With Deon Lendore, Dwight St Hillaire and Machel Cedenio all exiting at the quarter-final stage of the Tokyo 2020 Men’s 400 Metres event, the Trinidad and Tobago quarter-milers have switched their focus to the 4x400m relay.

“If we stay focused,” Lendore told the Express, “and do what we have to do, we’ll be good in the end.” Lendore was just 19 when he anchored T&T to 4×4 bronze at the 2012 London Olympics. He is now 28, and a senior man on the team.

Lendore is competing in his third Olympic Games, and came very close to advancing to an individual final for the very first time when he clocked 44.93 seconds in finishing fourth in the opening 400m semi-final, yesterday. The Texas-based athlete was ninth overall, just one spot away from qualifying for the eight-man championship race.

Lendore, in lane seven, went out strong, but could not gauge where he was in relation to the fastest men in the field. Grenadian Kirani James, in five, and Colombia’s Anthony Zambrano, in six, tracked Lendore. When they turned for home, Lendore was in the mix. James and Zambrano, however, upped the ante, and Lendore could not respond. The Arima runner fought like a lion to hold on to fourth spot.

“I tried my best,” said Lendore. “After getting past the two guys on the outside of me, I was running on my own for about 250 metres. When the guys (James and Zambrano) came on me, I panicked a bit and didn’t transition into the last 100. That threw me off and hurt me in the end.

“I’m very satisfied with the season,” the T&T quarter-miler continued. “First time in my life I’m healthy through to August so I’m thankful for that, thankful for the opportunity to make it this far. You would always want to make it to the final, but you can’t be mad at yourself when you give it your all and you fall short. I’m just looking forward to recovering and coming back for the 4×4.”

James won the opening semi in 43.88 seconds. Zambrano was just behind the 2012 Olympic champion, the Colombian claiming the second automatic qualifying spot up for grabs in 43.93 – a new South American record

Reigning world champion Steven Gardiner topped heat three, the Bahamian clocking 44.14 seconds to finish ahead of American Michael Norman (44.52) and Botswana’s Isaac Makwala (44.59). Running blind out in lane nine, Cedenio finished sixth in the race and 21st overall in 45.86.

“We come to the Olympic Games,” Cedenio told the Express, “hoping to make a final, hoping to medal. Last Olympics I made the final, came fourth. I was looking for a better position this year, but that’s how life goes.

“I have a lot of evaluation to do after this season. I’m still relatively young. I’m 25. I still have another Olympics in me. And we still have World Champs and all these major championships. So it’s just to get right and get back running like myself. Get back to the blueprint, the stuff that made me run fast back when I was younger,” he added.

St Hillaire is 23, and new to the Olympic stage. He finished seventh in the second semi in 45.58 seconds and 19th overall. American Michael Cherry and Jamaica’s Christopher Taylor were one-two in the race, clocking 44.44 and 44.92.

“I didn’t execute the way I wanted to,” St Hillaire explained. “I think the nerves got the best of me, but that just comes with experience. I’m thankful I was able to compete in such a high-level race with world-renowned people, and keep up somewhat with the wrong race plan. It’s just to learn from this experience, apply it to the 4×4, and hopefully help the country get a medal.”

After press time, last night, Tyra Gittens battled for precious metal in the Women’s Long Jump final. Jereem “The Dream” Richards and Kyle Greaux were also on show, bidding for Men’s 200m semi-final berths. The half-lap semis will be contested from 7.50 this morning (TT time).

Keshorn Walcott will feature in Men’s Javelin qualifying tonight. And early tomorrow morning, T&T cyclists Nicholas Paul and Kwesi Browne compete in the Men’s Flying 200m, the qualifying event for the Sprint.