Photo by: Errol Anderson
Bronze for Deon Lendore, fourth place for Bralon Taplin in World Indoor 400m final
Mar 20, 2016 | Track and Field
PORTLAND, Oregon – Deon Lendore raced to a bronze medal finish in the finals of the 400m at the 16th IAAF World Indoor Championships as Bralon Taplin placed fourth after leading the field through the first 200m.
Lendore, representing Trindad & Tobago, became his country's second individual medalist in a World Indoor Championships. Ian Morris earned a silver medal in the 400m during the 1989 meet.
Pavel Maslak of Czech Repubic, who started in lane five between Lendore and Taplin, claimed the gold with a time of 45.44 as Qatar's Abdalelah Haroun secured silver with a 45.59. Lendore clocked 46.17 for the bronze medal from his lane four position.
"Having Bralon and Pavel on the outside, you had the idea that they were going to take it out," noted Lendore. "So I had to try and stay as close as possible from the first lap because you didn't really want them to get too far away. They have the ego to get to the break, so I knew it was going to be kind of tough to go with them to the break. My mindset was all about staying close and let the crowd bring us home.
"The World Indoors is just like a getaway from practice to get a couple of races in. It's been hard for the couple of weeks that I've been gone so coming to World Indoors, you have a week away for yourself. It's all about testing yourself and seeing where you are at so your coach will have something to work with going into the outdoor season."
Taplin, representing Grenada, ran a split of 20.89 in the first 200m and finished with a time of 46.56. He entered the final with a world-leading time of 45.20 from a win in College Station in mid-January. He also held the next two fastest times with a 45.35 from his victory at the Millrose Games and a 45.38 in the semifinal at the World Indoor on Friday.
Finishing fifth in the race was Kenya's Boniface Mweresa in 46.86 while Trinidad's Lalonde Gordon placed sixth in 47.62 from his lane one starting position.
Jamaica's Simone Facey raced twice in the 60m on Saturday, posting a 7.20 as runner-up in her prelim heat to reach the semifinals. A 7.21 for Facey in the semifinal placed her fourth in the section and 13th overall.
Only one men's 4x400 relay team was eliminated from the semifinal round as the Bahamas, with Shavez Hart running second leg, ran 3:07.55 to finish runner-up behind Belgium's 3:07.39. Trinidad, without Lendore, placed third in the section with a 3:07.83. The final will conclude the meet at 4:50 p.m. (CT) on Sunday.
The United States won the other section in 3:05.41 over Jamaica (3:07.30) and Nigeria (3:07.98). South Africa, with a 3:08.45 in the first section, was the lone team not advancing to the final.
Sunday's finals will also include Australia's Fabrice Lapierre in the long jump, starting at 3:05 (CT).
Lendore, representing Trindad & Tobago, became his country's second individual medalist in a World Indoor Championships. Ian Morris earned a silver medal in the 400m during the 1989 meet.
Pavel Maslak of Czech Repubic, who started in lane five between Lendore and Taplin, claimed the gold with a time of 45.44 as Qatar's Abdalelah Haroun secured silver with a 45.59. Lendore clocked 46.17 for the bronze medal from his lane four position.
"Having Bralon and Pavel on the outside, you had the idea that they were going to take it out," noted Lendore. "So I had to try and stay as close as possible from the first lap because you didn't really want them to get too far away. They have the ego to get to the break, so I knew it was going to be kind of tough to go with them to the break. My mindset was all about staying close and let the crowd bring us home.
"The World Indoors is just like a getaway from practice to get a couple of races in. It's been hard for the couple of weeks that I've been gone so coming to World Indoors, you have a week away for yourself. It's all about testing yourself and seeing where you are at so your coach will have something to work with going into the outdoor season."
Taplin, representing Grenada, ran a split of 20.89 in the first 200m and finished with a time of 46.56. He entered the final with a world-leading time of 45.20 from a win in College Station in mid-January. He also held the next two fastest times with a 45.35 from his victory at the Millrose Games and a 45.38 in the semifinal at the World Indoor on Friday.
Finishing fifth in the race was Kenya's Boniface Mweresa in 46.86 while Trinidad's Lalonde Gordon placed sixth in 47.62 from his lane one starting position.
Jamaica's Simone Facey raced twice in the 60m on Saturday, posting a 7.20 as runner-up in her prelim heat to reach the semifinals. A 7.21 for Facey in the semifinal placed her fourth in the section and 13th overall.
Only one men's 4x400 relay team was eliminated from the semifinal round as the Bahamas, with Shavez Hart running second leg, ran 3:07.55 to finish runner-up behind Belgium's 3:07.39. Trinidad, without Lendore, placed third in the section with a 3:07.83. The final will conclude the meet at 4:50 p.m. (CT) on Sunday.
The United States won the other section in 3:05.41 over Jamaica (3:07.30) and Nigeria (3:07.98). South Africa, with a 3:08.45 in the first section, was the lone team not advancing to the final.
Sunday's finals will also include Australia's Fabrice Lapierre in the long jump, starting at 3:05 (CT).
Players Mentioned
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and FieldWednesday, February 25
Tuesday, May 27
Wednesday, May 07
Thursday, April 10
