08182016 sports by tribune242

SPORTS SECTION E

THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2016

Pedrya falls short in 100 hurdles final Seymour lowers her national record, ends up sixth best in world

form, if she had won, to talk about gun violence,” Seymour said. “I told her by brother (Keron Dean), had also died (from violence) and I would have been super happy if she had gotten a medal.” She didn’t win a medal but Seymour came behind Cindy Roleder

DEE DEE TROTTER DEFENDS SHAUNAE’S DIP AT LINE By ANTHONY FOSTER Track Alert Special To The Tribune

from Germany, who got fifth in 12.74 and beat out Great Britain’s Tiffany Porter, who faded to seventh in 12.76. Canadian Phylicia George brought up the rear in 12.89. Seymour, 21, was the second Bahamian in a final on the track at these games, following the gold medal performance by Shaunae Miller in the women’s 400m. Donald Thomas and Trevor Barry got seventh and 11th respectively in the men’s high jump final as the Bahamas completed the individual performances with four finalists. All that’s left for Team Bahamas is the men and women 4 x 400 metre relays that will be contested on Friday and Saturday with the

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PEDRYA SEYMOUR (left), of the Bahamas, competes yesterday in the 100-metre hurdles final at the Olympic stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (AP Photo/David J Phillip) Rollins and Nia Ali - in lanes six and four - had already gone. “I can’t remember the start of the race, but I remember the last part of the race,” she reflected. “The hurdles started to get close and I tried to run hard and I ended up clipping the last hurdle. But it’s all good.” Rollins, the top qualifier, stopped the clock in 12.48 for the gold, followed by Ali in 12.59 for the silver and Kristi Castlin took the bronze in 12.61, just ahead of Great Britain’s Cindy Ofili, who had a season’s best of 12.63 for fourth. “I’m really happy for them (Americans), especially Kristi. We had a conversation in the warm up area and she was telling me that her father had died and she wanted to use this plat-

Rio Olympics, Page 5

SINCE Shaunae Miller’s incredible victory in the Rio 2016 Olympics women’s 400m, several negatives have flooded social media. Miller, who literally came to a standstill with less than 10 metres to the finish line, stretched and fell across the line in 49.44, a personal best to take a legitimate gold, according to finish rules. But several fans of the sport have since taken to social media to criticise the athlete’s victory, describing the “dive” as unfair. Dee Dee Trotter, the American 400m bronze medallist from the London 2012 Olympics, has blasted Miller’s critics. “I am so disappointed with the negativity that surrounds the women’s 400m results, and Shaunae Miller’s awesome win to the finish line,” said Trotter, who helped USA to 4x400m gold medals in London 2012 and Athens 2004. “Let me tell you something, I’m Team USA baby, I am Allyson Felix, Natasha Hastings, Phyllis Francis all day,” the two-time World Championships (2003 and 2007) 4x400m relay gold medallist said in her support for the ladies who represented Team USA in the 400m. The 33-year-old, in her video post, explained what happened to Miller at the finish line. Trotter said that there is a lot of pain associated with the 400m. “The last 10 metres, Shaunae Miller has no legs, if you go back and watch this race, slow, more than last 10 metres, you will see she starts to collapse and buckle. She has literally ran all the gas out of her body, she gave it everything she has,

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net RIO de Janeiro, Brazil — Pedrya Seymour has to be more than satisfied with her 2016 Olympic Games debut. Sixth place in the world in the women’s 100 metres hurdles. Not bad for starters. Less than two hours after she lowered her national record to 12.64 seconds in the semi-final, Seymour came back in the final last night and ran 12.76 to finish sixth in a race that had an unprecedented American sweep of the three medals. “It was a good run, definitely not my best because I ran my best in the semi-final,” said Seymour, who was coming off a sensational season that included appearances at the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships for the University of Illinois and a trip to the IAAF World Indoor Championships for the Bahamas. “I give all praise and thanks to God because without him, none of this would have been possible. I’m really happy because this is my first time running the event and I made it to the Olympic final, so this is a huge deal.” Sandwiched in the middle of the field in lane five, Seymour once again didn’t get a good start and, by the time she tried to make up some ground, Americans Brianna

BOLT IN 200 FINAL

Maybelene Miller: ‘We prayed so hard for this’ By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net RIO de Janeiro, Brazil — Long before they arrived here for the 2016 Olympic Games, Maybelene Miller said they got a divine intervention that her daughter Shaunae Miller would become the women’s 400 metre champion. So said, so done. “We prayed so hard for this, fasted and prayed for it and she has a personal prophetess that is assigned to her, and she (prophetess) fasted and prayed for this and she told her (Shaunae) before she came here,” Miller said. “She said the Lord spoke to me and told me that you will win this race, this 400m, so she went into the race really comfortable that she was going to be victorious.” Monday night, Miller said she was in the stands in the Olympic Stadium watching her daughter complete the prophecy when she stum-

bled across the finish line to hold off a late surge by American Allyson Felix in a personal best time of 49.44 seconds. Felix, who had ran away from Miller last year to win the title at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing, China, had to settle for second in a season’s best of 49.51. Jamaican Shericka Jackson, third place finisher at the Worlds, once again got the bronze in 49.85. It was a complete turn around for the 22-year-old Miller, who four years ago in London, England, was unable to finish her preliminary heat of the 400m in her Olympic debut when she suffered a slight hamstring pull coming off the first curve and had to stop. Monday, she exhumed that ghost by becoming only the second Bahamian to win a 400m gold, following national record holder Tonique Williams-Darling, who achieved the historic feat in 2004 in Athens, Greece.

OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALLIST Shaunae Miller and her mother, Maybelene, share a special moment at the Rio Olympics. Her mother, who was accompanied here by her husband, Shaun, an assistant coach on Team Bahamas, said she clearly remembered going to London and how disappointing it was to watch as Shaunae stopped and walked off the track. “It’s my second time

watching her at the Olympics, the first time she had to stop because of an injury, but this time it feels really good,” she said. “After the race was over, I was like, ‘oh gee,’ I don’t know what was the outcome. I had to wait and watch the screen, and

when the screen flashed up with her name. “I guess she properly heard when I made the loud scream, and maybe that was when she realise I did win this race.” Shaunae Miller, in her post race interview with the local media in the mixed zone at the stadium, said she heard her mother screaming ‘get up, get up,’ as they advised her to start the celebration. “At that time I was trying to tell her get up, get up, go get the flag, come get this flag because you did win this race,” her mother said. “Get the flag. She looked over, I was like, get up, you won, you won.” From the start of the race, May, as she’s affectionately called, said she was a little jittery at the start of the gun. “Well, I was a little nervous, actually I did not watch it,” she stressed. “I kept my face turned until I heard the gun shoot off and they started to run and then I turned back to the race and

watched it from then. I just wanted to see the race in action as opposed to watch ing them in the blocks and all of that. It had me a little nervous.” It’s not an abnormal thing for Miller to either be in the stands as a spectator or on the team in some type of management capacity. In fact, since she’s been competing as a junior athlete, her role as an official and now an executive of the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations has afforded her the opportunity to attend every single international meet her daughter competes in. “The very, very first time she competed on an international scene in 2011, I was there and at World Youth Championships,” she recalled. “I literally was hot cold, nervous, sweating, you name it. But I am starting to get a little used to it now. I was not that nervous last night, but was a little more

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Thursday, August 18, 2016, PAGE 3

AT THE 2016 OLYMPIC GAMES IN RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL

‘Golden Girl’ Pauline: It was an honour to present gold medal By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net RIO de Janeiro, Brazil — From one Olympic champion to another, IAAF Councilwoman Pauline Davis-Thompson said it was an honour to present the medal to Bahamian women’s 400 metre champion Shaunae Miller during the presentation in the Olympic stadium on Tuesday night. The presentation was done following the awesome performance on Monday night when she had a famous dive across the finish line to hold off the late attack from American Allyson Felix, who last year came away with the gold at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing, China where she ran away from Miller. “Shaunae had an amazing performance. She is a very gifted and talented athlete. I was very happy to see that she really wanted it and she went after it from the gun,” Davis-Thompson said. “She is our future and she continues to hold her head, she should have a terrific future ahead of her.” Davis-Thompson said she was delighted to have been able to join Miller, especially after the fact that she (Pauline) didn’t get to celebrate in that manner when she won the silver in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, but was eventu-

GOLDEN GIRLS: ‘Golden Girl’ and IAAF Councilwoman Pauline Davis-Thompson said it was an honour to present the gold medal to Olympic 400 metre champion Shaunae Miller at the Olympic stadium on Tuesday night. ally awarded the gold after the games because of a doping ban on American Marion Jones. “The medal is really for her family to touch and feel because of all the love and support that they have given to her,” said DavisThompson, who was presented with her gold in a

ceremony at Government House. “But to have the national anthem played and the flag raised is for all of the Bahamian people. This was our time to celebrate with her.” Obviously, the celebrations are just starting to build for Miller. For their part, the Min-

istry of Youth, Sports and Culture’s director of sports, Timothy Munnings, said the government’s policy calls for Olympic individual gold medallists to receive $40,000 and hopefully she will receive that. As a part of interest, $30,000 goes for silver and and $20,000 for bronze.

All members of the relay teams will split $80,000 for gold, $60,000 for silver and $40,000 for bronze. As for the celebratory activities on her return home, Munnings said the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture staff is currently putting everything in place and in short order, an official statement will be made. As a former quartermiler, Munnings called Miller’s performance one of the greatest in Bahamian history. “Shaunae did a fantastic job. We knew that Allyson Felix was a definite threat. She’s an experienced runner, so I knew that Shaunae had to take it out,” her said. “When the gun cracked, she was so aggressive. I’ve never seen her that aggressive, I knew it was all over. Allyson made an attempt to come back on her, but Shaunae held on, it was all over.” Now the celebrations begin and the remunerations will start to kick in. And Bahamas Olympic Committee president Wellington Miller said he was delighted to witness the feat. “It feels so good walking around the hotel and everybody congratulating you,” Miller said. “She did a fantastic job and we look forward to bigger and better things from her in the future.”

Maybelene Miller: ‘We prayed so hard for this’ FROM PAGE 1 relaxed actually.” Maybelene said she tries to play a supporting role for her daughter, and that is why “most of the places she competes internationally, I try to go.” She also explained the reason. “Some people may not accept, but she likes when I am around, especially when she is competing. I am here not only as her mom, but as a motivator as well too, so she likes when I am around and so try to be there every international meet she competes at,” she explained. In an interview with Track Alert, the leading Caribbean Track and Field website, Miller described the genesis of how her daughter got her introduction to the sport. “As a child she was very quick through the house, you try to catch her, but she would bang the curve so swift, you couldn’t keep up with her” her mom said. “I told my husband that this girl is too fast, in the house running around these corridors, we need to get her in a open yard. We took her in an open yard and we had her running around in the fields, and we realised, not only is she quick, she is fast, and so we decide, let’s try her in a track meet.

OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALLIST Shaunae Miller and her mother, Maybelene, at the Rio Olympics. “We took her to this track meet on a Saturday, of course she was a late entry into the Star Trackers Track meet, and coach Charlton was able to let us get into the meet, and she was the overall winner of the under-9 age category, the 100m, 200m and long jump, without any training or nothing, only because her fast movements outside running around playing, we put her in. Then from there, the parents thought to themselves “we said, okay, we might have a little something right here. And from there on we kept

TODAY AT THE GAMES all times Bahamian Athletics Men’s Decathlon 110m Hurdles, 8.30am Men’s Shot Put Qualifying, 8.55am Women’s High Jump Qualifying, 9am Men’s Decathlon Discus Throw, 9.25am, 10.40am Women’s 4 x 100m Relay Heats, 10.40am Men’s 4 x 100m Relay Heats, 10.40am Men’s 400m Hurdles Final, 11am Men’s Decathlon Pole Vault, 12.25pm Men’s Decathlon Javelin, 5.35pm, 6.45pm Men’s Shot Put Final, 7.30pm Men’s 1500m Semi-finals, 7.45pm Women’s Javelin Throw Final, 8.10pm Women’s 800m Semi-finals, 8.15pm Men’s Decathlon 1500m, 8.45pm Women’s 400m Hurdles Final, 9.15pm Men’s 200m Final, 9.30pm Badminton Women’s Singles Semi-finals, Women’s Doubles Gold Medal, Men’s Doubles Bronze Medal, 7.30am Basketball Women Semi-final: Spain v Serbia 2pm Semi-final: France v United States, 6pm Beach Volleyball Men’s Bronze and Gold Finals, 9pm Boxing Women’s 51kg, Men’s 56kg, 64kg, 75kg Semi-finals, 81kg Gold Medal, 1pm Canoe-Kayak (Sprint) Men’s C-1 200 Finals, Men’s K-2 200 Finals, Men’s K-2 1000 Finals, Women’s K-1 500 Finals, 8am Cycling (BMX) Men’s Quarter-finals, 12.30pm Diving Women’s 10m Platform Semi-finals, 9am. Women’s 10m Platform Finals, 3pm

running her in those events.” At the time of her embryotic stage, her father coached her before he put her in the Striders Track Club, which was headed by Stephen Murray. “We decided we were going to try putting her in a track club with a bunch of kids, and she started out with Striders track club with coach Stephen Murphy and from there she went to Club Monica under Dianne Woodside, Johnson now, and then from there, she came back to her dad and trains with him (Shaun) until she went off to college.” Even back then, as a seven-yearold running around, Miller said she knew she had a star in the making. “Yes from that time, we knew we had a star in the making, she has been running from seven years old and she made national teams from under-9 up to this present day,” she reflected. In her earlier days, Shaunae was a multi-event athlete, winning gold and silver medals at separate CAC Age Group Championships and now before she quits, Miller said her daughter has said she would like to try the long jump. “I think that one of the things she jokingly tells her coach, she said ‘coach if I win the Olympics

Handball Women Semifinal, 2:30 p.m. Semifinal, 7:30 p.m. Hockey Men Bronze Medal: Netherlands v Germany, 11am Gold Medal: Belgium v Argentina, 4pm Golf Women’s Second Round, 6.30am Modern Pentathlon Women’s Fencing Classification, 9am Men’s Fencing Classification, 1.30pm Sailing Men’s 49er (medal race), Women’s 49er FX (medal race), noon Synchronised Swimming Team Technical Routine, noon Taekwondo Men’s 68kg, Women’s 57kg Prelims, 8am Men’s 68kg, Women’s 57kg Quarter-finals and Semi-finals, 2pm Men’s 68kg, Women’s 57kg Recaps, Final, 7pm Handball Women Semi-final: Netherlands v France, 2.30pm Semi-final: Norway v Russia, 7.30pm Triathlon Men’s Final, 10am Volleyball Women Semi-finals, 11am, 8.15pm Water Polo Men 5-8 classification, 10am, 2.10pm Semi-final: Montenegro v Croatia, 11.20am Semi-final: Italy v Serbia, 3.30pm Wrestling (Freestyle) Women’s 53kg, 63kg, 75kg Group Stage, 9am Women’s 53kg, 63kg, 75kg Medal Stage, 3pm

400m, can I do a long jump,” her mother said. “I guess he probably said ‘yes, sure you can do the long jump’ and she says ‘mommy, I am holding my coach to that’ and she won the Olympics, so I guess she is looking for a meet now to go and do the long jump.” When she’s not competing, May said her daughter has followed her pattern. “Quiet, she is a person who stays with herself more. I know she probably got that pattern after me,” she pointed out. “I just like to be by myself and I see that in her too. She just stays to herself and sometimes she is home and you don’t even know she is home.” Miller said those long nights they spent in prayers manifested itself on Monday night. “I continue to praise and thank God all night because only through the grace of God she was able to win that last (Monday) night and the fact that the prophetess told her she was going to win, and we believed,” she stressed. “Once we believe the prophetess, we believe the word and once we did that, and you believe, so shall it be established and it was established last (Monday) night.”

DEE DEE TROTTER DEFENDS SHAUNAE’S DIP AT LINE FROM PAGE 1

and she leaned across the finish line, which resulted in a fall, because she has nothing in her legs left,” Trotter said. American champion Allyson Felix, who closed considerably in the last 50 metres, took silver in a season best 49.51 while Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson, who Trotter also praised, pocketed the bronze in 49.85. “I am here to tell you that’s what happened, I was in the stadium, I ran the 400m for 13 years, (so) I am trying to tell you she won this race legitimately, there is no rules against it, we teach leaning, leaning is a taught thing,” she added. She said the aim is to lean to “get across the finish line first, no hate, no shame, the girl won it.” “Team USA came away with the silver, that may not be how some of you want to feel, but the fact of the matter, Shaunae got the gold, show her some love and to stop hating on the girl,” she said.

Pedrya 6th best hurdler in world FROM PAGE 1 heats and finals. Seymour, one of three Bahamian qualifiers for the event but the only one to compete, said this will definitely serve as an inspiration for her going into next season. “It’s great competing at that level. It felt great competing on the track,” she stated. “I definitely need to work on a lot of stuff. I don’t have my hurdles form, so we will see what next year holds.” After what she achieved this year, including coming back from the spill in the final of the NCAA Championships, Seymour said the sky is certainly the limit.

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THE TRIBUNE

AT THE 2016 OLYMPIC GAMES IN RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL

US routs Argentina 105-78, moves into men’s basketball semi-finals By BRIAN MAHONEY AP Basketball Writer RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The nail-biters ended for the US Olympic men’s basketball team. So did a golden era of international basketball. Emphatically ending a stretch of three straight close games, the Americans advanced to the semi-finals by sprinting past Manu Ginobili and Argentina, 105-78 last night. In front of a chanting, flag-waving crowd of Argentines who came to throw a raucous farewell party for their Golden Generation, the Americans delivered their most complete performance in Rio. “What a remarkable run by Argentina and so we knew we had to match that energy tonight. I thought we did,” US coach Mike Krzyzewski said. Turning a slow start into an early ending with a 27-2 run in the first half, the Americans put away one old rival and set up a meeting with another. They will play Spain on Friday in a rematch of the last two goldmedal games. Kevin Durant scored 27 points for the Americans, who had played three straight close games for the first time under Krzyzewski, setting off a round of questions at home and in Rio de Janeiro about what was wrong with them. The answer might be nothing. At least there wasn’t against Argentina. “We wanted to come out and our whole thing was dominating,” forward Carmelo Anthony said. The Americans eliminated Argentina for the third straight Olympics, this time ending not only a tournament run for the Argentines but also a couple careers. Ginobili, 39, and longtime 36-year-old teammate Andres Nocioni retired from international competition after the game, 12 years after winning gold in Athens. “We had a chance to grow up together and do some good things, win some games together. It was fun. It’s a lot of years,” said Luis Scola, who is also 36 but plans to keep playing.

ARGENTINA’s Manu Ginobili (5) walks off the court with a game ball after the team’s loss to the US. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

DEMARCUS COUSINS, of the US, (12) celebrates after making a basket during a quarter-final round basketball game against Argentina yesterday. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall) “We formed part of something unique we did for our country and it’s going to be there. Sometimes we’re not going to win, like today, sometimes we won but we fought together for many years.” The Americans have won 23 straight in the Olympics since Argentina beat them in the 2004 semi-finals, and this was how they usually do it: too much firepower, too much defence, and way too much talent. It took a little while to get going, as Argentina opened

a 10-point lead. The Argentines made nine of their first 10 shots inside the arc and led 19-9 when Nocioni drilled a 3-pointer. But the Americans finished the first period with a 16-2 run, getting the final six points from DeMarcus Cousins, to take a 25-21 edge to the second. Three-point plays by Cousins and Jimmy Butler around Durant’s 3-pointer in an 11-0 start to the second made it 36-21 before Facundo Campazzo stopped the onslaught with a three-point play.

Cousins, the normal starting centre playing as a reserve, finished with 15 points. Spain beat France 92-67 earlier yesterday, its fourth straight victory after two losses to open the Olympics. The US edged Spain 118107 in the 2008 final and 107-100 four years ago in London. The loudest crowd yet for a US game, featuring boxer Floyd Mayweather and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, was treated to an

explosive performance by the Americans, with devastating crossovers by Durant and Kyrie Irving that left defenders helpless and brought teammates to their feet on the bench. They opened a 25-point lead in the first half and were in control from that point, the first time since their second game in Rio they had it easy. “We fed off wanting to play better than the last three games,” Durant said. Ginobili, Scola, Nocioni and Carlos Delfino, the remaining Golden Generation players, checked in together for a last run with about 4 ½ minutes left. Argentina fans danced, cheered and completely ignored the crooked numbers on the scoreboard while saying one long goodbye. Ginobili was replaced a few minutes later, hugging teammates, coaches and after the game Krzyze-

wski, before returning to the court after the teams had headed to their locker rooms to be presented a game ball by an Olympic official. Even Argentina’s proud veterans didn’t consider themselves medal contenders, especially after the Americans blew them out 111-74 in an exhibition game last month in Las Vegas and came to Rio as the overwhelming favourite. But once play began, the US rarely played up to those expectations, with one narrow victory after another as the competition toughened. The Americans held off Australia by 10, then pulled out three-point victories over Serbia and France. They were finally in top form Wednesday. Now they have to stay there two more games. “We’ve got to build on it,” Durant said, “but we’re not satisfied at all.”

Neymar scores early, leads Brazil to soccer final By TALES AZZONI AP Sports Writer RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — With the fastest goal in Olympic history, Neymar led Brazil back to the gold-medal match. The Barcelona striker scored 15 seconds into the game and converted a penalty kick in secondhalf injury time yesterday to lead Brazil over Honduras 6-0 in the semi-finals of the men’s tournament. Gabriel Jesus added two goals in the first half at the packed Maracana Stadium and Marquinhos and Luan scored a goal each in the second. Brazil has never won the Olympic title, and lost in the final at the 2012 London Games. “We won and we won well, but if in the final we don’t play well again, all of this will be for nothing,” Brazil midfielder Renato Augusto said. “We don’t want to disappoint the fans. They want us to play well and they want us to win the gold.” The host country will play Germany in Saturday’s final. The Germans beat Nigeria 2-0 in Sao Paulo. Brazilian fans had been hoping for a sort of rematch against Germany, whose senior team embarrassed Brazil 7-1 in the semi-finals of the World Cup two years ago. “Hey Germany, just wait, your turn is coming up,” the fans chanted at the Maracana. Only the gold will be enough for a talented Brazilian team playing at home and considered the main title-favourite in a tournament played mostly with under-23 squads and very few stars. The Olympic gold medal is the only major trophy the five-time World Cup champions haven’t won in soccer.

BRAZIL’s Neymar celebrates after his side’s first goal during a semi-final match of the Olympic football tournament against Honduras at the Maracana stadium yesterday. Neymar scored just 15 seconds into the game as Brazil took an early lead over Honduras. It was the fastest goal ever scored in the men’s Olympic tournament. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo) With Neymar thriving, Brazil was in command from the start in front of the more than 70,000 fans at the Maracana. It didn’t take long for the Barcelona player to put the hosts ahead. Honduras defender Johnny Palacios had the ball under control at the top of the penalty area but gave it away as Neymar closed in quickly, and the striker took advantage to get on the board. His shot was initially blocked by Honduras goalkeeper Luis Lopez but the ball bounced off Neymar’s leg and went into the net. Neymar, one of the biggest stars

at the Rio de Janeiro Games, collided with Lopez on the goal and lay on the field grimacing for several moments before trying to stand. Struggling after several steps, he collapsed again and was stretchered off the field and attended to before being able to return. “Scoring a goal that early was spectacular for us,” Brazil coach Rogerio Micale said. “It helped us break the game open and it made everything easier.” Mexico forward Oribe Peralta previously held the record for fastest goal at the Olympics after scoring 29 seconds into the final

in London four years ago, when the Mexicans upset Brazil 2-1 to win the gold. Honduras striker Alberth Elis had tied that mark in a game against Portugal in the group stage at the Rio de Janeiro Games. Janine Beckie took only 20 seconds to score for Canada against Australia in the women’s tournament in Rio. After Neymar’s early goal, Brazil was in control and Gabriel Jesus, one of Brazil’s most promising youngsters, added to Brazil’s lead in the 26th after a pass by Luan, hitting the net as the goalkeeper charged from the goal.

Neymar set up Gabriel Jesus’ second goal with a perfect through ball behind a defender. The 19-year-old forward entered the area and hit the top of the net for his third goal at the Olympic tournament. “I’m happy for the goals but the most important thing is that we made it to the final,” said Gabriel Jesus, who before the Olympics signed with English club Manchester City. “It was important to win like this, playing well and with a lot of goals.” Defender Marquinhos scored the fourth goal off a corner in the 51st, shooting from close range after the defence failed to clear the cross into the area, and Luan added another in the 79th after a perfect cross by Felipe Anderson. Honduras made it to the Olympic semi-finals for the first time by eliminating two-time champion Argentina in the group stage and South Korea in the quarter-finals, but its inexperienced team never had a chance against Brazil. “Any scheme will fall apart when you concede a goal with 15 seconds because of your own mistake,” Honduras coach Jorge Luis Pinto said. After the match, some Honduran players were taking photos with Neymar on the field. Brazil got off to a slow start at the Olympic tournament, being held to scoreless draws against South Africa and Iraq and becoming in danger of another early elimination two years after the humiliating loss to Germany at the World Cup. But Neymar and the rest of the squad picked up the pace just in time, beating Denmark 4-0 in the final group match and eliminating Colombia 2-0 in the quarter-finals. One more win will give them the coveted Olympic gold.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, August 18, 2016, PAGE 5

AT THE 2016 OLYMPIC GAMES IN RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL

Track: A challenge for Bolt, gold for Jamaica, sweep for US By EDDIE PELLS AP National Writer RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — It’s no easy thing to push Usain Bolt, even in an Olympic warm-up race. Might be even tougher upstaging him. But that happened on a wild Wednesday night in track. It began with the Jamaican star smiling, then wagging his finger at a brash up-and-comer in the 200-meter semifinals. It kept going with another Jamaican, Elaine Thompson, completing the first 100200 women’s double since 1988. And it closed with an American sweep of the hurdles to put the cherry on top of a seven-medal day for the United States on the track. Brianna Rollins, Nia Ali and Kristi Castlin finished 1-2-3 in the 100-meter hurdles to give the United States its first sweep in the event and only its seventh in the history of Olympic track. It was a not-all-unexpected result, though this might be an eye-opener: Both 2008 champion Dawn Harper-Nelson and the current world-record holder, Keni Harrison, were back home watching on TV after failing to crack the top three at the Olympic trials. Also parading the stars and stripes were longjumpers Tianna Bartoletta and Brittney Reese, who finished 1-2, steeplechaser

GOLD medal winner United States’ Brianna Rollins, centre, silver medal winner United States’ Nia Ali, right, and bronze medal winner United States’ Kristi Castlin celebrate after the women’s 100-metre hurdles final at the Olympic stadium yesterday. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner) Evan Jager, who won silver earlier in the day, and Tori Bowie, who added a 200-meter bronze to her 100 silver. “Who wouldn’t be thankful for another medal?” Bowie said. “Now, I have two.” So does Thompson. The 24-year-old Jamaican got off to a strong start and held off reigning world

TIANNA BARTOLETTA, of the US, makes an attempt in the women’s long jump final at the Olympic stadium yesterday. She won the gold. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

champion Dafne Schippers, who belly flopped at the finish line, but finished .10 seconds behind. Thompson became the first woman since Marion Jones in 2000 to win both Olympic sprints. Jones’ records have since been stripped, so Thompson goes in the record book in place of Florence GriffithJoyner, who starred in the Seoul Games in 1988. The evening’s most entertaining theatre came, as usual, from Bolt, who will go for his eighth Olympic gold medal Thursday. His main goal during the opening rounds is to conserve energy, which is exactly what he was doing when he looked to his right, saw Canada’s Andre de Grasse a few steps behind and put it on cruise control. Only problem was, de

ELAINE THOMPSON, of Jamaica leaves the stadium after winning the gold medal in the women’s 200-meter final yesterday. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

South Korea claims 1st taekwondo gold By MARIA CHENG Associated Press RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — South Korea claimed the first taekwondo gold medal of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics yesterday, restoring some pride to the country that invented the sport. Seventh-ranked Sohui Kim defeated Tijana Bogdanovic of Serbia in a tight final where both fighters struggled to find their form. Kim won 7-6. “I never expected to be the Olympic champion,” Kim said. “I feel like I’m on cloud nine.” South Korea took only a single gold at the London Olympics and is hoping for a better performance in Rio. At the end of the first day of competition, it already had a gold and a bronze — won by Taehun Kim in the men’s 58-kilogram division. To chants of “Korea” in the stadium, Kim scored first against Bogdanovic in the 49-kilogram final with a roundhouse kick before ce-

menting her lead in the second round with a head shot. She was penalised for avoiding the fight in the last seconds of the match, and a video replay contesting whether she had scored another head kick — that was ultimately unsuccessful — delayed her celebrations. Kim said that because taekwondo is a Korean sport, there is additional pressure to deliver. “I feel proud that I can win (this medal) for Korea,” she said. Bogdanovic dominated most of her fights on Wednesday and knocked out two-time defending Olympic champion Jingyu Wu of China. The Serb said she was disappointed not to win the gold and disputed whether the scoring was accurate. The women’s bronze medals were won by Patimat Abakorova of Azerbaijan and Panipak Wongpattanakit of Thailand. In the men’s 58-kilogram division, eighth-ranked Shuai Zhao of China beat

Grasse didn’t back down. He sped up, caught up and, suddenly, the two were nose to nose, smiling at each other down the stretch. Bolt finished in 19.78 to win by a scant .02 seconds. He wagged his finger at the upand-comer as they crossed the line. “That was really unnecessary,” Bolt said. “I don’t know what he was trying to do. He’s a young kid, he’s great. He has a lot of talent. I’m looking forward to the competition in the final.” One man who won’t be there is Justin Gatlin, who has given Bolt more run for his money than anyone over the past four years. In the evening’s biggest stunner, Gatlin finished third in his heat and did not qualify for the final. A lost medal opportunity for the Americans, for sure.

Tawin Hanprab of Thailand 6-4 to claim gold. The two fought in an acrobatic final marked by Zhao’s almost continuous stream of head kicks — made all the more colorful by the yellow trousers he was wearing in a nod to the Olympic officials’ decision to allow competitors to add a single color to the traditional all-white taekwondo uniform. Hanprab tried desperately to counterattack by using spinning kicks but didn’t quite manage to connect. The 21-year-old Zhao won a bronze medal at the Asian Championships this year. The men’s flyweight category was left wide open after the first round on Wednesday morning, when the division’s top two seeded fighters went out in their first matches of the day; another leading medal contender had to pull out because of injury. The men’s bronze medals were won by Luisito Pie of the Dominican Republic and Taehun Kim of South Korea.

JAMAICA’s Usain Bolt wins a 200-metre semi-final at the Olympic stadium yesterday. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man) But they’re ahead of the game. Their wins Wednesday gave them 19 for the meet, which is already one more than they won through the entire world championships last year in Beijing. Decathlete Ashton Eaton is a candidate to add to that haul. The defending champion finished Day 1 with a solid 121-point lead over Kai Kazmirek of Germany. Another multi-sport athlete is Bartoletta, who won world championships 10 years apart — in 2005 and 2015 — and came to Rio de Janeiro hoping to medal in both the 100 meters and the long jump. The 100 didn’t go well, but the long jump did. Bartoletta jumped 7.17 meters on her fifth of six attempts. Reese, the defending Olympic champion, had one last shot to pass her but came up two centimeters short. “I wasn’t quite firing on all cylinders and had to go (back) after the 100 and re-

focus,” Bartoletta said. Darya Klishina, the lone Russian in the meet due to a doping scandal in the country, finished ninth. She spent as much time in a hearing room as the jumping pit in the lead-in to the Olympics, while she appealed her own last-minute ban. “The last week and a half before the competition was a total disaster and I think I didn’t quite have enough today,” she said. While Russia regroups, the Americans march on. Bartoletta termed America’s strong finish Wednesday night “an awesome hour.” Bolt, who has his eyes on not only the win, but maybe another world record, is hoping his time will come Thursday night. “I definitely think I can try for the world record,” he said. “But now, it’s executing right, running the corner efficiently, and coming in the straight and running the perfect race.”

PAGE 6, Thursday, August 18, 2016

THE TRIBUNE

PRO BYRON FERGUSON TO PLAY VOLLEYBALL IN ISRAEL By RENALDO DORSETT Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net THE top volleyball player in the country, Byron Ferguson will continue his career in a new location this fall. In his fifth season of professional volleyball, Ferguson will join Mate Asher AKKO of the Israeli Premier League in September. Ferguson, 27, said the opportunity in Israel will allow him to play at the highest level of competition of his career thus far. “In Greece last season I played in the Cup, which is right below Champions League but in Mate Asher I will play in the Champions League which is the highest level I’ve ever played at so it’s a good development for me,” he said. “They have longer contracts and more incentives as well. In volleyball contracts, normally they would say if you finish in the top four you would get a certain bonus or if you finish in the top two or win a championship there

are more bonuses. There are many different cups throughout the circuit so if we win four or five bonuses. This club has actually won the Premier League in Israel for the past five years so I have even more opportunities to not only earn but to win and further my career.” Mate Asher completed their latest run at the league championship when they defeated Kfar Saba in straight sets. Ferguson spent the last season in Greece with Foinikas Syrou. Foinikas Syrou advanced to the final, playing against Paok, a team consisting of US national team player David Lee and at least two Cuban national team players. Paok went on to win the best-of-seven series 4-1 to clinch the title. After the hectic season, Ferguson said other than his usual national team preparation his offseason has been uneventful. “The summer has been pretty quiet for me. I haven’t had any real national team stuff to deal with so I’ve re-

ally just been relaxing. “We have national team practices going on because there is a tournament in October, so I have been practicing with them,” he said. “I’m not sure if I’ll be playing in that but I have been practicing and if I’m able to go with them and play, I will. Over the course of my career I’ve seen that if a national team calls, the governing body of volleyball mandates that if a federation calls you have to go, especially if your federation or your government pays you. So we will see how it goes.” Ferguson began his pro volleyball career after the Bahamas won the Caribbean Volleyball Championships (CVC) in 2012. The offers first came along following the team’s historic performance at the 2011 Pan Am Cup in Canada, where he was named “best blocker.” He has also played professionally in Denmark, with Pielaveden Sampo of the Finland Volleyball League, and with Jakarta

BYRON FERGUSON will join Mate Asher AKKO in the Israeli Premier League in September.

THe WeaTHer repOrT

5-Day Forecast

TOday

OrlandO

High: 89° F/32° C low: 74° F/23° C

Tampa

FrIday

saTurday

sunday

mOnday

Partial sunshine

Clear to partly cloudy

Partial sunshine

Sunny to partly cloudy

Mostly sunny with a shower in spots

Sunshine

High: 92°

Low: 78°

High: 91° Low: 78°

High: 92° Low: 79°

High: 92° Low: 78°

AccuWeather RealFeel

109° F

92° F

112°-92° F

114°-94° F

114°-93° F

almanac

aBaCO

High: 87° F/31° C low: 80° F/27° C

6-12 knots

High: 92° F/33° C low: 78° F/26° C

6-12 knots

FT. lauderdale

FreepOrT

High: 89° F/32° C low: 77° F/25° C

E 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.

uV inDex toDay

TOnIGHT

High: 90° F/32° C low: 75° F/24° C

High: 89° F/32° C low: 77° F/25° C

mIamI

High: 90° F/32° C low: 77° F/25° C

6-12 knots

Key WesT

High: 89° F/32° C low: 80° F/27° C

Statistics are for Nassau through 2 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 91° F/33° C Low .................................................... 79° F/26° C Normal high ....................................... 89° F/32° C Normal low ........................................ 76° F/24° C Last year’s high ................................. 93° F/34° C Last year’s low ................................... 76° F/24° C Precipitation As of 2 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.12” Year to date ............................................... 26.64” Normal year to date ................................... 22.71”

eleuTHera

nassau

High: 92° F/33° C low: 78° F/26° C

High: 86° F/30° C low: 81° F/27° C

High: 86° F/30° C low: 79° F/26° C

6-12 knots

7-14 knots

andrOs

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

High

Ht.(ft.)

Low

Ht.(ft.)

Today

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

Tuesday

12:00 a.m. 12:36 p.m.

3.3 3.5

6:13 a.m. 6:52 p.m.

0.0 0.3

Wednesday 12:55 a.m. 1:36 p.m.

3.1 3.5

7:08 a.m. 7:55 p.m.

0.1 0.4

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

6:45 a.m. 7:42 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

8:00 p.m. 6:52 a.m.

Full

last

new

First

aug. 18

aug. 24

sep. 1

sep. 9

san salVadOr

GreaT eXuma

High: 87° F/31° C low: 80° F/27° C

High: 86° F/30° C low: 80° F/27° C

High: 88° F/31° C low: 81° F/27° C

W S

lOnG Island

insurance management tracking map

High: 87° F/31° C low: 79° F/26° C

tiDes For nassau

CaT Island

Pertamina Energi of the Indonesian Pro League. “Professional volleyball is similar to the world of professional soccer where we play regular league games and then move on to champions league, European cups and cups, different cups within your own country (Greek Cup) so there are usually long seasons,” he said. In previous interviews with the Tribune, he noted the lack of national recognition for his career thus far. “My whole goal in going pro was that I always wanted my picture on that wall of fame as you walk through the airport. There’s no reason I shouldn’t be there right now,” he said. “Everyone on that wall was the first to do something. I’m the first Bahamian volleyball player.” This offseason saw Ferguson achieve long-awaited recognition when he was one of 38 sporting icons to be honoured on the “Walk of Fame” just outside the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.

6-12 knots

mayaGuana High: 85° F/29° C low: 79° F/26° C

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

CrOOKed Island / aCKlIns raGGed Island High: 87° F/31° C low: 81° F/27° C

High: 86° F/30° C low: 80° F/27° C

GreaT InaGua High: 89° F/32° C low: 81° 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: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday:

WINDS SE at 6-12 Knots SSE at 3-6 Knots E at 6-12 Knots E at 4-8 Knots E at 6-12 Knots SE at 4-8 Knots E at 8-16 Knots E at 7-14 Knots E at 6-12 Knots ESE at 4-8 Knots E at 6-12 Knots SE at 4-8 Knots E at 7-14 Knots ESE at 6-12 Knots NE at 8-16 Knots E at 7-14 Knots E at 7-14 Knots ESE at 6-12 Knots E at 7-14 Knots ESE at 6-12 Knots E at 4-8 Knots E at 3-6 Knots E at 8-16 Knots E at 6-12 Knots E at 6-12 Knots ESE at 6-12 Knots

WAVES 2-4 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-2 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-3 Feet 3-5 Feet 2-4 Feet 2-4 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-2 Feet 3-5 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 3-5 Feet 3-5 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-2 Feet 2-4 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-2 Feet

VISIBILITY 10 Miles 10 Miles 6 Miles 10 Miles 6 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 87° F 88° F 88° F 88° F 84° F 84° F 85° F 85° F 84° F 83° F 83° F 84° F 85° F 86° F 85° F 85° F 86° F 85° F 85° F 85° F 83° F 83° F 85° F 85° F 85° F 85° F