Bertrand, Gittens-Spotsville stutter in first round at World Champs

SPRINTER Leah Bertrand and long-jumper Tyra Gittens-Spotsville started Trinidad and Tobago's campaign at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan in disappointing fashion on September 13 when they exited their respective events in the preliminary phase.

The 23-year-old Bertrand, a semifinalist in the women's 100-metre at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, has had a fine season and entered the world champs with a season's best time of 10.92 seconds. However, lining up in the sixth of seven heats, Bertrand placed fourth in 11.29 and was unable to advance to the semifinals. Bertrand's heat was won by Italy's Zaynab Dosso (11.10), with Great Britain's Amy Hunt (11.13) and US sprinter Kayla White (11.16) finishing second and third, respectively. Bertrand was tied the with the 28th-best time across the heats.

Last year's 100m Olympic champ Julien Alfred had the best time in the heats as she cruised to a 10.93-clocking to win heat four. Daryll Neita (10.94) and USA's Melissa Jefferson-Wooden (10.99) had the next-best times in the heats and won heats five and one, respectively.

In women's long jump qualifying, Gittens-Spotsville placed 15th out of the 16 athletes who started group A action, with her best jump being measured at 6.05m. USA's Tara Davis-Woodhall (6.88m) and France's Hilary Kpatcha (6.85m) had the best jumps of Gittens-Spotsville's qualifying group to occupy the best marks going into the final, which will leap off on September 14.

Gittens-Spotsville had a scratch with her first jump, with her best effort of 6.05m coming on her second jump. She closed the qualifying round with a jump of 5.93m.

On September 14, TT's focus will shift to the men's 400m event when sprinting ace Jereem Richards lines up in heat one at 5.35 am (TT time).