Bahrain's elite athletes made a big splash yesterday at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Brazil.
Competing in day two of the track and field events, Bahrainis Oluwakemi Adekoya, Salwa Eid Naser, Ruth Jebet, Kemarley Brown and Andrew Fisher all had reasons to celebrate.
Oluwakemi shone brightest among Bahrain stars as she set a new national record in the women’s 400m en route to qualifying for the semi-finals.
Oluwakemi ran in the third of eight opening round heats. The world indoor champion started off strongly and was in the lead on the final bend. She lost the advantage, however, to American Phyllis Francis over the final few metres but was still able to register a new Bahrain record of 50.72 seconds. Francis won in 50.58s.
Fellow-Bahraini Salwa joined Oluwakemi in qualifying for the 400m semi-finals winning in style heat number six. The former world junior champion set a new personal best of 51.06s in the process.
Oluwakemi and Salwa were the second and third fastest respectively while Francis had the best overall time.
The 400m semi-finals are slated for early tomorrow morning, Bahrain time. Oluwakemi will be running in the first of three races on lane three at 2.35am tomorrow (Bahrain time) while Salwa will be in the second on lane three at 2.42am.
In the women’s 3,000m steeplechase, Jebet ran away with a brilliant victory in the first of three heats.
After pacing herself in the middle of the pack in the early stages, Ruth picked up pace and built leads of up to 40m on way to a deserving victory.
The ex-world junior champion and this year’s world leader won in a brilliant time of 9:12.62. She heads into the medal round as one of the favourites.
Bahrain’s Tigest Getent was also hoping to qualify for the steeplechase final. But she could only manage 12th place among 18 participants in heat two in 9:49.92.
The steeplechase final is scheduled for 5.15pm Bahrain time tomorrow.
Meanwhile, sprinters Brown and Fisher turned some heads in the men’s 100m.
Brown won the first of eight heats in a time of 10.13s. He finished with the same time as Chijindu Ujah of Great Britain but had the faster reaction time.
In heat seven, Fisher was beaten only by reigning Olympic and world champion Usain Bolt of Jamaica. Fisher led for much of the race but Bolt charged ahead over the final 10m to win in 10.07s. Fisher had a time of 10.12s in advancing to the semi-finals.
The semi-finals are scheduled for early tomorrow morning, Bahrain time.
Fisher will race in the second semi-final at 3.07am in lane three while Bolt is in lane five
Brown will race in the third semi-final at 3.14am tomorrow in lane four, boxed between Yohan Blake in lane three and Justin Gatlin in lane five.
The first two in each heat and the next two fastest qualify for the final.
In the afternoon session of day one early yesterday morning, Bahrain time, Ali Khamis booked his ticket to the semi-finals of the men’s 400m after winning the seventh and final heat in 45.12s, the third-fastest time in the heats.
Bahrain’s other sprinter in the 400m, Abbas Abubakar competing in heat six but was disqualified for lane violation.
Bahrain’s Tigist Gashaw failed to make it past the first round of the women’s 1,500m, finishing 11th in a time of 4:10.96.
Bahraini sprinters Hajar Alkhaldi and Iman Essa Jassim also failed to advance in the 100m heats.
Hajar was sixth in heat eight in a time of 11.59s. Desiree Henry of Great Britain won the race in 11.08s.
In heat six, Iman was seventh in 11.72s. Michelle-Lee Ahye won in 11s.
&uuid=(email))