Guyana’s track star, Aliann Pompey has qualified for the semifinals of the women’s 400 metres at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, currently ongoing in New Delhi, India.
Yesterday, on the first day of track and field competition at the Games, the former Manhattan College star qualified for the semifinals in the women’s 400 meters with a second place finish in her first round heat. Pompey posted a time of 52.33 seconds, the fourth-fastest time of the day, a release from Manhattan College Athletics said.
Botswana’s Amantle Montsho, the winner of Pompey’s heat, recorded the fastest time of the day, 51.56 seconds. Pompey, the 2002 Commonwealth Games gold medallist, will compete in the semifinals today. The top two finishers and the next two fastest runners in each of the three semifinals qualify for tomorrow’s final. Pompey and Montsho will both be in the first semifinal.
“Aliann turned in a very good opening performance,” Assistant Coach Joe Ryan, who has been Pompey’s personal coach since her graduation from Manhattan was quoted as saying. “She ran a very good opening round time, and I’m looking forward to her semifinal race tomorrow, where she’ll have a good lane draw (lane 5).”
Originally known as the “British Empire Games,” the Commonwealth Games bring together competitors from the Commonwealth of Nations (primarily former British colonies and territories) every four years in the even-numbered year opposite the Olympics.
