SINGAPORE - The track & field competition got underway Tuesday at the Youth Olympic Games at Singapore's Bishan Stadium, with seven U.S. athletes battling it out in their events to qualify for Saturday's finals. Leading the group was 400 meter runner Robin Reynolds (Miami, Fla.), who won her heat in 53.21 and had the second fastest time of the day to Bukola Abogunloko (NGR) who clocked 53.06.
"I was happy and I was kind of disappointed," Reynolds said. "I came out here to run a 52 in prelims. I was close but I wasn't able to meet it. I still ran a good race. On Saturday, I really want to come out here and run a low 52 and take home the gold medal if that's possible."
Reynold's U.S. teammate Trinity Wilson (Oakland, Calif.) also won her heat Tuesday, finishing the 110 meter hurdles in 13.88. That time was the sixth fastest of the day, enough to qualify her for the final.
"The race felt okay," said Wilson, who's battling a hip flexor injury. "It just felt like a warm-up for when we get to the finals. That race needs to be technically sound. I have to get ready, because all I want to take home is the gold medal from the first Youth Olympics."
400 meter runner Najee Glass (Woodbridge, N.J.) took a blazing lead in his qualifier, shooting out of the blocks and building ground on the backstretch. But it was Russian Nikita Uglov who eventually won the heat with a steady comeback in the final 100 meters, finishing in 47.43. Glass' time of 47.83 was good for second in his heat and sixth overall. On Saturday, he'll need to contend with Luguelin Santos (DOM), who posted the fastest time Tuesday with a 46.82.
"That's my style," Glass said. "I get out the first 200 to intimidate everybody. The last 100 I see what I have left, try to maintain that, but as you can see, I need to work on that. My goal for the final is of course to get the gold, but also to get that 46. That's what I really want."
Long jumper Le'Tristan Pledger (Kansas City, Kan.) took third in her qualifying round, jumping 6.01 meters, just behind leader Alina Rotaru (ROU) who posted 6.40. High jumper Gunnar Nixon (Edmond, Okla.) finished fourth in qualifying, clearing the bar at 2.10 meters on his second attempt. The top three finishers cleared the same height on their first attempt.
Discus thrower Sarah Tolson (Pawhuska, Okla.) finished 10th in her qualifying round, while pole vaulter Hadley Reed Hancock (Leesburg, Ga.) finished 15th.
More than 500 young athletes from 170 countries are participating in the track & field competition at the YOG. All field events consist of a qualification and finals, and all track events consist of round one and finals except for the race walks and relays which will be straight finals.
Team USA continues with qualifications on Wednesday. On the field, Devin Bogert (Tomball, Texas) and Hannah Carson (Chandler, Ariz.) compete in javelin, and Sarah Howard (Dublin, Ga.) competes in shot put. And on the track, Daniel Wong (Tucson, Ariz.) will battle it out in the 2,000 meter steeplechase, with Myasia Jacobs (Paterson, N.J.) in the 100 meters.
RESULTS
Athletics, Girls Discus Qualification
1. Shanice Craft (GER) 54.10
2. Simone Meyer (RSA) 48.03
3. Heidi Schmidt (SWE) 47.20
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10. Sarah Tolson (USA) 42.58
Athletics, Girls Pole Vault Qualification
1. Ganna Shelekh (UKR) 3.90
2. Angelica Bengtsson (SWE) 3.90
2. Huiqin Xu (CHN) 3,90
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15. Hadley Reed Hancock (USA) NM
Athletics, Girls Long Jump Qualification
1. Alina Rotaru (ROU) 6.40
2. Kaia Soosaar (EST) 6.04
3. Le'Tristan Pledger (USA) 6.01
Athletics, Girls 100m Hurdles Qual., Heat 1
1. Trinity Wilson (USA) 13.88
2. Jana Sotakova (CZE) 13.98
3. Kayla Gilbert (RSA) 14.19
Athletics, Girls 400m Qual., Heat 1
1. Robin Reynolds (USA) 53.21
2. Rashan Brown (BAH) 54.09
3. Yaneth Largacha (COL) 57.44
Athletics, Boys High Jump Qualification
1. Viktor Chernysh (UKR) 2.10
1. Bram Ghuys (BEL) 2.10
1. Brandon Starc (AUS) 2.10
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4. Gunnar Nixon (USA) 2.10
Athletics, Boys 400m Qual., Heat 1
1. Nikita Uglov (RUS) 47.43
2. Najee Glass (USA) 47.83
3. Shaquille Alleyne (BAR) 48.68
For more information, please contact the USOC Communications Division at (719) 866-4529 or visit www.teamusa.org.
Courtesy of the USOC
About USA Track & Field
USA Track & Field (USATF) is the National Governing Body for track and field, long-distance running and race walking in the United States. USATF encompasses the world's oldest organized sports, some of the most-watched events of Olympic broadcasts, the #1 high school and junior high school participatory sport and more than 30 million adult runners in the United States.
For more information on USATF, visit www.usatf.org
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