Custom Search As the 2013 IAAF World Track Championships wind down, two more HBCU products have joined Howard's David Oliver as medal winners.
Oliver won the gold medal in the men's 110m hurdles on Monday.
Jackson State product Michael Tinsley finished second in the men's 400m hurdles Thursday. Jehue Gordon of Trinidad and Tobago stumbled across the finish line to hold off Tinsley and win the gold medal.
Gordon came on strong down the stretch and finished in a world-leading time of 47.69 seconds to edge Tinsley, the 2012 Olympic silver medalist. Emir Bekric of Serbia was third and two-time Olympic champion Felix Sanchez wound up fifth.
After finishing sixth in the individual 400m dash finals, Hampton alum Francena McCorory returned to the track to anchor Team USA's 4X400m relay team, Friday. Running lead-off, Jessica Beard handed off to 400m national champion Natasha Hastings with a 5-meter lead. At the second hand-off, the U.S. and Russia were even as Ashley Spencer took on third-leg duties. Trailing the Russians by a step, Spencer hugged the inside lane as Kseniya Ryzova of Russia drifted out to the second lane coming down the homestretch. With a half-stride lead over the U.S., Russia then cut into the inside to make the exchange, with their anchor-leg runner, Antonina Krivoshapka lined up on the rail and Team USA’s McCorory on her outside shoulder. The cross-traffic jam caused Spencer to come almost to a stop before being able to hand off to McCorory, who pulled even with Krivoshapka off the final turn but couldn’t overtake the Russian, finishing second in 3:20.41 to Russia’s 3:20.18. Great Britain was third in 3:22.61.
Another notable performance came from Jackson State student and World University Games double champion Anaso Jobodwana in the men's 200m final, Saturday. Usain Bolt completed a fourth global championship sprint double in five years to win the event in 19.66.
Jobodwana, running for South Africa, finish sixth overall at 20.14. Jobodwana and 2012 World junior champion Adam Gemili had shared fastest time of the heats but Bolt prevailed even though this was the slowest of his title-winning times.