08162016 sports by tribune242

SPORTS SECTION E

TUESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2016

GOLDEN GIRL: Shaunae Miller, of the Bahamas, smiles last night after winning the gold medal in the 400-metre final during the athletics competitions of the 2016 Summer Olympics at the Olympic stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. SEE MORE PHOTOS ON PAGE 8

Shaunae wins gold in 400m at Rio Olympics By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net RIO de Janeiro, Brazil — With the bruises and bumps to show, Bahamian Shaunae Miller said the dive across the finish line at the Olympic Stadium was worth the gold she will receive for the Bahamian people. Miller, 22, emerged as the 2016 Olympic Games women’s 400 metre champion, clocking a personal best of 49.44 seconds to hold off a late surge by American Allyson Felix in the epic rematch between the two gladiators on the world’s biggest stage last night. Felix was hoping for her second straight major victory over Miller but it was not meant to be. In similar fashion to last year when Felix pulled away and snatched the gold at the 2015 IAAF World Championships in Beijing, China, Miller duplicated the feat, turning the tables on Felix, who didn’t have enough real estate and had to settle for the silver in a season’s best of 49.51. And in a rematch of last year’s final, Jamaican Shericka Jackson picked up another bronze in 49.85. The only difference was the two medals switched places at the top and Miller used her 6-foot, 1-inch frame to re-

turn the favour to Felix. “Before we started the race, the last thing my coaches said was just give me your all and we will be satisfied with that,” said Miller, who had lost out again to Felix in a semi-final showdown the night before as the American came from behind and pulled away for the win. “Before I went into the blocks, I said ‘God, I’m leaving this in your hands, I’m going to execute my race and however I finish, I know that God is going to help me. He did. I know everybody is talking about the dive or the fall. But I don’t know what happened. My mind just went blank and the next thing I know I was on the ground.” It was the first final for athletics at these games as Miller became just the second Bahamian to achieve the Olympic feat, joining national record holder Tonique Williams-Darling, who set the stage in Athens,

BAHAMAS’ Shaunae Miller stumbles across the finish line to win gold in the women’s 400-metre at the Olympic stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, last night. (AP Photos/Matt Dunham) Greece, when she ascended the podium. Williams’ performance came back for her back-to-back gold at the IAAF World Championships in Helsinki, Finland. During the race, Miller got out to a comfortable lead in lane seven. But on the back stretch, she was challenged by American Natasha Hastings in four, who pulled up beside her. But she shook that off going through the final curve. Off the bend, Miller was again in total control of the race. This time, Felix tried to reel her in. She managed

to close the gap at the end, but Miller had one surprise for her. She didn’t run through the line or try to nip her. Instead, she must have gotten some pointers from three-time Olympic swimmer Arianna Vanderpool-Wallac before she left on Sunday, as she dove across the line. “I saw Allyson the last 20 metres of the race and then my mind just blinked after that,” Miller stressed. “The only thing I was thinking about was the gold medal. I was on the ground and I heard my mother (Maybe-

lene Miller, who was near the finish line) screeching, so I knew I must have gotten the gold. “But I’m just so thankful right now.” That put the Bahamas in a five-way tie for 45th place on the medal standings with Fiji, Kosovo, Puerto Rico and Sinapore as the United States continues to control the leaderboard. While she will wait for tonight to hear the national anthem played and the Bahamian flag raised during the medal presentation, Miller said she’s going to

wait until her fiancé Maicel Uibo from Estonia is done competing in the men’s decathlon before the celebrations begin. She will be sharing the moment with her parents, including Shaun Miller, who is an assistant coach on the team, and Uibo’s mother, who is also here before she looks towards coming home for whatever is planned for her to share the experience with the Bahamian people. In the meantime, Miller said she’s just going to enjoy being called an “Olympic champion.” It’s her first global medal since silver in the World Championship last year after claiming the bronze from the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Sopot in 2014. The back-to-back 2010 IAAF World Junior Championship and 2011 IAAF World Youth Championship champion redeemed her disappointment from four years ago when she wasn’t able to complete in the preliminaries of the women’s 400m in her Olympic debut, coming off the first turn with a slight hamstring injury. Monday night, there was nothing that was going to stop her destiny, not even Felix, who stunned her in

SEE PAGE 8

PAGE 2, Tuesday, August 16, 2016

THE TRIBUNE

AT THE 2016 OLYMPIC GAMES IN RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL

Jeffery Gibson ends up 45th overall in the 400m hurdles By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net RIO de Janeiro, Brazil — Bahamian national record holder Jeffery Gibson, hampered by an injury he sustained before coming to the 2016 Olympic Games, said his performance in the men’s 400 metre hurdles was not the 26th birthday present that he wanted to receive. From the start of the first of six heats of the preliminaries yesterday, Gibson got left behind and gingerly cleared the 10 hurdles with caution as he finished in eighth place in 52.77 seconds for the 45th and last spot in the entire field. It was the typical performance from the 2015 IAAF World Championship bronze medallist, who lowered the national record several times over the past two years and now stands at 48.17. “A few weeks back in London before the Anniversary Games, I injured myself during one of my practice sessions,” he said. “Being the wisest decision, I pulled out of the meet. I ended up, after going to the doctor, I had labrum, a tear of the seal that keeps the hip joint in place. A few weeks of therapy and intensive care, we came here to Brazil to see what I could do. “Me and my coach talked about

JEFFERY GIBSON, in the 400m hurdles at the Rio Olympics yesterday, finished in eighth place in 52.77 seconds for the 45th and last spot in the entire field. it. He told me that if I don’t feel up to it, or if I don’t run that well in the heats, just scratch it. But I said I’ll come out here and see how it feels. We did have practice sessions, but the hard pace of what you do in a race is different from what you do in practice, even a test run.”

Coming out of the blocks and going over the first hurdle, Gibson said he almost stumbled and that was where the race got away from him. Abdelmalik Lahoulou from Algeria was the winner of the heat in 48.62 for a new national record. The fastest qualifier was Jamaican Annsert Whyte in 48.37.

When asked if he might have second guessed his ability to run with the injury, Gibson hesitated and then said: ‘I could have, no. You always have to focus on the next big thing. That race is behind me, so I will just focus on World Championships next year. God’s willing, I will be able to get two or

three more Olympics inside of me, so there’s just working towards that. Brazil is still an experience coming out here and representing your country. I’m just going to move from this and get better.” Gibson said he’s expected to shut down his season and begin therapy in Raleigh, North Carolina and possibly an MRI to scan the entire region of his hip to ensure that there isn’t any serious damage before he resumes his offseason training in preparation for Worlds in London next year. Despite running up to par, Gibson said he felt good. It was just a problem with getting his legs over the hurdle properly which was his biggest obstacle. “On a world stage, finishing last in a heat, come on man. I know I’m better than that and I would just hate to put my country, people who supported me, my church people in Raleigh, my country. They put so much faith in me, but I didn’t tell no one because I wanted to keep it quiet,” he said. “I’m sure it was embarrassing, but I’m not going to be embarrassed about something that happened. It happens to the best of us, but it’s so unfortunate that it happened so late in the game for me. I guess it didn’t have to happen to me at a time like this.” Just when he turned 27 and is in the prime of his flourishing career.

Charlton family gets chance to enjoy Games Village By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net RIO de Janeiro, Brazil — The Purdue University connection is back together again. And even though only sprinter Carmiesha Cox will be competing, injured hurdler Devynne Charlton is experiencing the Games Village experience at the 2016 Olympic Games as her team-mate. Cox, the 21-year-old junior at Purdue, is in the pool for the women’s 4 x 200 metre relay. The 20-year-old Charlton, who qualified for the women’s 100m hurdles but had to shut down her season before her sophomore outdoor season for the Boilermakers because of an injury, has been allowed to occupy the Games Village as an Olympian. “This has been a wonderful experience, one that I will never forget,” Cox said. “It was always my goal to compete in the Olympics and I’m here.” Not only did she qualify as part of the women’s relay team, but Cox also did the standard for the women’s 200m. Unfortunately, four other women ran faster than her with three of them, national champion Ty’Nia Gaither, Anthonique Strachan and Sheniqua ‘Q’ Ferguson running in the preliminaries of the 200m. Gaither was the only one to qualify for the semi-final. Shaunae Miller, the fastest qualifier, did not contest the event as she concentrated on the 400m. “I really would have liked to compete in the 200m, but the women ahead of me deserve their chance to compete,” Cox said. “My time will come, so

OLYMPIANS Carmiesha Cox (second from right) and Devynne Charlton (far right), are enjoying lunch from McDonald’s with the Charlton family and Bahamas assistant coach Rudolph Ferguson. I’m not too concerned about it. I just have to concentrate on what I came here to do and that is the relay.” When the preliminaries of the relay take place on Friday, Cox is hoping that she will be one of the quartet that will come out of the pool that includes Miller, Strachan, Lanece Clarke and Christine Amertil. “We’ve been going to practice every day,” said Cox of the members of

TODAY AT THE GAMES

All times Bahamian Athletics Women’s 5000m Heats, 8.30am Women’s Pole Vault Qualifying, 8.45am Men’s Triple Jump Final, 8.50am Men’s 1500m Heats, 9.30am Women’s 100m Hurdles Heats, 10.05am Women’s Discus Throw Final, 10.40am Men’s 200m Heats, 10.50am. Men’s High Jump Final, 7.30pm Women’s Javelin Throw Qualifying, 7.35pm, 8.50pm Men’s 110m Hurdles Semi-finals, 7.40pm Women’s Long Jump Qualifying, 8.05pm Women’s 400m Hurdles Semi-finals, 8.10pm Men’s 400 Hurdles Semi-finals, 8.35pm Women’s 200m Semi-finals, 9pm Women’s 1500m Final, 9.30pm Men’s 110m Hurdles Finals, 9.45pm Badminton Men’s Doubles and Women’s Doubles Semi-finals, 730am

the team that don’t have any individual duties here. “We’re gelling and coming together. We’re just waiting to compete.” And with some company in the Charlton family in the village, Cox said she has been able to pass some of the extra time. “It’s always good to have someone who you are closely connected with to be around,” she said. “Although she’s injured, I’m

Women’s Singles Quarter-finals, Mixed Doubles Bronze Medal, 4.30pm Basketball Women’s Quarter-finals, 10am, 1.30pm, 5.45pm, 9.15pm Beach Volleyball Men’s and/or Women’s Semi-finals, 3pm, 10pm Boxing Women’s 51kg, Men’s 56kg, 64kg, 75kg, 91kg-plus Prelims, 81kg Semi-final, 10am Women’s 51kg, Men’s 56kg, 64kg, 75kg, 91kg-plus Prelims, 81kg Semi-final, 60kg Gold Medal, 4pm Canoe-Kayak (Sprint) Men’s C-1 1000m Finals, 8am Men’s K-1 1000m Finals Women’s K-1 200m Finals Women’s K-2 500m Finals Cycling (Track) Women Sprint, Quarter-finals (1st Heat), 9am Men Keirin, 1st Round Women Sprint, Quarter-finals (2nd Heat) Women Sprint, Quarter-finals (3rd Head)

glad that they gave Devynne the opportunity to be here in the village. She deserves it because she qualified to be here too.” For Charlton, she’s just appreciative of the fact that she can be a part of the village experience. “This has given me a better perspective on how the athletes train and what are some of the things that they do to compete at this level,” she said.

“I know that I should be here, but due to circumstances, I won’t be able to compete, but I just want to be here to support Team Bahamas.” Although she hasn’t done much in terms of training, Charlton said the trip here has been an eye opener for her and it will only increase her desire to go back to Purdue and begin her preparation for 2017 and hopefully her first trip to the IAAF

Men Keirin, repechages Women Sprint, Places 5 to 8 Women Sprint, Semi-finals 1st Heat, 3pm Women Omnium, Flying lap Women Sprint, Semi-finals 2nd Heat Men Keirin, 2nd round Women Sprint, Semi-finals (3rd) Women Omnium, Final Points race 25km Women Sprint, Finals 3-4 & 1-2 (1st Heat) Women Sprint, Finals 3-4 & 1-2 (2nd Heat) Men Keirin, Final 7 to 12 Men Keirin, Final 1 6 Women Sprint, Finals 3-4 & 1-2 (3rd Heat) Diving Men’s 3m Springboard Semi-finals, 9am, 3pm Equestrian Jumping Team Qualification, 9am Handball Women’s Quarter-finals, 9am, 12.30pm, 4pm, 7.30pm Hockey Men’s Semi-finals, 11am, 4pm Gymnastics (Artistic) Men’s and Women’s Apparatus Finals, 1pm

World Championships in Tokyo, Japan. In the meantime, she’s wishing every member of Team Bahamas, including Cox and also Pedrya Seymour, who will compete in the heats of the women’s 100m hurdles today. “I really wished I was competing, but there’s always a next time,” she said. “There’s a time for everything and everyone and this is just not my time.”

Sailing Men’s Finn (medal race), Men’s 49er, Women’s 49er FX, Mixed Nacra 17 (medal race), noon Soccer Women’s Semi-finals, noon, 3pm Swimming Men’s Marathon, 8am Synchronised Swimming Duet Free Routine (final), 1pm Table Tennis Women’s Bronze Medal match, 10am Women’s Gold Medal match, 6.30pm Volleyball Women’s Quarter-finals, 8am, noon, 4pm, 8.15pm Water Polo Men’s Quarter-finals, 10am, 11.20am, 2.10pm, 3.30pm Weightlifting Men’s 105kg-Plus Prelims, 2.30pm Men’s 105kg-Plus Final, 6pm Wrestling (Greco-Roman) 66kg and 98kg Group Stage, 9am 66kg and 98kg Medal Stage, 3pm

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, August 16, 2016, PAGE 3

AT THE 2016 OLYMPIC GAMES IN RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL

Ty’Nia Gaither cruises into semi-final of 200m BAHAMIANS IN ACTION THIS WEEK

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net RIO de Janeiro, Brazil — Bahamian double sprint national champion Ty’Nia Gaither shook off her disappointment in the 100 metre preliminaries on the opening day of athletics at the 2016 Olympic Games to make it to the semi-final of the 200m yesterday in the Olympic Stadium. Gaither, a recent graduate of the University of Southern California where she closed out her collegiate career as an All-American in double sprints at the NCAA Championships, posted a time of 22.90 seconds for a third place finish in the first of nine heats to advance with the fifth of the six fastest times out of the two automatic qualifications in each heat. “That race definitely felt a lot better. I was definitely more comfortable with that. I was more in my zone and my mind was in a much better place,” she told The Tribune as she watched as Netherlands’ Dafne Schippers, the 2015 IAAF World Championship silver medallist, took the tape in the fifth fastest time of 22.51. As for the 100m where she ran 11.58 for fifth in her heat and 39th overall, Gaither said everything just happened so fast and she wasn’t as relaxed and comfortable four days later in the half-lap race. “I felt really relaxed. I guess I was so relaxed that I didn’t pay much attention to the mental aspect of it,” she stressed. Having regrouped and refocused, Gaither said she will now prepare for the semi-final 9pm today when she will run out of lane one in the first of three heats. She will need to finish as one of the top two finishers or have one of the next two fastest times to get into Wednesday’s final.

RIO de Janeiro, Brazil — Here’s a look at the Bahamians in action at the 2016 Olympic Games over the next few days:

IVORY Coast’s Marie-Josee Ta Lou Gabon’s Ruddy Zang Milama, second left, Bahamas’ Tynia Gaither, second right, and Surinam’s Sunayna Wahi, right, compete in a 100-metre heat at the Olympic stadium on Friday. (AP) “My main goal is to PR,” said Gaither, who has a lifetime best of 22.54. “I know if I PR, that should put me in contention to get into the final and I will be very satisfied with my performance here.” Whatever happens, Gaither said she will continue to enjoy living the dream of being an Olympian. “It’s amazing. Everything from the Athletes Village to the Olympic Stadium, it’s been wonderful,” she pointed out. “I’m just enjoying it and I just wish that everybody back home can experience this with me.” When it’s all said and done, Gaither said she can now prepare for life as a professional athlete. Two other Bahamian pro athletes were expected to join Gaither in her Olympic debut in the semis, but Anthonique Strachan and

Sheniqua ‘Q’ Ferguson didn’t make it as they both participated in their second appearances at the biggest sporting spectacular in the world. Strachan, back in action since having surgery in November, was also third in her heat in a season’s best of 2.96, just missing the cut of 24 with 26th position overall. She was one spot ahead of Jamaican former Olympic champion Veronica Campbell-Brown, who did 22.97 for third in her heat as well and 27th overall. Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare was the winner of the heat in 22.71. “It’s good. Lane one was just a deaf lane, but I can’t complain because you have other competitors running in it,” Strachan said. “But it feels good to get a season’s best.” With the final instruc-

tions from her coach Henry Rolle, Strachan said she tried to get out like she was in a “time trial” and not look back. “It’s really hard to position yourself out of lane one and I’m really satisfied with it, I’m not disappointed,” she stated. “I would like to make it because I do have a goal this year and if I don’t it will crush my goal.” While she didn’t make it back for the semis, Strachan said she will take some consolation in the fact that she’s back and competing at the highest level in the world again. “A lot of people go through less stuff than I did or even more and they’re not here, so to make it to my second Olympics after having a hernia repair surgery in November, I give thanks to God because without him, I wouldn’t be here

right now to give an interview to you guys.” Competing since the surgery, Strachan said she feels a lot better than before and she’s not as fatigued as she used to be, which means she’s healthy and that’s a positive position to be in heading into her offseason training for the 2017 IAAF World Championships in Tokyo, Japan. Ferguson, on the other hand, was eighth in her heat in 23.62 as she ended up 58 out of a field of 72 competitors. Ferguson was visibly upset over the media suggestion in another publication that she should not be allowed to compete if Shaunae Miller wanted to pursue a possible 200/400 double. Ivet Lalova-Collio of Bulgaria won the heat in 22.61. Ferguson declined to speak to the media.

Leevan and Latario eliminated By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net RIO de Janeiro, Brazil — It’s hard to say which one felt it the most - Bahamian national record holder Leevan ‘Superman’ Sands or his protégé, Latario ‘Twin’ Collie-Minns. While Sands was disappointed that he didn’t secure a berth in the men’s triple jump final in his comeback from a near career-ending injury at the last Olympics in London, England, Collie-Minns was not too pleased with his return to action after he went down at the NCAA Championships after winning the title. The duo’s first appearance together on the world’s biggest sporting stage was not what they had anticipated. Sands, the 34-year-old veteran, could only muster a best leap of 16.53 metres or 54-feet, 2 3/4-inches on his third and final attempt for 10th place in Group A and 18th place overall. China’s Bin Dong led the field of 24 competitors with the best distance of 56-1 1/4. Collie-Minns failed to get in any marks in his three tries in Group B that saw Sands’ close friend American Christian Taylor top the other list of 24 with 17.24m (56-6 3/4). “We all have days like this,” summed up Sands, who opened up with a leap of 54-0 1/2 in the first round, only to fault what he was sure well over the 17m mark, which would have gotten him into the final and a chance to add to his Olympic bronze from 2008 in Beijing, China. “I’ve been here many

LEEVAN SANDS

LATARIO COLLIE-MINNS times and I’ve made many finals. I think it’s a great accomplishment just being back here, especially after returning from the injury. We all have bad days, I’m excited that I just made it back, no hard feelings. Happy to have Latario here competing with me. Now I have to pass it on to him. He has to finish the legacy.” Collie-Minns, the 22-year-old twin who was hoping to make amends for

missing the London Olympics because of an injury, said as fate would have it, he got injured in July and the lack of meets to prepare for the trip here really played a key factor in his performance. “It was a good experience to be jumping at the Olympics. It only comes around every four years,” he stressed. Collie-Minns said that he hopes to be more prepared for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan and he expressed his gratitude to Sands for helping him get through his initial experience here. “This is Leevan’s last Olympics, so this was a memorable moment for me,” he said. “He’s been like a mentor to me. He prepared me, tells me what to do and how to keep my head up as I move around and get ready to compete here.” Unfortunately, it wasn’t what the two triple jumpers expected. Sands, who will now contemplate whether he will compete next year, said the biggest disappointment in not making the final was that his family was here and had already brought their tickets to watch him compete in the final. “I know they came here to support. I love their support. I wanted to be in the finals because they bought two tickets for the heats and the finals,” Sands said. “So I’m really sorry that they spent all that money to come here to watch me compete in both the heats and the finals.” Despite his exit, Christian Taylor said he has grown so much love and admiration for Sands that he

would prefer to go to battle with him than any other jumper around the world. “A lot of people are upset that he’s back, but for me, he’s been a role model, somebody that I’ve watched and studied and I’m lucky enough to call him a friend,” said Taylor in expressing his regrets. “I can’t imagine what he’s

gone through without a coach, the rehab, his trials and tribulations and his mental toughness for sure. I won’t take any of his jumps for granted. He’s a great example to emulate.” Taylor said he’s somewhat pleased that Sands is not in the final because he can demand that much respect.

TODAY Olympic Stadium 10:12am EST - Pedrya Seymour, heat two, lane seven, women’s 100m hurdles heats 10:50am EST - Demetrius Pinder, heat one, lane one - men’s 200m preliminaries 10:57am EST - Shavez Hart, heat two, lane five - men’s 200m preliminaries 11:11am EST - Teray Smith, heat four, lane seven - men’s 200m preliminaries 7:30pm EST - Trevor and Donald Thomas at No.10 and No.13 respectively in the men’s high jump final 8:05pm EST - Bianca Stuart - Women’s long jump qualifying 9pm - Ty’Nia Gaither, heat one, lane one, women’s 200m semi-final Wednesday, August 17 Olympic Stadium 7:35pm EST Women’s 100m hurdles semi-final 8:15pm - Women’s long jump final 9pm EST - Men’s 200m semi-final 9:30pm - Women’s 200m final 9:53pm - Women’s 100m hurdles final Thursday, August 18 Olympic Stadium 9:30pm - Men’s 200m final Friday, August 19 Olympic Stadium 7:40pm EST Women’s 4 x 400m relay preliminaries 8:10pm EST - Men’s 4 x 400m relay preliminaries Saturday, August 20 Olympic Stadium 9pm - Women’s 4 x 400m relay final 9:35pm - Men’s 4 x 400m relay final

PAGE 4, Tuesday, August 16, 2016

THE TRIBUNE

AT THE 2016 OLYMPIC GAMES IN RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL

Bolt says tight schedule slowed down sprinters in 100 metres By EDDIE PELLS AP National Writer RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Usain Bolt rarely complains about going too fast. After the rushed road to Sunday night’s 100-metre final, he had to make an exception. Faced with a turnaround time of barely over an hour between the semi-final and final, Bolt had trouble gearing up to be at his best for the marquee event of the Olympics. He won his record-setting third straight gold medal, but his post-race comments were tinged with slams about the scheduling. “I don’t know who decided that,” Bolt said. “It was really stupid. So, that’s why the race was slow. There’s no way you can run and go back around and run fast times again.” It was a decision made with broadcasters in mind more than runners. In the recent past, 100-metre sprinters have been given more than two hours between semi-finals and finals. “It’s the first time I’ve had to jog to the warmup area to get ready for the final,” Bolt said. He said after the semifinal, he felt great. I was like ‘Yo, I probably could run a fast time,’” he said. For him, “fast” often

equates to something in the world-record range of 9.58 seconds. And “slow” would qualify as the 9.81-second time he ran to win Sunday’s gold medal. It wasn’t among the 10 fastest times he’s ever put on the board. He wasn’t the only one complaining. American Justin Gatlin, the silver medallist, said the quick turnaround sapped his strength so much, he couldn’t even think about winning. “I didn’t because I was tired going into the finals and I was just like ‘let me focus on what I need to focus on,’” he said. “We really only had 30 minutes to get ready for the finals.” Track’s governing body, the IAAF, sets the schedule and the International Olympic Committee signs off on it. “If they’re happy, we’re happy,” said IOC spokesman Mark Adams. In the most widely cited case of schedule shifting, the opening round of the women’s 200 was moved from yesterday evening to the day session at the request of one of America’s best-known athletes, Allyson Felix, who wanted to try for gold medals in both the 200 and the 400. The 400 final was last night. It was considered a winwin for the Olympics and NBC, which pays the most

USAIN BOLT, of Jamaica, wins the 100-metre final in front of United States’ Justin Gatlin at the Olympic stadium on Sunday. (AP) sizable chunk of the $4.1 billion in worldwide broadcast rights the IOC received for the 2014 and 2016 Olympics. Felix hurt her ankle in the spring and was not at

full health at Olympic Trials. She made the field for the 400 but not the 200. Less publicised was the decision to push the starting time of the night sessions back to 8:30pm. local

time, which, in turn, put Bolt and Co, on TV smack in the middle of prime time in the United States. A late start also means a compressed schedule. Asked whether NBC had

a role in the scheduling, communications vice president Chris McCloskey said “the IOC and international federations make the schedule.” Chris Turner of the IAAF said the tight schedule has been used in the past — most notably, at the Atlanta Games in 1996, when Donovan Bailey won gold and set a world record. “We’ll, of course, take the athletes’ views on board,” Turner said. “In fact, we will actively seek them at every major championship.” They didn’t have to look too hard in this case. “I wasn’t pleased,” Bolt said, in answer to the first question he was asked at the winner’s news conference. “That’s never good. You need time to recover, especially as I’m getting older. I’m not happy with the schedule, and hopefully, they’ll change it back.” Some good news for those looking for records: There’s no back-to-back racing in the 200 metres, which has its first round today, semifinals Wednesday and the final on Thursday. And Bolt says he’s feeling so good, he’s looking to lower his world record, which stands at 19.19 seconds. “If I can get a good night’s rest after the semifinals, it’s a possibility I can do it,” Bolt said. “That’s something I really want.”

Jamaican Campbell-Brown bows out in 1st round of 200 By PAT GRAHAM AP Sports Writer RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Highly decorated Jamaican sprinter Veronica Campbell-Brown will see a 200-metre Olympic final from a peculiar spot — the sideline. The two-time Olympic gold medallist in the event didn’t make it out of the first round yesterday, finishing third in her heat. “I’m not even going to get into what happened because I cannot change it,” Campbell-Brown said. “Just have to move on.” Other than that little surprise, it was business as usual in the 200 with favourite Dafne Schippers of the Netherlands easily winning her heat and Marie-Joseep Ta Lou of Ivory Coast turning in the fastest time. In other events, there was another world record set — the third of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in track and field — with Anita Wlodarczyk of Poland throwing the hammer 82.29

JAMAICA’S VERONICA CAMPBELL-BROWN, centre, British Virgin Islands’ Ashley Kelly, right, and Kazakhstan’s Olga Safronova compete yesterday in a 200-metre heat. (AP) metres to break her own mark on her way to gold. Ruth Jebet of Bahrain captured the 3,000-metre steeplechase title, with Emma Coburn picking up the

bronze — the first female to win a medal in the event for the United States. “I feel very honoured to have that as part of my story,” Coburn said.

Finals in the women’s 400 and the men’s 800 featured on last night’s programme. Campbell-Brown has been in every 200-metre final at the Summer Games

since 2004 — winning the title that year and again at the 2008 Beijing Games. She also made it into the final in 2012, but finished fourth. Her time of 22.97 seconds Monday was much slower than her best performance this season (22.29) and way off her personalbest (21.74). Still, she was taking the disappointment in stride. “I’ve been through worse in my life. So this is not such a crazy hurdle to get over,” said Campbell-Brown, who will be a part of Jamaica’s 4x100 relay team. “But it’s a position I’ve never been in before. I don’t know why things happen, but sometimes you don’t meet your desire. I’ve learned to move on from things that I really don’t understand or things that don’t turn out the way I wanted.” The 34-year-old Campbell-Brown isn’t ready to say this will be her last Olympics. A decision for another time, she said. “The last couple of years

have been tough. I’m making mistakes I never made earlier in my career,” she said. “I’m confident those things will change as I look forward to the season.” No matter what, she’s left quite a legacy. In addition to her dominance in the 200, she has two Olympic bronze medals in the 100 and three medals in the relay. She couldn’t be more elated over the breakout of teammate Elaine Thompson, the 24-year-old up-and-comer who won 100-metre gold on Saturday. Thompson is next up in a long line of talented female Jamaican sprinters that has included Merlene Ottey, Shelly-Ann FraserPryce and, of course, the woman known, simply, as “VCB.” “Jamaica is the sprint factory, as you all can see,” Campbell-Brown said. “We’re pleased at what we’re doing through the years. We’ve been dominating the sprints. I hope we can keep the tradition going as long as possible.”

Meet our Olympians Name: Adrian Griffith Jr Nickname: Vardo aka Aerodynamic Age: 31 High School: CC Sweeting Senior College: Dickinson State University Best subject: Mathematics Event (s): 100m & 200m Best time (s): 10.03(Illegal Winds) 10.11 seconds (Legal Winds) & 20.52 seconds International teams competed on: 2002: Carifta Games and Junior CAC 2004: Under-23 NACAC 2005: Senior CAC 2006: Under-23 NACAC and CAC Games 2007: PAN America Games 2008: Senior CAC 2009: Senior CAC, IAAF World Outdoor Championship 2010: CAC Games, Commonwealth Games 2011: IAAF World Outdoor Championship, PAN American Games 2013: Senior CAC, IAAF World Outdoor Championship 2014: IAAF World Indoor Championship, Commonwealth Games 2016: IAAF World Indoor Championship, Olympic Games

Medals won: 2002: Silver Pole Vault & Bronze Heptathlon at Carifta Games. Bronze Decathlon Junior CAC 2004: Bronze Long Jump NACAC U-23 2006: Silver 4x100m NACAC U-23, Silver 4x100m CAC Games 2008: Silver 4x100m Senior CAC 2009: Bronze 4x100m Senior CAC 2013: Gold 4x100m Senior CAC Favourite colour(s): Green/Red Favourite food: Lasagna Favourite movie: All Friday Movies Idols: My Father, Coach Fritz Grant & LeBron James Parents: SherryAnne and Adrian Griffith Sr. Sibling (s): Abrille, Darcelle & Adrianna Status - Married, engaged, single: Single Expectations for Rio: My expectations for Rio Olympics is to become a strong contender, becoming a medallist and running a personal best. I expect to compete to the best of my ability and have fun while competing, giving 2000 per cent effort. • The Tribune is featuring profiles of the Bahamian Olympians daily in the build-up to the 2016 Games in Brazil next month

SPRINTER ADRIAN GRIFFITH

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, August 16, 2016, PAGE 5

‘Tidbits’ to ponder at QB position this NFL season

AS the NFL season approaches and I go division by division starting next week, right up until kick off, here’s a few interesting tid bits to ponder about the QB position, moving forward after the first weekend of NFL preseason games are in the books. QB or not QB A lot of attention has been paid to several franchises with questions at the QB position, here’s a few franchises and QB’s to keep your eye on. RG3 in Cleveland? Yes it appears to be so, head coach Hugh Jackson has endorsed the former Hiesman Trophy winner by naming him ‘the starter’ outright in Cleveland. RG3 responded in his first game for the Browns in the preseason opener against the Packers by going 4-8 for 67 yards, along with an interception and being sacked four times. RG3 did connect with WR Terrell Pryor on a beautiful 49-yard pass play on the first play of the game, and he scrambled a couple of times for positive yards after the pocket had collapsed. Browns head coach Hugh Jackson is a QB guru, based on what I saw, given a little patience RG3 under Jacksons guidance is poised to have a bounce back season, but don’t get too excited, he still plays for the Cleveland Browns. No need for backup in Big D If the first impressions are lasting, Cowboys fans hope rookie backup QB Dak Prescott’s play in the opener lasts forever.

SPORTING

MISCHIEF

& MAYHEM BY INIGO ‘NAUGHTY’

ZENICAZELAYA

Exhibiting the composure of a seasoned veteran, Prescott led the Cowboys on two impressive first half scoring drives, both ending with touchdown passes to starting wide receivers Dez Bryant (who looks in mid season form) and Terrance Williams respectively. Prescott was 10-12 for 139 yards and two touchdowns. As a die hard Cowboy fan, I will take that anytime, any place from Prescott. It’s obvious the Cowboys have done their homework regarding Prescott, and right now he has Cowboy brass looking genius for selecting him in the 4th round of this year’s NFL Draft, and with his high level of play thus far, Cowboy brass seems to have stolen another first or second round talent in the later rounds. At present there is no need for a backup QB in Dallas, so Michael Vick, Tavares Jackson, Tim Tebow, and Johnny ‘40 oz’ Manziel, can all remain seated until your name is called, if it is called!! Will youth be served? Yes, youth will be served at some point this season. There are three high profile starting QBs whose jobs could be in jeopardy, especially if the season doesn’t appear to be a successful one. Look for the top three QBs selected in

this year’s NFL Draft, the Rams’ Jared Goff, the Eagles’ Carson Wentz and the Broncos Paxton Lynch, to be starting for their respective teams this season, with Lynch being named the candidate to be the best ‘pro’ of the three. Jimmy G in the place to be Relax all you ‘Bradyites’ out there, you all will be fine with Jimmy G at QB for the first four weeks. Garoppolo went 11-18 for 168 yards, he also displayed a command of the offence and to be quite unflappable, he has obviously studied everything he could from Tom Brady, from the detailed approach to playing the QB position to the cheat codes. I see the Patriots going 3-1 during Brady’s suspension, losing only to the Dolphins. Yes, I said Dolphins. Now until next week, I’m off to get my AFC predictions for the season together, and to be quite honest I see some big surprises looming on the horizon, I will tell you all about it next week. • Naughty presents ‘Mischief and Mayhem in da AM’ 6-10am, Monday - Friday and ‘The Press Box’ sports talk show on Sunday from 10am to 1pm, on KISS FM 96.1. Comments and questions to naughty@tribunemedia.net

ROBERT GRIFFIN III has been endorsed by head coach Hugh Jackson as ‘the starter’ outright in Cleveland.

THE PATRIOTS should be fine with Jimmy Garoppolo at QB for the first four weeks.

1st Annual Mud Run 242 Challenge livens up the Clifton Heritage Park

242 CHALLENGE: Tall Pines MP Leslie Miller participates in the 1st Annual Mud Run 242 Challenge at Clifton Heritage Park on Saturday. Photos by Tim Clarke/Tribune Staff

PAGE 6, Tuesday, August 16, 2016

THE TRIBUNE

Alex Cooper’s NFL career begins with Bengals’ preseason loss to the Vikings By RENALDO DORSETT Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

ALEX COOPER

ALEX Cooper’s NFL career began in earnest this weekend with his appearance in the first preseason contest of the year for the Cincinnati Bengals. Cooper and the Bengals fell to the Minnesota Vikings 17-16 Friday night at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio in the preseason debut for both teams. “Just want to say thanks to everyone that showed me support yesterday for my first NFL game. God has been very good to me #whodey #242 #NFL”, Cooper posted on social media. The Bengals offence produced 339 total yards, including 249 through the air and 90 on the ground at 5.1 yards per play. It was the first game back for starting quarterback Andy Dal-

ton, who last played December 13 before he was sidelined for the postseason with a broken thumb. Cincinnati will return to the field for the second week of preseason football this Thursday when they face the Detroit Lions. Heading into camp, the Bengals fielded 14 offensive linemen, making for a competitive finish for a final roster spot. Cooper was signed as an undrafted free agent in May because of his versatility on the offensive line and that characteristic was on display immediately during his first appearance with the team. He participated in Bengals rookie-mini camp and immediately put that versatility on display. Popular Bengals blog, CincyJungle.com, said Cooper’s versatility gives him an opportunity to remain in contention at several spots throughout training camp

and the preseason. “Bengals’ offensive coach Paul Alexander loves tough players, and Cooper fits that bill very well. The team also loves picking up offensive linemen who are versatile enough to play any position. Cooper might not have any experience at centre, but he has enough experience at every other position on the offensive line that you probably wouldn’t have to take too long teaching him that position. Given his lack of athleticism, they will probably want to take full advantage of his skill set as he competes for a spot on the roster or practice squad.” Cooper was one of 15 players signed as an undrafted college free agent by the Bengals following the completion of the NFL Draft. Undrafted players made up 29 per cent of NFL rosters last season and within the Bengals organisation, six players were un-

drafted free agents including AllPro linebacker Vontaze Burfict. Following his stellar senior season with the Houston Cougars, Cooper garnered the attention of several NFL teams, including the Houston Texans and the Oakland Raiders. In his senior season he was one of the anchors on an offensive line which powered the high-scoring Cougars’ attack. Cooper was named All-AAC and Phil Steele’s AAC Second Team selections. Cooper started 25 straight games on the Cougars line at various positions, including both tackle spots and right guard. Cooper and his line mates led a Houston team that is 14th nationally in rushing offence at 240.1 yards per game. Houston’s leader along the line with 892 snaps, Cooper did not allow a single sack last season and conceded just eight quarterback pressures.

BUDDY HIELD AND PELICANS TIP OFF THEIR SEASON AT HOME OCTOBER 26 By RENALDO DORSETT Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net THE NBA released its schedule for the 2016-17 season and Bahamians everywhere get an early start on planning their opportunity to see Buddy Hield play live during his rookie season. Hield and the New Orleans Pelicans will tip off their season at home in the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, on October 26. The Pelicans will play 14 nationally televised games, including ESPN’s broadcast of their matchup against the Golden State Warriors on October 28. Other nationally televised games on ESPN include hosting the Minnesota Timberwolves on

November 23 and the San Antonio Spurs on March 3. On the road, The Pelicans will appear on TNT March 27 against the Utah Jazz and again on ESPN in the regular-season finale at the Portland Trailblazers on April 21. NBATV is scheduled to broadcast a total of nine Pelicans games throughout the season, featuring October 29 at San Antonio, November 8 at Sacramento, November 22 at Atlanta, December 10 at the L.A. Clippers, December 28 versus the L.A. Clippers, January 16 at Indiana, January 29 versus Washington, February 12 at Sacramento, and February 26 at Oklahoma City. “This is always an exciting time of year as we build anticipation for the upcoming 2016-17 season,” Peli-

BUDDY HIELD and the New Orleans Pelicans are slated to tip off their season at home in the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, on October 26. cans owner Tom Benson said in a statement released by the team. “Mickey Loomis, Dell Demps and Alvin Gentry

have worked diligently this offseason to put a product on the court that Pelicans fans will be extremely proud of. We’re excited to

add a group of high character, talented and hard-working players to our team. We couldn’t be happier with the way this offseason has gone and are extremely excited about the future of our organisation.” Hield will play his first game closest to home when the Pelicans travel to American Airlines Arena to face the Miami Heat on March 15. Another game close to home will be the November 16 matchup against the Orlando Magic at the Amway Center. Another key matchup for the Bahamian fanbase will be on November 12 when the Pelicans host the Los Angeles Lakers. The Pelicans will host the defending NBA champions Cleveland Cavaliers on January 23. Hield, the former Okla-

homa Sooners star guard, will return to his most popular fanbase in the US when the Pelicans travel to Oklahoma City to face the Thunder on December 4. The Pelicans will play Southwest Division rivals (Dallas, Houston, Memphis and San Antonio) four times each (twice at home/ twice on the road). The same holds true for Pacific and Northwest Division foes, with the exception of the Los Angeles Lakers (one home game on November 29), the Minnesota Timberwolves (one road game on February 10), the Los Angeles Clippers (one road game on December 10) and the Utah Jazz (one home game February 8). New Orleans will also play each team in the Eastern Conference once at home and once on the road.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, August 16, 2016, PAGE 7

ARAWAK STARS WIN GUINNESS BASKETBALL STREET CHAMPIONSHIP

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS: CBL Bahamas and the Guinness Team would like to congratulate the Arawak Stars of Grand Bahama (above) for winning the Guinness Basketball Street Championship 2016-2017. As a part of their title, the Arawak Stars will travel to Miami Florida, where they will enjoy a professional NBA game and meet the Miami Heat team while enjoying a full press experience on court. Guinness Bahamas thanks all teams in New Providence and Grand Bahama for their participation and encourages you to drink responsibly. Must be 18 and over to enjoy. Included in the photo are team members, Keiani Worrell, brand manager, Jadrian Turnquest and marketing director of CBL, Katarzyna Blaszczuk.

THe WeaTHer repOrT

5-Day Forecast

TOday

OrlandO

High: 90° F/32° C low: 75° F/24° C

Tampa

TOnIGHT

Wednesday

THursday

FrIday

saTurday

Some sun with a shower in spots

Partly cloudy with a shower

Some sun with a t‑storm in the area

Partly sunny

Sunshine and patchy clouds

Mostly sunny

High: 92°

Low: 78°

High: 92° Low: 79°

High: 92° Low: 78°

AccuWeather RealFeel

106° F

90° F

107°-91° F

110°-93° F

113°-92° F

114°-94° F

High: 90° F/32° C low: 76° F/24° C

almanac

aBaCO

High: 89° F/32° C low: 82° F/28° C

8‑16 knots

High: 91° F/33° C low: 79° F/26° C

8‑16 knots

FT. lauderdale

FreepOrT

High: 90° F/32° C low: 78° F/26° C

W S

WesT palm BeaCH

The higher the AccuWeather UV IndexTM number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.

The exclusive AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature® is an index that combines the effects of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine intensity, cloudiness, precipitation, pressure and elevation on the human body—everything that affects how warm or cold a person feels. Temperatures reflect the high and the low for the day.

High: 90° F/32° C low: 77° F/25° C

mIamI

High: 91° F/33° C low: 78° F/26° C

7‑14 knots

Key WesT

High: 90° F/32° C low: 80° F/27° C

Statistics are for Nassau through 2 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 88° F/31° C Low .................................................... 78° F/26° C Normal high ....................................... 89° F/32° C Normal low ........................................ 76° F/24° C Last year’s high ................................. 91° F/33° C Last year’s low ................................... 78° F/26° C Precipitation As of 2 p.m. yesterday .................................. trace Year to date ............................................... 26.52” Normal year to date ................................... 22.30”

eleuTHera

nassau

High: 92° F/33° C low: 78° F/26° C

High: 88° F/31° C low: 81° F/27° C

High: 87° F/31° C low: 79° F/26° C

7‑14 knots

8‑16 knots

andrOs

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

High Today

Ht.(ft.)

Low

Ht.(ft.)

6:54 a.m. 7:23 p.m.

2.8 3.4

12:59 a.m. 0.5 12:57 p.m. 0.2

Wednesday 7:41 a.m. 8:07 p.m.

3.0 3.6

1:42 a.m. 1:44 p.m.

0.3 0.1

Thursday

8:26 a.m. 8:51 p.m.

3.2 3.7

2:25 a.m. 2:31 p.m.

0.2 0.0

Friday

9:12 a.m. 9:35 p.m.

3.3 3.7

3:08 a.m. 3:19 p.m.

0.1 0.0

Saturday

10:00 a.m. 10:21 p.m.

3.5 3.6

3:51 a.m. 4:08 p.m.

0.0 0.0

Sunday

10:49 a.m. 11:09 p.m.

3.5 3.5

4:36 a.m. 4:59 p.m.

0.0 0.1

Monday

11:40 a.m. ‑‑‑‑‑

3.5 ‑‑‑‑‑

5:23 a.m. 5:53 p.m.

0.0 0.2

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

6:44 a.m. 7:43 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

6:27 p.m. 4:54 a.m.

Full

last

new

First

aug. 18

aug. 24

sep. 1

sep. 9

san salVadOr

GreaT eXuma

High: 87° F/31° C low: 79° F/26° C

High: 86° F/30° C low: 79° F/26° C

High: 90° F/32° C low: 82° F/28° C

W S

lOnG Island

insurance management tracking map

High: 87° F/31° C low: 79° F/26° C

tiDes For nassau

CaT Island

uV inDex toDay

8‑16 knots

mayaGuana High: 86° F/30° C low: 80° F/27° C

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

CrOOKed Island / aCKlIns raGGed Island High: 86° F/30° C low: 80° F/27° C

High: 86° F/30° C low: 79° F/26° C

GreaT InaGua High: 89° F/32° C low: 80° F/27° C

8‑16 knots

marine Forecast aBaCO andrOs CaT Island CrOOKed Island eleuTHera FreepOrT GreaT eXuma GreaT InaGua lOnG Island mayaGuana nassau raGGed Island san salVadOr

Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday:

WINDS E at 8‑16 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots SE at 7‑14 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots NE at 8‑16 Knots ENE at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 6‑12 Knots E at 4‑8 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots

WAVES 3‑5 Feet 3‑5 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑2 Feet 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 3‑5 Feet 3‑5 Feet 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 3‑5 Feet 3‑5 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 3‑5 Feet 3‑5 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑2 Feet 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet

VISIBILITY 10 Miles 6 Miles 10 Miles 6 Miles 6 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 6 Miles 10 Miles 6 Miles 10 Miles 7 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 7 Miles 10 Miles 6 Miles 6 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 6 Miles 10 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 84° F 84° F 86° F 86° F 85° F 85° F 84° F 84° F 84° F 84° F 87° F 87° F 86° F 85° F 85° F 85° F 85° F 85° F 85° F 85° F 85° F 84° F 84° F 84° F 85° F 85° F

PAGE 8, Tuesday, August 16, 2016

THE TRIBUNE

A GOLDEN MOMENT AT THE 2016 OLYMPIC GAMES IN RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL

BAHAMAS’ Shaunae Miller celebrates winning the 400m final last night at the Olympic stadium.

BAHAMAS’ Shaunae Miller stumbles over the finish line to win gold in the 400-metre final.

SHAUNAE WINS THE GOLD IN 400M FROM PAGE 1

the semi-final the day before. The night belonged to Shaunae Miller, even if she had to add a little of another sport. She will recover from the cuts and bruises as Olympic champion. The only thing that Miller didn’t do was break Williams’ Bahamian national record of 49.07 that she established on September 12, 2004 in Berlin, Germany and she admitted that she will take on that feat next year as she pursues her first medal at the IAAF World Championships in Tokyo, Japan.

THIS image provided by OMEGA last night shows the photo finish of the women’s 400-metre final when Bahamas’ Shaunae Miller, bottom right, falls over the finish line to win gold ahead of United States’ silver medal winner Allyson Felix, top right, and ALLYSON FELIX, top left, of the US, and Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson, top right, congratulate Shaunae Miller after the race. (AP) Jamaica’s bronze medal winner Shericka Jackson, left, at the Olympic stadium. (OMEGA Timing via AP)