ALONZO Russell leaves the observe after his warmth within the 400 metres on the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, yesterday.
By BRENT STUBBS
Senior Sports Reporter
BIRMINGHAM, England — Despite not feeling 100 percent, Alonzo Russell was in a place to muster enough power to energy from behind down the house stretch to earn a lane in the semi-final of the men’s 400 metres at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
As the primary Bahamian athlete to compete on day two of the track and subject competition earlier than a jam-packed 30,000 seating at the Alexander Stadium yesterday, the Grand Bahamian native emerged out of the fifth of seven heats with a 3rd place end in 48.41 seconds.
That enabled the 30-year-old national championship runner-up to claim 15th place overall to ensure his spot in the semi-finals on Friday when he will run out of lane 9 in the last of three heats when the primary two in every heat and the two quickest occasions will book their ticket to the ultimate on Sunday.
“It was rough as a result of I’m battling the flu proper now,” mentioned Russell, who’s in his third appearance at the video games. “I am simply taking it one spherical at a time and hope that I can come back in two days (one to be exact) and advance once more. But it’s been rough.”
Running out of lane 4 in his heats, Russell got left coming out of the primary curve, however started to make up some ground on the again stretch. As he got here off the ultimate curve, he was in fifth place, but negotiated his comeback on the house stretch for the third place.
Zambia’s Muzala Samukonga had already constructed up enough real estate to surge out entrance as the heat winner in a private better of 44.89 with Jamaica’s Jevaughn Powell taking the second spot in 48.14. While Samukonga had the quickest qualifying time, Powell was pegged at number eight.
With the crowd cheering loudly for everyone, Russell said he was motivated somewhat extra in staging his comeback.
“I was kind of surprised. The race was superb. There had been a lot of people out right here for a morning session, compared to the World Championships,” Russell stated. “The crowd was simply a lot larger. It was wonderful.”
At the World Championships two weeks ago in Eugene, Oregon, Russell didn’t compete in the 400, so he’s hoping to reap the advantages of this chance right here, regardless of how he feels physically.
“I hope to go for a private best. That’s the goal,” stated Russell, who has done a lifetime best of 45.25 on June 26, 2019 at the Bahamas National Championships at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.
In analysing his surroundings right here, including the video games village at the University of Birmingham, he indicated that he couldn’t ask for anything better.
“Everything right here is pretty good, so I shouldn’t have any issues undertaking my goal,” he summed up.
If he achieves his objective and he advances again, Russell shall be within the ultimate to be contested on the final day of competition on Sunday at 5:45 am EST. He also has two silver medals from the games on his résumé, having ran on both the 4 x 400m relay groups on the Gold Coast, Australia in 2018 and in Glasgow, Scotland in 2014.
However, he’s nonetheless on the lookout for his first last in the individual 400m at a major world competition. He is the lone competitor for the Bahamas in the one-lap race in the absence of Steven Gardiner and Shaunae Miller-Uibo.