London 2017 | Richards, Gordon sparkle in TTO 4×4 gold

August 14, 2017

Trinidad and Tobago 4x4 in London — LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 13: Jarrin Solomon, Jereem Richards, Machel Cedenio and Lalonde Gordon of Trinidad and Tobago celebrate after winning gold in the Men's 4x400 Metres Relay final during day ten of the 16th IAAF World Athletics Championships London 2017 at The London Stadium on August 13, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images for IAAF)

On the final day of the XVI IAAF World Championships in Athletics at the Olympic Park in London, Jereem Richards on the second leg and anchor man, Lalonde Gordon ran their hearts out to bring the men’s 4x400m gold medal to Soca Land, the first time the Trinis were winning the event in their history of global championships.

700043878 AH 5784 1B0282B0BAEE92287B6E89376D0903E1 — Lalonde Gordon of Trinidad and Tobago crosses the finish line ahead of Fred Kerley of the United States in the Men’s 4×400 Metres Relay final during day ten of the 16th IAAF World Athletics Championships London 2017 at The London Stadium on August 13, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images for IAAF)

The team ran 2:58.12, a world leader and national record with USA without the off colour, LaShawn Merritt copping silver in 2:58.41 and Great Britain, bronze, 2:59.00.
Gordon got the baton about 10 metres behind USA Fred Kerley on anchor and easily moved ahead in the last 50 metres to send wild celebration.

Jarrin Solomon, who led things of, said “we made sure that we set up the team correctly. We worked so hard and it means so much to our team. It has a special sweet taste for us this year.

700043878 RH 8918 DB1685EE5EA6428A4B8669E9B2E9B95F — Wilbert London III, Gil Roberts, Michael Cherry and Fred Kerley of the United States, silver, Jarrin Solomon, Jereem Richards, Machel Cedenio and Lalonde Gordon of Trinidad and Tobago, gold, and Matthew Hudson-Smith, Dwayne Cowan, Rabah Yousif and Martyn Rooney of Great Britain, bronze, pose with their medals for the Men’s 4×400 Metres Relay final during day ten of the 16th IAAF World Athletics Championships London 2017 at The London Stadium on August 13, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

Richards, the men’s 200m bronze medallist, said his job was just to go out and “make sure we have the chance to execute well on the last leg.”

Machel Cedenio, who ran the third leg, said they were prepared for the USA team. “I feel just grateful now. I think it was the best experience of all my career.

With talk of an altercation between two athletes from the MVP Track Club down to run in the women’s final, swirling through the air, Jamaica’s effort, starting with a brilliant opener from Chrisann Gordon, came to grief on the second leg.

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Anneisha McLaughlin-Whilby, who, as reported was thrust into duty to replace one of the two athletes, caught in the earlier spat, and refusing to run, fell to the track at the cut in point with the USA’s Allyson Felix disappearing on her 48 point split. The USA went on to win in a world leading 3:19.02 with Great Britain taking the silver with 3:25.00 and Poland the bronze in 3:25.41.
With Trinidad & Tobago’s golden haul in the final event, the Caribbean ended with five medals with Jamaica getting the most of four, one gold and three bronze.

The curtain was brought down with a soul-stirring tribute to the departing Usain Bolt who was moist in the eyes as he circled the track at walking pace, bidding goodbye to the highly supportive crowd.