Edwards books spot in World Under-20 100m semis

NATIONAL SPRINTER Tyrell Edwards yesterday booked a spot in the men’s 100-metre semi-final round of the IAAF World Under-20 Championships, at the Ratina Stadium, Tampere, Finland.

On the opening day of the six-day event, the 19-year-old Edwards, in the sixth and final heat, placed fourth with a time of 10.57 seconds.

Jamaica’s Michael Stephens crossed the finish line first in a personal best time of 10.30 seconds, followed by the Bahamas’ Joel Johnson (10.34) and the United States’ Anthony Schwartz (10.40).

The top three runners in each of the six heats were automatic qualifiers for the semi-final round, which will take place today at 10.50 am (TT time).

Edwards has been drawn in lane two of the third and final heat. The top two finishers in each heat, and the next two fastest ‘losers’ will qualify for the final, which will run off today at 1.05 pm (TT time).

Timothy Frederick, the other TT entrant in the men’s 100m, did not advance past the preliminary round.

In the first heat, Frederick finished fifth in 10.69 seconds, behind Lalu Muhammad Zohri of Indonesia (10.30), Daisuke Miyamoto of Japan (10.50), Isayah Boers of the Netherlands (10.66) and Joan Martinez of Spain (10.67).

Zohri, Miyamoto and Boers were the three runners who moved on to the semi-final stage.

In the women’s 400-metres, Rae-Anne Serville did not finish her race in heat three.

Ella Connolly of Australia won the heat in a season’s best time of 52.99 seconds, with Tiffani Silva of Brazil (53.18) and Roxana Gomez of Cuba (53.19) trailing.

Talena Murray, the first TT athlete to compete yesterday, did not progress to the women’s javelin final after placing ninth, in a field of 12 in Group B, in the preliminary round.

Murray threw a best distance of 48.36 metres, which was her second of three attempts.

Carolina Visca of Italy topped the Group B field with a best of 53.49 metres, ahead of Alina Shukh of Ukraine (51.76m) and Dana Baker of the United States (51.09m).

Other TT athletes who will be in action today are Ianna Roach, Onal Mitchell, Jenea Spinks and Akilah Lewis.

Roach, a multiple CARIFTA Games medallist, will feature in Group A of the women’s shot put qualification, from 3.15 am (TT time). The 18-year-old will enter today’s event with a season’s best effort of 14.70, which she set at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo in May.

Competitors throwing at least 15.50 metres, or at least the 12 best performers, will progress to today’s final, which is set for 9.35 am (TT time).

Mitchell will participate in the men’s 400m heats, at 4.20 am (TT time). The 19-year-old will face the starter in lane two, in the fifth of seven heats. The top three finishers in each heat, and the next three fastest finishers, will move on to tomorrow’s semi-final.

The women’s 100m will also be in today’s agenda, from 5.27 am (TT time), with Spinks, in the first of five heats, running in lane sixth and Lewis, in the third heat, running in lane seven.

The first four in each heat, and the next five fastest finishers, will continue their campaign tomorrow in the semi-final round.