Charlton makes women’s 100m final, Seymour bows out

TOKYO, Japan – It’s been a long five years for Bahamian hurdler Devynne Charlton, qualifying for the 2016 Olympics but not being able to compete because of injury, and then getting back to the Olympic stage this year, and it all coming to fruition as she made the final of the women’s 100 meters (m) hurdles.

Charlton finished second in her semifinal heat in 12.66 seconds at the Tokyo Olympic Games here in Tokyo, Japan, on Sunday evening, grabbing one of the two automatic qualifying spots for the final.

The Bahamian national record holder is not done yet, looking to turn it up even more in the final which is set for Monday at 11:50 a.m. at the Japan National Stadium here in Tokyo, Japan, 10:50 p.m. Sunday night back in The Bahamas.

So far, these Tokyo Olympic Games has been a  progressive one for Charlton and she’s looking to take it a step further. She knows she will likely have to go faster than her national record time of 12.61 seconds to win a medal here in Tokyo.

Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, of Puerto Rico, was the top qualifier for the final, running a huge personal best, national record time of 12.26 seconds in her semifinal heat. It was a new Olympic record for her, and goes down as the joint sixth-fastest time in history.

Jamaican Britany Anderson was the second-fastest qualifier for the final, winning her semifinal heat in a personal best time of 12.40 seconds, and world record holder Kendra Harrison, of the United States, will go into the final with the third-fastest qualifying time, running 12.51 seconds.

The news wasn’t as good for the other Bahamian in the women’s 100m hurdles on Sunday evening as Pedrya Seymour was eighth in her semifinal heat in 13.09 seconds and failed to qualify for the final. She finished 22nd overall.

“I’m disappointed however I trust God and believe that what’s coming next for me will be great,” said Seymour. “I am so proud of Devynne for fighting and securing her spot in the final. I’ve worked extremely hard this season and I’ve made a lot of sacrifices so right now I don’t have that much to say. All I can say is, even though things are blurry in my career right now, I still trust God.”

Seymour was spectacular in the last Olympics, in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, finishing sixth in the final in 12.76 seconds. She set a national record of 12.64 seconds in the semifinals at those Olympics – a mark that Charlton surpassed this year, running 12.61 seconds.

Charlton will go into the final with the seventh-fastest time.

Both she and Seymour made history for The Bahamas this Olympics. It’s the first time that two Bahamians have qualified for the semifinals of any hurdles event at a single Olympics.

Charlton made it to the final and is hoping to take it a step further by cracking the top three and winning  medal.

It all goes down Monday morning in Tokyo.

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