Pompey grabs third in European Grand Prix 400m
By Michael DaSilva
Stabroek News
August 14, 2002
Guyana's 2002 Commonwealth Games gold medalist Aliann Pompey was beaten into third place in her first race of the 2002 European Grand Prix in Helsinki yesterday.
According to reports, Pompey clocked 52.03 seconds in placing third in the women's 400-metre event behind Commonwealth Games 800-metre record holder Maria de Lourdes Mutola of Mozambique. Jamaica's Sandie Richards was second.
Mutola returned 51.55 seconds for the event while Richards clocked 51.74 seconds.
In the overall points standings of the 2002 Grand Prix, Jamaica's Lorraine Fenton leads the way with 64 points from seven races, while United States' Michellle Collins is second with 55 points from eight meets and Kaltouma Nadjina of the Czech Republic third with 50.5 points from eight meets also. Pompey has three points from yesterday's event and is positioned at 27th.
Mutola who won yesterday's race, did not contest the 400-metre at the recently concluded Commonwealth Games where Pompey clocked 51.63 seconds in winning the gold medal from Richards who returned 51.79 seconds for that event.
Pompey's personal best time for the event is 51.34 seconds which she registered in the semi-final at the Commonwealth Games. In that semi-final Richards returned 51.45 seconds.