wilson ran 1:25.270 for third.
Trinidad’s Michelle-Lee Ahye, who was fourth in the 200m, had a better showing in the Women’s C 100m that she won in a season-best 11.22. Kristal Awuah of Great Britain was second in 11.46 leaving Trinidad’s Kelly-Ann Baptiste to settle for third in 11.56.
The Women’s B 100m was won by the USA’s Kiara Parker, who clocked a season-best 11.07. Jamaica’s Ashanti Moore ran 11.18 for second while the USA’s Hanna Cunliffe was third in 11.23.
Aleia Hobbs ran 11.05 to win the A final in an American sweep. Gabby Thomas was second in a season-best 11.16 with Morolake Akinosun running 11.17 for third.
Isiah Young ran a season-best 9.94 to win the Men’s 100m over compatriot Noah Lyles who clocked 10.10. They finished ahead of Jamaica’s Nickel Ashmeade, who ran 10.17 for third.
Meanwhile, Richards the Commonwealth Games 200m champion, ran 14.75 to win the 150m ahead of Yohan Blake, who clocked 14.940 for second. The USA’s Andrew Hudson also clocked 14.940 but was given third.
Barbados’ Shane Brathwaite ran 13.71 to finish second in the 110m hurdles that was won by the USA’s Grant Holloway in 13.20. Hungary’s Valdo Szucs was third in 13.72.
Among the youngsters, 17-year-old American phenom Erriyon Knighton won the Adidas Future Stars Men’s 100m in a fast 10.16 beating a Jamaican trio of Ryiem Forde (10.18), Jelani Walker (10.34) and Michael Stephens (10.35).
Shian Salmon won the 200m hurdles 24.86 beating USA’s Shamier Little (24.91) and Ronda Whyte (25.71), who were second and third, respectively.
Caribbean athletes also featured strongly in the men’s event as Kirani James, Johnathan Jones and Christopher Taylor are all in the final eight.
Meanwhile, Rushell Clayton was the lone survivor of the semi-final round of the 400m hurdles. She ran a lifetime best to advance to the finals.
Bahamas’ sprint queen Miller-Uibo, the Tokyo Olympic champion, was the fastest heading into the final after she cruised to a comfortable victory in her heat in a season-best 49.55.
The Dominican Republic champion Paulino was also easily through as the Olympic silver medallist, the second fastest woman in the world this year, clocked 49.98 to win her heat.
McLeod, the Jamaican champion who was fifth in Tokyo, ran a season’s best 50.05 to qualify for the finals that is shaping up to be quite similar to the one that lined up in Tokyo last year with the notable exception being the American Allyson Felix.
McPherson, fourth in Tokyo advanced as one of the fastest losers courtesy of her 50.56 that saw her finish third in her heat behind winner Fiordaliza Cofil of the Dominican Republic, who ran a personal best 50.14 and Lieke Klaver of the Netherlands who uncorked a new national record of 50.18.
The ever-improving Sada Williams of Barbados ran a season’s best 50.12 to also advance to the final.
The line-up is completed by Poland’s Anna Kiebasinska who advanced as one of the fastest losers with a time of 50.65.
Among the men, James was in impressive form winning his semi-final heat in 44.74 but was the fourth-fastest heading into the finals. Americans Michael Norman (44.30) and Champion Allison (44.71) and Great Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith (44.38) all had faster times.
Jones, who ran 44.78 and Taylor, a season-best 44.97, both also advanced as fastest losers.
Also through to the final, his first in five years, was 400m world-record holder Wayde van Niekerk. The South African clocked 44.75.
The final eight is completed by Botswana’s Bayapo Ndori who advanced with his time of 44.74.
Clayton, who was third at the Jamaican championships at the end of June ran a lifetime best 53.63 to advance to the finals of the 400m hurdles that will feature world record holder Sydney McLaughlin (52.17) and defending champion Dahlillah Mohammad (53.28 SB). Also through is The Netherlands’ star Femke Bol (52.84).
Puerto Rico’s Gianna Woodruff ran an area record of 53.69 to advance along with another US athlete Shamier Little who clocked a season-best 53.61.
The USA’s Britton Wilson also sneaked in with a time of 53.74.
Jamaican champion Janieve Russell (54.66) and runner-up Shian Salmon (54.16), each finished third in their respective heats but were not fast enough to advance to Friday night’s final.
Christopher Taylor and Nathon Allen also advanced to the men’s final after the completion of their 400m heat
Miller-Uibo, the 2022 400m world champion, was a comfortable winner in the opening heat clocking 50.84 to finish ahead of Jamaica’s Stephenie-Ann McPherson, who ran a comfortable 51.65. Canada’s Kyra Constantine is also through to the final when she finished third in the opening heat in 51.93. Gabrielle Scott of Puerto Rico was the fourth qualifier having finished fourth in 52.22.
Meanwhile, Williams, who after winning the bronze medal in the 400m at the world championships in a personal best of 49.75 and then claimed gold at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, cantered to a time of 51.48 to win heat two ahead of Cuba’s Calderon Roxana Gomez who crossed the finish line in 51.57.
Canada’s Natasha McDonald finished third in 51.65 just ahead of Jamaica’s Junelle Bromfield, whose time of 51.75 also saw her advance to the final as a non-automatic qualifier.
Among the men, Taylor was fastest into the final having run 45.50 to win the second of the two heats.
Also through from that heat were Trinidad and Tobago’s Asa Guevara (47.08) and Aymeric Fermley of Guadeloupe (47.24).
All the other finalists advanced from the opening heat that was won by Allen in 45.85. Bryce Deadmon of the USA (46.63) also advanced along with Kinard Rolle of the Bahamas (47.86).
Allan LaCroix of Guadeloupe (48.27) and Cuba’s Rodriquez Reneil Pintado (49.22) also advanced as non-automatic qualifiers.
In the men’s long jump, 2019 World Champion Tajay Gayle and Shawn-D Thompson, who just missed out on a medal at the Commonwealth Games with a season’s best 8.05m, both advanced from the preliminary round of the long jump with marks of 7.83m and 7.76m, respectively.
Also advancing were Tristan James of Dominica (7.47m) and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Laquan Nairn of The Bahamas (7.43m).
The Olympic and World Champion left very little to doubt as she left the blocks and quickly covered the field by the top of the straight.
World championship bronze medalist Sada Williams of Barbados looked to battle back against Miller-Uibo down the stretch but the Bahamian had enough to pull a few metres clear by the finish line.
Miller-Uibo, who has lost just once in 8 races over the distance this season, stopped the clock in 49.40, her fourth fastest time of the season. Williams finished second in 49.86, while Jamaica’s Stephenie-Ann Mcpherson was third in 50.36.
In the men’s equivalent, Jamaica’s Christopher Taylor recorded his fastest time over the distance this season after outbattling his opponents down the stretch to stop the clock at 44.63, only his second time below 45 seconds this season. Another Jamaican Nathon Allen was second in 45.04 with the United States’ Bryce Deadmon third in 45.06.
The 26-year-old Nassau native has had a strong season to date. She posted a then 100m world-leading 10.98, before returning to post 21.98 the next day, over double the distance, at the USA’s Back to the Track meet, three weeks ago. The times saw the sprinter join elite company, with just four women who have run sub-11s in the 100m, sub-22s in the 200m, and sub-49s in the 400.
On Monday, however, the athlete did not present in that kind of form and crossed the finish line, in the preliminaries, in fourth place, with a sub-par 13.56 seconds. Sha’Carri Richardson clocked the fastest qualifying time of 10.95.
Miller-Uibo did not show up for the final, which was won by Richardson in 10.83. Her absence prompted fear the athlete may have sustained an injury. Miller-Uibo’s manager Claude Bryan, however, revealed it was “just a mild discomfort so she opted for caution.”
He further confirmed that the athlete would not be looking to shut down the season, without finishing up as scheduled.
“We’re looking for other low-key opportunities for her to wrap up the season.”
Speaking on Sportsmax TV’s On Point, Millier-Uibo said an injury she sustained while running 49.08 to win the 400 metres at the USATF Grand Prix in Eugene on April 24th prevented her from doing any speed training in preparation for Tokyo.
“We were supposed to start our speed training after Eugene at the end of April and that’s when I got hurt so we never really got a chance to jump into speed work. It’s unfortunate sometimes in track,” she said.
As it turns out, the injury was more serious than she initially thought.
“At the end, we found out that it was a tear in my gluteus medius. I actually stalled for a bit with trying to fix it because I didn’t quite know what it was at first. It just felt as though something was jammed so I figured maybe I could go to the chiropractor and get it sorted out. We tried that and it didn’t help,” she said.
The gluteus medius is a muscle located on the outer surface of the pelvis.
The three-time World Championship medalist says the pain started to ease going into the rest of the season until she went to compete at the Adidas Boost Boston Games in May.
“It started to get a little softer going into the rest of the season and then I went to Boston to compete and realized this is something really bad and the minute we get back home I’m going to check and see what it is. Took an MRI and found out there was a slight tear in my gluteus medius so we decided to rest it off and go slowly from there to try and build it up in time for Tokyo,” she said.
Injuries also affected her in Tokyo as was evident in the final of the Women’s 200 metres where Miller-Uibo finished eighth in a time of 24.00.
“I went into Tokyo nursing an injury and right before the heats, I felt really good. Everything was going really well and it was after the heats that I got a little banged up where I started to feel my right hip. I went and raced on it because it was still light at the time, raced into the semis and really hurt it then.”
In addition the trouble with her hip, Miller-Uibo also felt pain in her hamstring in her 200 metres semi-final.
“In the race itself I actually didn’t feel the hip. It was my hamstring that ended up grabbing on me and it was just a wrap from there.”
The Bahamian champion overcame her struggles and returned days later to storm to a new personal best 48.36 and win her second consecutive Olympic women’s 400 metres title.
The full interview with Shaunae Miller-Uibo can be seen on Sportsmax TV’s YouTube channel.
Miller-Uibo clocked a lifetime-best 48.36 to win her second Olympic 400 metres gold medal after Steven Gardiner won his first Olympic gold medal in the event with a time of 43.85. Gardiner's Olympic gold came two years after he ran his lifetime best of 43.48 to win gold in the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Qatar.
Speaking on Sportsmax TV’s On Point, Miller-Uibo heaped praise on her compatriot.
“I mean, Steven is an exceptional athlete and he’s one of my close friends too. I’m so happy for him and he worked so hard to get to the point where he’s at. He deserves all the success. He’s been doing exceptional work in the sport,” Miller-Uibo said.
She also shared her reaction to him winning his gold medal in Tokyo.
“Him being right the day before me, I mean, I was freaking out for him. I was so happy,” she said.
Miller-Uibo also revealed that hearing the Bahamian national anthem playing at Gardiner’s medal ceremony inspired her performance in her 400 metres final.
“Right before I went for my final, the national anthem was playing and I was just in the back listening to it and watching it on television thinking we have to hear the national anthem play again. It has to happen,” she said.
You can see the full interview with Shaunae Miller-Uibo on the Sportsmax YouTube channel and on the Sportsmax app.
An estimated 80 world-class track and field athletes including Tianna Bartoletta are set to compete in 11 events before empty seats inside the stadium.
Miller, who ran a personal best 10.98 in the 100m this season will compete in the 200m at the meet that will also have World Championships silver medallist Brittany Brown on show along with the likes of 400m hurdler Shamier Little as well as Shakima Wimbley.
Also among the stars down to compete are Jarrion Lawson, Devon Allen, Aleec Harris and veteran Wallace Spearmon. Allen and Harris will face off in the 110m hurdles.
The Bahamian track star also called on World Athletics President Lord Sebastien Coe to provide a detailed explanation of all the different failures that unfolded in the Naser case.
Naser, 22, who won gold at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, was on Tuesday cleared by an independent tribunal after she was charged with missing three missed drug tests in just over a month in 2019, due to a technicality and because one of the missed drug tests for which she was charged, was successfully challenged by her lawyers Dr. Emir Crowne and Matthew Gayle.
The Bahranian missed the tests on March 12 and 16 and April 12, 2019, six months before the start of the Doha World Championships. She was eventually provisionally suspended on June 5, 2020 following the investigation of a fourth missed test on January 24, 2020.
Miller-Uibo wants to know why her rival was not suspended once those initial three tests were missed in mid-2019.
"Why was no action taken?" asked Miller-Uibo in a lengthy post in Instagram Wednesday. "Why was the athlete not provisionally suspended until one year and two months later?"
"I cry foul play and believe there is a deeper explanation of how World Athletics... allowed this to carry on.
“We need to ensure that in athletics, we the athletes are not competing against any administrators whose only goal is for athletes to run faster, jump further and throw further at any cost."
Miller-Uibo said she was concerned about whether World Athletics and the Athletics Integrity Unit are truly out to protect clean athletes.
“As senior administrators, their purpose is to protect and advance their athletes to the best of their abilities,” she said while indicating that the “recent turn of events” opens the door to many questions.
“How is it possible that this case lingered on until the World Championships?” she asked.
She said the Naser case and others like it “strengthens the need for an independent body to serve alongside the World Athletics-appointed representatives.”
“With the independent athletes’ body, more accountability will be given as we try our best to rebuild trust and integrity in our beloved sport,” she said.
The peerless Bahamian ran a world-leading 49.08s to win the one-lap event at the USATF Grand Prix, Oregon Relays in Eugene, destroying a quality field in the process. It was easy then to understand her joy.
“God, I thank you. Opened up with a 400 this weekend 49.08, second fastest opener and fourth fastest time,” she said on Instagram.
“Shout out to my training partner for also running her fastest season opener this week,” she said in reference to Gordon-Powell’s winning 50.84-second run at the 2021 LSU Alumni Gold meet held at the Bernie Moore Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Miller-Uibo continued: “We’re in a good place and I am excited to see how the rest of the season goes. Now it’s back to training.”
The Bahamian, whose winning time was a meet record and facility record, and Trinidad and Tobago’s Jereem Richards, were the only two Caribbean athletes who won in Eugene.
She was completely dominant in the race in which the USA’s Lynna Irby finished in second place in 50.28 while Jessica Beard was third 50.38.
Richards was also in good form in the Men’s 200m that he won in a season-best 20.26.
The USA’s Josephus Lyles 20.46 to finish second.
Both were metres clear of Jamaica’s Christopher Taylor, who ran a season-best 20.73 for third.
Trayvon Bromell won the Men’s event in 10.01 over Noah Lyles 10.17 and Liberia’s Emmanuel Matadi 10.19.
Jasmine Camacho-Quinn won the women’s 100m hurdles in 12.46, finishing ahead of Jamaica’s Britanny Anderson, who ran a season-best 12.82 and Taliyah Brooks of the United States who clocked 12.83.
Donald Scott of the United States won the Men’s triple jump over Jamaica’s Clive Pullen and many time global champion, Christian Taylor. Scott jumped 16.89m while Pullen got a season-best 16.55m. Taylor was third with 16.52m.
The Women’s shot put was badly affected by rain that caused some of the throwers to slip and fall. However, it ended with the USA’s Chase Ealey winning with a mark of 18.93m. Jamaica’s Danniel Thomas-Dodd put 18.46 for second place.
Jessica Ramsay of the United States threw 18.40m for third.
Sportsmax.TV reported on Thursday that Jackson had withdrawn from Jamaica’s team to the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England where track and field is scheduled to get going on August 2.
Jackson heads to Poland in record-breaking form after she ran the second fastest time ever to claim gold in the women's 200m in Eugene. She is currently second in the qualification rankings and could secure her place in the Zurich final with a win at the Silesia Stadium.
She will be up against 400m world champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo, who will be hoping to break into the 200m top-eight with a big point haul as she begins to shift her focus away from the one-lap event.
The 17-year-old smashed the girls’ Under-20 long jump record during the morning session of Monday’s final day, and later returned to anchor the twin island republic to a silver medal in the girls’ Under-20 4x400m relay.
Named in honour of Sir Austin Sealy, who started the Carifta Games in 1972, the award is given to the most outstanding athlete of the three-day spectacle.
While there were a number of breathtaking performances, De Gannes topped the pile when she measured 6.50 metres to win gold and establish a new record in the girls’ Under-20 long jump. The effort erased the old mark of 6.48 metres – ironically set in Grenada eight years ago – and positioned her third in the world in the Under-20 category.
She returned later in the evening to partner with Kaori Robley, Saana Frederick and Kaziah Peters to finish second in the girls’ Under-20 4X400m in 3:47.51. The event was won by Jamaica in 3:34.69, with Barbados (3:48.21) in third.
By virtue of winning the Austin Sealy Award, De Gannes joins a long list of outstanding athletes to have won the award, including Usain Bolt, Shaunae Miller-Uibo, Yohan Blake, and Kirani James.
Jehue Gordon and Darrel Brown are among the Trinidad and Tobago athletes to have won the award previously.
Meanwhile, Jamaica topped the medal standings with 83 medals comprising 44 gold, 23 silver and 16 bronze, while the Bahamas ended with 34 – nine gold, 13 silver and 12 bronze. Trinidad and Tobago picked up four gold, 12 silver and 12 bronze to finish the championship with 28 medals overall.
Hosts Grenada were the only other team in double digits with 14 medals, logging one gold, six silver and seven bronze.
The 2019/2020 track season was characterized by meet cancellations and the introduction of virtual formats because the pandemic that has been sweeping the globe since March. However, meets gradually returned largely before empty stadia but many athletes still managed to deliver world-class performances.
Among them was the 2016 double Olympic champion who was fastest in the world over 100m for 2020.
Thompson Herah’s 10.85 set in Rome on September 17 beat out her compatriot and rival Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who ended her year ranked second by virtue of the 10.86s run at the Velocity Fest meeting in Kingston’s National Stadium on August 22.
Rising star Sha’ Carri Richardson, in her first full season as a professional, was third fastest with 10.95.
The Bahamian sprint queen was equally impressive in the year in which she set a personal best of 10.98s in the 100m and the world’s best time of 21.98 in the 200m at the Back to the Track Meeting in Clermont, Florida on July 25.
Richardson capped her great year with a personal best 22.00 that was the second fastest for 2020 while Thompson Herah’s 22.19 ranked her third in the world for the year.
Miller-Uibo, who last year set 48.37 the sixth fastest time in history over the 400m was only second best for 2020 with 50.52 set in Monteverde, Florida on July 4. That time was only bettered by Lynna Irby’s 50.50, the fastest time in the world this year.
Lieke Klaver of the Netherlands clocked 50.98, which made her third best in the world for the year.
Miller, who has season-best times of 10.98 and 21.98 over the 100 and 200m, respectively, was a heavy favourite to win the half-lap sprint. However, she pulled up during the second of two heats won by the USA’s Lynna Irby in 22.52.
Coach Brauman, however, said the athlete felt some tightness, “nothing major,” he said.
Miller-Uibo, the 2016 Olympic 400m champion, had been unbeaten over the 200m for the past two seasons during which she ran a personal best 21.74 run in Zurich on August 29, 2019. Her only loss over the 400m came in October last year at the 2019 World Championships in Doha where she ran a personal best 48.37 only to lose to Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Nasser who ran 48.14, the third-fastest time in history.
The 29-year-old Jamaica, who became the first woman to successfully win 100 and 200m titles at consecutive Olympic Games, stunned the world this past summer in Tokyo when she ran an Olympic record of 10.61 to win gold in the 100m and then followed up with a 21.53-second run to take a second gold medal in the 200m. The 21.53 was also a Jamaican national record and, is the second-fastest time ever by a woman in the 200m.
She added a third gold medal when she ran the second leg of Jamaica’s victorious 4x100m relay team that ran a national record of 41.02, the third-fastest in history
Following the Olympics, Thompson-Herah ran times of 10.54, 10.64 and 10.65 to win the 100m Diamond League title and which made her the first woman in history to run faster than 10.70 on four separate occasions.
However, notwithstanding her record-breaking performances, Thompson-Herah will not have things her own way because the nine other candidates also had incredible seasons.
Valarie Allman, USA of the USA is the Olympic discus champion and Diamond League champion and set a North American discus record of 71.16m.
Puerto Rico’s Jasmine Camacho-Quinn ran unbeaten during the season winning the Olympic title with a new Olympic and National record of 12.26, equaling fourth on the world all-time list.
Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands won Olympic titles in the 5000m and 10,000m champion and was the silver medalist in the 1500m. She also broke the 10,000m world record during the season.
Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon is the Olympic and Diamond League 1500m champion and set the Kenyan 1500m record of 3:51.07 in Monaco.
Mariya Lasitskene won the Olympic high jump and the Diamond League and set a world-leading 2.05m.
Sydney McLaughlin of the USA set two world records in the 400m hurdles on her to win her first Olympic title in Tokyo where she also won gold as a member of the USA’s 4x400m relay team.
Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas won her second Olympic title in an area and national record 48.36. She joined Marie Jose Perec as the only woman to win 400m gold medals at consecutive Olympic Games.
She also set a North American Indoor 400m record of 50.21 in April.
Athing Mu of the USA won gold medals in the 800m and 4x400m relay in Tokyo. She also set a World U20 indoor 800m record and North American U20 records at 400m and 800m.
Yulimar Rojas set a new World and Olympic record of 15.67m while winning the gold medal in the triple jump in Tokyo. She was also the Diamond League champion.
A three-way voting process will determine the finalists.
The World Athletics Council and the World Athletics Family will cast their votes by email, while fans can vote online via the World Athletics social media platforms. Individual graphics for each nominee will be posted on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram this week; a 'like' on Facebook and Instagram or a retweet on Twitter will count as one vote.
The World Athletics Council’s vote will count for 50 per cent of the result, while the World Athletics Family’s votes and the public votes will each count for 25 per cent of the final result.
Voting for the World Athletes of the Year closes at midnight on Saturday 6 November. At the conclusion of the voting process, five women and five men finalists will be announced by World Athletics.
The female and male World Athletes of the Year will be announced live at the World Athletics Awards 2021 in December.
Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago both advanced to the final.
The Trinidadian team consisting of Deon Lendore, Jereem Richards, Machel Cedenio and Dwight St. Hillaire ran a season’s best of 2:58.60 to finish 3rd in heat 1 and progress.
Jamaica fielded a team of Demish Gaye, Jaheel Hyde, Karayme Bartley and Nathon Allen to finish 2nd in heat 2 with a season’s best time of 2:59.29 to advance.
Women’s 400 Metres
The Caribbean secured two medals in the women’s 400 metres.
Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas successfully defended her title from the 2016 Games by winning gold in a personal best 48.36, the 6th fastest time ever in the event.
She was followed by Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic who took silver in a national record 49.20.
Allyson Felix of the USA became the most decorated female track athlete in Olympic history by finishing 3rd and securing her 10th Olympic medal, one more than Jamaican legend Merlene Ottey.
Jamaicans Stephenie-Ann McPherson and Candice McLeod finished 4th and 5th in 49.61 and 49.87 respectively.
Cuba’s Roxana Gomez started the final but unfortunately failed to finish, pulling up injured about 100 metres into the race.
Women’s 4x100 Metres
The Jamaican quartet of Briana Williams, Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson celebrated Jamaica’s Independence Day by running a national record of 41.02 to secure the gold medal.
This marks Jamaica’s first time winning Olympic gold in women’s 4x100 metres relay since Athens 2004.
Javianne Oliver, Teahna Daniels, Jenna Prandini and Gabby Thomas combined to run 41.45 to secure the silver medal for the USA, while Great Britain with Asha Phillip, Imani Lansiquot, Dina Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita ran 41.88 for bronze.
Men’s 4x100 Metres
Jamaica finished 5th in the final of the men’s 4x100 metres relay.
Jevaughn Minzie, Julian Forte, Yohan Blake and Oblique Seville combined to run 37.84 to finish behind Italy, Great Britain, Canada and China.
The Italian team of Lorenzo Patta, Lamont Marcell Jacobs, Fostine Desalu and Filippo Tortu ran a national record 37.50 to secure gold and continue the country’s impressive track & field showing in Tokyo.
The British team comprising of CJ Ujah, Zharnel Hughes, Richard Kilty and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake ran 37.51 to finish just behind the Italians in 2nd.
Aaron Brown, Jerome Blake, Brendon Rodney and Andre De Grasse combined to run 37.70 and secure the bronze for Canada.
The reigning two-time Olympic 400 metres champion has a personal best of 48.36 which makes her the sixth fastest woman of all time. She achieved the time in a dominant display in the 400 final on her way to defending her title in Tokyo.
Speaking with Sportsmax.TV's Leighton Levy in an On Point to air on Sportsmax.TV’s YouTube Channel and app this Friday, (November 19) Miller-Uibo expressed that even the thought of challenging the world record is new territory for women’s 400 metres sprinters. Marita Koch's world record of 47.60 has been standing since 1985.
“Yeah definitely, I think there was a time where it was almost like people weren’t looking at the record but just seeing how far you can go in the 400,” the statuesque Bahamian said
The multiple world championship medallist credits her years of experience competing at the highest level as being among the reasons she now has her sights set on Koch’s 36-year-old mark while also noting there’s still more work to be done.
“I’ve put in a lot of work over these past seasons and I’ve learned a lot about the event and as my times continue to drop, I think we still have a long way to go,” she said.
Miller-Uibo also takes confidence from the fact that she was able to produce 48.36 during a season that was interrupted by injuries.
“Just being able to run 48.36 off of the season that I had. I think there’s so much more in store,” she said.
Even if she does not achieve the world record, the Bahamian says her main goal is to dip below the 48 second barrier for the first time.
“The main goal is definitely going to be to try and drop below the 48-second barrier. The world record is in sight and we’re definitely going to go out and try to go after it very hard and see where we fall with it,” she said.
If she does manage to break 48 seconds, Miller-Uibo would become only the third woman in history to do so after the 47.99 done in 1983 by Jarmila Kratochvilova and Marita Koch’s world record of 47.60.
The full interview with Shaunae Miller-Uibo can be seen on the Sportsmax YouTube channel and app this Friday.
After putting her opponents under pressure from the starter’s gun, Miller-Uibo eventually coasted home to stop the clock in 50.10. Poland’s Natalia Kaczmarek was second in 50.24 and her compatriot Anna Kiełbasińska third in a personal best 50.28.
The race was only the Bahamian's third of the season, in the event, but she believes the performance sets her up in good stead, with her country's National Trials set for next week.
“I had a great race tonight. Really great. I did a strong start, I pushed a lot on the first 300m. Then, I managed to stay in the lead. I still had some gas in the tank to finish strong. The track is fast,” Miller-Uibo said following the event.
“I'm quite happy about the model of 400m I want to execute this season. Now, I'm gonna travel back home, no more meetings on my schedule because we have the trials for World Championships next week. At this stage, I'm quite confident about my chances to succeed at Eugene. I'm healthy, everything is doing great at training. I'm exactly in the shape I wanted to be at this time of the season,” she added.
Despite being the reigning Olympic champion Miller-Uibo has never won the World Championship, with two silver medals in 2015 and 2019 standing out as her best finishes.
Her compatriot, Shericka Jackson is also through to the next round.
Lined up in the final of six heats, the 19-year-old Olympian shot from the blocks, and running relaxed, sped away from the field to win in 7.06, lowering her personal best from the 7.09 she ran at the New Balance Grand Prix in February.
She was the fastest Caribbean athlete through to the semi-final round of the competition as Shericka Jackson ran 7.16 to finish second in Heat 5 behind Great Britain’s Daryll Neita, who clocked 7.13.
Meanwhile, Mikiah Brisco of the USA was the fastest through to the semis after she ran 7.03 to win Heat 3. Gold medal favourite Ewa Swoboda, who owns the world lead of 6.99, cruised through to the next round in 7.10. Anthonique Strachan of the Bahamas finished third in Swoboda’s heat in 7.22.
Mary-Beth Sant Price of the USA, who is also a medal prospect, ran 7.07 to win the opening heat.
Trinidad and Tobago’s Michelle Lee Ahye also advanced after clocking 7.23 to be the runner up in Heat 2 behind Switzerland’s Mujinga Kambundji, who won in 7.17.
In the 400m, Jereem Richards of Trinidad and Tobago advanced to the next round after easily winning his heat in 46.69 while Christopher Taylor finished second in his heat in 46.48 to also advance to the next round.
Among the women, Shaunae Miller-Uibo and Stephenie-Ann McPherson along with Guyana’s Aliyah Abrams all advanced to the semi-finals. Miller-Uibo and McPherson finished 1-2 in Heat 5 in 51.74 and 51.86, respectively while Abrams was second in Heat 4 in 52.34.
Williams followed up her personal best 7.06 in the heats with a time of 7.07 to win the third semi-final ahead of Lee-Ahye who ran 7.12 for second place and an automatic berth in the final.
Jackson came third in the first semi-final and qualified as one of the fastest losers with a personal best of 7.08. The final is scheduled for later on Friday.
Stephenie Ann-McPherson won semi-final one of the Women’s 400m in 51.26 ahead of Femke Bol (51.28). Aliyah Abrams of Guyana finished third in 51.57 to also advance to the final. Shaunae Miller-Uibo looked in ominous form, easily winning semi-final two in a comfortable season’s best 51.38.
Jereem Richards of Trinidad and Tobago put himself in position for a medal when he won his semi-final heat in 46.15.
It was bad news for Christopher Taylor who appeared to suffer an injury and did not finish his semi-final heat.
The Women’s and Men's 400m finals are scheduled for Saturday.
