08312018 SPORTS

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SPORTS SECTION E

FRIDAY, AUGUST 31, 2018

US OPEN, Page 5

Gardiner ‘cramps’ in 400m at the Diamond League Final

CLARKE CONTINUES WINNING WAYS ON ITF JUNIOR CIRCUIT

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

ZURICH, Switzerland — More concerned about his health rather than the wealth, Bahamas double national record holder Steven Gardiner took the precautionary measures in a freaky finish in the men’s 400 metres as he shut it down on the home stretch yesterday during the International Amateur Athletic Federation’s 2018 Weltklasse Zurich Diamond League Final. Unlike last year when he slipped in the blocks at the start of his initial final and didn’t finish, Gardiner eventually got up and completed the race as he walked across the finish line in eighth place in 47.37 seconds in front of the 30,000-plus cheering fans at Letzigrund stadium. The United States of America pulled off a 1-2 sweep as Fred Kerley took advantage of Gardiner’s misfortune to power through in 44.80 for a $50,000 cash prize ahead of Nathan Strother in 44.93 and $20,000 for second with Great Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith claiming third place in 44.95 and $10,000. Immediately after he realised what had happened, Kerley was the first to return and check on Gardiner in a show of sportsmanship. Coming off an injury he sustained in the 200m in Stockholm, Sweden, the third of the 12 Diamond League meets that qualified athletes for the two-day extravaganza that will conclude tonight in Brussels, Belgium, Gardiner said he wanted to play it safe rather than be sorry so he decided to stop rather than continue running the race. “I felt so good coming off the two turns,” said Gardiner, who made a successful return to compete on August 22 at the 9th Kamila Skolomowska Memorial Meeting in Chorzow, Poland with a victory. “Coming home, I felt some cramps and so I decided to stop right there. I didn’t want to tear or pull anything.” As he positioned himself for the home stretch, the lanky, six-foot, 2-inch 22-year-old got caught with the cramps and decided to shut it down. “I feel good. I didn’t question it,” he said. “I just had to do what I had to do and stop.”

SYDNEY Clarke continues her winning ways during a very active summer in her latest stop on the ITF Junior Circuit. She entered the Wadadii Bowl in Antigua and Barbuda as the No.1 seed in the Girls’ Singles Main Draw and has lived up to her top billing thus far. Following a bye in round one, Clarke defeated Chloe Weekes of Barbados 6-1, 6-2. In the Girls’ Doubles Draw, Clarke teamed with Tangia Riley-Codrington of Barbados as the top seed and they defeated Weekes and fellow Bajan teammate Sanaa Hewitt 6-3, 6-2. Rain delays hampered yesterday’s schedule but Clarke will return to the court today to face No.5 seed Gabriela Singer in Curacao in the quarter-final. In doubles play, Clarke and Riley-Codrington will face Gabrielle Leslie of Barbados and Selene Kentish of the hometown Antigua and Barbuda in today’s semi-final. Clarke comes off a successful showing last week in another dominant performance as a No.1 seed at the Tobago Jr ITF Championship. Hosted at the Tacarigua National Racquet Centre, she emerged as a double champion in both the girls’ singles and doubles.

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FRED KERLEY, of the US (back to camera), is congratulated by Steven Gardiner, of the Bahamas, yesterday after winning the 400m race at the Weltklasse IAAF Diamond League international athletics meeting in the Letzigrund stadium in Zurich, Switzerland. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP) Although he didn’t question the decision, Gardiner said he wasn’t concerned that the race got away from him again. Maybe the change in weather had something to do with it as the conditions switched from sunny to chilly overnight. Whatever it was, Gardiner was not going to let it dampen his spirit. “I’m not disappointed because I knew that I was going to win,” he stated. “I already made my move. It felt so good coming home. I didn’t feel any lactic acid so I knew I could do it. But everything happened for a reason.”

It’s the second trip to the Diamond League Final that Gardiner failed to get a piece of the jackpot with one of the top finishes in the race. But he said he felt good for 300m, knowing that he was in control of his own destiny this time. But he admitted that there’s always next year and he will go home and recuperate before he starts preparing for the trek towards the IAAF World Championships in Doha, Qatar, and the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, in 2020. His coach Gary Evans said it wasn’t the finish they anticipated, but there’s

nothing they can do about it. “Unbelievable. When you see an athlete coming off the curve in control of the race, there’s no doubt that he would have won the race,” said Evans, who is in his second year as Gardiner’s coach. “He kind of pulled up and started again and was still in front. It was just one of those freak accidents that happened. “Being a smart runner, I think he really thought about it because he knew that his career is bigger than this one race. I think as an athlete, he did the right thing because you want to make sure that you are alright first. People

think about the money, money, money, but like they say, money is the root of all evil. So let it go and live to fight another day.” Despite not coming out in the money hunt as one of the top contenders again this year, Evans said he’s very proud of Gardiner and his accomplishments this year. “I definitely think that he was the best 400m runner this year, although he didn’t get it in that last race,” Evans said. “Hats off to Fred Kerley. He ran an excellent race. He deserves it. Now, Stevie

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NCAA: Sammy Hunter gets scholarship offers By RENALDO DORSETT 78-62 loss to Loyola. They Tribune Sports Reporter return all five starters from rdorsett@tribunemedia.net last season and also return 88 per cent of the minutes FOR much of the played from a year ago and summer, it was a relatively 93 per cent of its points. slow recruitment process The Hilltoppers had a for Sammy Hunter, but successful run to the NIT the Canadian-based prep last season with a Bahabasketball star has picked mian connection as Dwight up five NCAA Division Coleby was a key member I offers in just under two of its roster. weeks. WKU finished last The latest programmes season 27-11 and they to offer scholarships yester- achieved the programme’s day were the Kansas State most wins in a decade. Wildcats and the Western Their 38 games played Kentucky Hilltoppers. tied the programme record The Wildcats finished and their three postseason 25-12 and reached the Elite victories also tied a school Eight of the 2017 NCAA record as they advanced to Tournament before they the NIT semis for the first were eliminated with a time since 1954.

In the postseason the Hilltoppers ended in the NIT semi-finals in a 69-64 loss to the Utah Utes. Hunter received his first high major offer when he was offered by the Arkansas Razorbacks on August 21. The Razorbacks finished 23-12 in the SEC last season and were eliminated in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament as the No. 8 seed to the No. 10 seeded Butler Bulldogs 79-62. It was their third NCAA Tournament trip in the last four seasons. Since then, the 6’9” forward in the class of 2019

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PREP basketball star Sammy Hunter in action.

FOX AND CHISHOLM NAMED TO ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE ROSTERS By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net LUCIUS Fox and Jazz Chisholm continue their progression through their respective Major League Baseball organisations and reached another pair of milestones this week. Both players were named to rosters for the Arizona Fall League yesterday. Fox received the honour just two days after his Montgomery Biscuits clinched a playoff spot in the DoubleA Southern League. The 21-year-old shortstop was named to the roster of the AFL’s Peoria Javelinas. The Javelinas have MLB affiliations with the Rays, Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres, Milwaukee Brewers and Atlanta Braves. Chisholm was named to the roster of the Salt River Rafters. The Rafters have MLB affiliations with the Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Miami Marlins, Minnesota Twins and Washington Nationals. His Visalia Rawhide are in a second-half playoff push in the Single-A Advanced California League, just one game back out of the final spot. The Rawhide make the playoffs by winning the second half or as a wildcard team if Stockton wins the league’s second half. The Arizona Fall League attracts many of the top prospects in the minor

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