By Orin Davidson
Second time around wasn’t so good for Winston George.
Guyana’s premier 400 metres athlete made another appearance at the prestigious Adidas Diamond League athletics meet in New York yesterday, and bombed out for a disappointing eighth place finish, among as much competitors at the Icahn Stadium.
One year ago George broke the national record with a creditable fourth place in the meet’s 400m ‘B’ category, hitting the tape at 45.57 seconds at New York’s biggest track and field competition.
In stepping up to the international version this year George , the Guyana Police Force quarter miler produced his worst performance of the year, managing a sluggish 46.37s as South Africa’s Wayde Van Niekerk blitzed the field for a national record 44.24s for an upset triumph over the likes of Bahamian world rater Chris Brown, second in 44.74s. Trinidad and Tobago’s Renny Quow was fifth and former Olympic champion Jeremy Wariner of the United States finished ahead of George in seventh.
“It was poor, I could not get anything out of my legs at the bottom,” the Guyanese explained, of the performance several notches below his best.
For most of the meet athletes battled a heavy headwind and George’s position was not helped from the disadvantaged lane one position, being the lowest ranked of the competitors. It was the Guyanese’s lone major competition in the run up to the Pan American games where he hopes to double in the 200m and 400m later this summer in Canada.
“I had a much better performance at the New Jersey championships last week,” George added, where he recorded 46.20s
His coach Joe Ryan feels the inside lane was a factor in George’s subpar showing, but feels his charge will be better off training for longer periods in the United States.
Presently, George, like he did last year, has been campaigning in the United States in the run-up to the summer season of international meets, but Ryan suggests he needs him for a full year.
The American, who coached Guyana’s Commonwealth gold medalist Aliann Pompey said George recorded a creditable 20.63s in a recent 200m event, and could get better in both sprints with a 12-month stint in the U.S. They also have their eyes on the World Championships, scheduled for China in August which requires a 45.5 standard for the 400 which Ryan feels is attainable for his charge. “We will take it meet by meet, tomorrow (today) we have another meet here (Icahn Stadium) and will see how things go”.
A capacity crowd showed up for Jamaican sprint sensation Usain Bolt’s first appearance in New York, seven years after he broke his first 100m world record in 2008. And the double world record holder and six -time Olympic champion almost disappointed, having to battle hard to edge unknown Anguillan Zharnel Hughes in the 200m, clocking a pedestrian 20.29s, and running into a 2.05 metres per second headwind. Hughes recorded 20.32s with Olympic silver medalist Alonzo Edward of Panama third.
Bolt was contrite afterwards, declaring he has lots of work ahead to be ready for the World Championships.
Tyson Gay, America’s national record holder clinched the 100m 10.12s while Trinidadian Keston Bledman was second in 10.13s. The meet was also graced by the presence of world record holder and Olympic 800m champion David Rudisha who strode to victory in 1 minute: 43.58s. American 1500m champion Matthew Centrowitz, whose mother is Guyanese was fourth in 1.44.62.
Apart from George, no other Guyanese athletes competed in the meet’s local events. Kadesha Beard is with her college in the NCAA championships being staged currently, while Stephan James and Brenesa Thompson were also at school related competitions.
