HEART OF BRONZE
McDonald overcomes painful calf to grab World Indoor podium
HUGE HEART and determination earned Rusheen McDonald an unexpected bronze medal in a 400 metres final he came close to not contesting at the World Athletics Championships inside the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland, yesterday.
Shortly after setting a new indoor personal best for the third successive race, the 31-year-old Jamaican revealed he was “seven out of 10” thinking of withdrawing before the start due to a right calf problem. But running through the pain barrier, McDonald chased home lastgasp winner Alexander Doom, from Belgium, and Norwegian hurdles specialist Karsten Warholm, in a time of 45.65 – 37-hundredths of a second quicker than the 46.02 he recorded in qualifying the previous evening. Having opened the weekend also lowering his personal best on the boards while negotiating the heats, he rushed through the media mixed zone, pausing only to reveal:
“I appreciate the PB as I was going through a rough time – a lot of pain – before the final. “I think I’ve got water on the calf and will go straight to see my physiotherapist.” McDonald, who has run below 44 seconds, albeit back in 2015, tucked in behind the two other medallists from the break in lanes during the two laps that make up an indoor 400 race. Emerging from the last bend, the Jamaican looked as strong as anyone in the frame and held on to comfortably beat Joao Coelho, from Portugal, to the third and final step of the podium. “I’m very happy that I did run and got a bronze, but I didn’t push it because of the pain left me ‘seven out of 10’ thinking of pulling out,” concluded the man representing the black, green and gold.
Doom came around race-long leader Warholm just before the line to take gold in a Belgian national record, 45.25. There was disappointment for many Jamaican fans, as Saturday’s other track events at the championships proved less fruitful than hoped for the nation.
Rising sprinting duo Shashalee Forbes and Briana Williams both exited the race for 60-metre dash medals at the semifinal stage, having each earlier negotiated the qualifying heats.
The Emirates Arena in Glasgow was still buzzing from a personal best and world-leading 6.98-second display from Poland’s pre-event favourite, Ewa Swoboda, when Forbes came on to the stage and she could only manage fifth place in 7.15 seconds.
A BETTER START
The next race saw Williams make a better start but get overhauled to fade to fourth place in 7.19.
Neither made the medal shootout a couple of hours later, narrowly won by St Lucia’s Julien Alfred.
Forbes, who began the championships fifth fastest in the world this year over the distance, albeit outdoors at Kingston’s National Stadium, reflected:
“I wasn’t actually too disappointed as I’ve come away injury-free and can go forward from here.
“This is my first indoor competition ever, so it’s like a growing moment for me and going forward, I just need to get my race together and then I’ll be good.
“I’ll definitely be back (indoors) next year but now I’m going back home to do a few local meets (in Jamaica) leading up to the National Trials.” Williams, still only 21, was equally amenable and added:
“I felt good and confident and can look forward to outdoors now, focusing on 200 metres and trying to make the Olympic team.
“It’s been a wonderful experience but 60 is not an Olympic race – I’m focused on 100s and 200s.”
Earlier Damion Thomas missed out on one of the non-automatic qualifying slots for the semifinals of the 60-metre hurdles by just onehundredth of a second to John Cabang, from the Philippines, having registered 7.73 seconds in the morning’s heats.
Fellow Jamaican Tyler Mason also trailed in sixth, clocking 7.86 two races later.
The evening proved a raucous affair with Scotsman Josh Kerr winning a thrilling men’s 3000 metres in front of 5,000 of his compatriots and Great Britain teammate – world-leading pole vaulter Molly Caudery – also taking a gold medal.
But there was disappointment for Scotland’s other favourite, Laura Muir, who could only manage fifth place in a women’s 5000 metres, surprisingly won by American Elle St Pierre from Ethiopia’s world record holding favourite, Gudaf Tsegay.
The United States lead the medal table going into the final day with the hosts moving up to third behind Belgium, and Jamaica standing 19th with three bronze medals.