D’Andrade wins Bishop 5k in Trinidad

Mar 29, 2009 Sports 0

– Forde misses at Southern Games

Cleveland Forde

Guyana’s leading male distance athletes opened their tender toward qualification for the upcoming Caribbean Games with dominant performances in two separate meets in the games’ host island of Trinidad and Tobago yesterday.
Lionel D’Andrade blistered the field in the Bishop 5k road race early yesterday morning to win in 15:58. His performance left another national distance runner, Dennis Horatio in second with 16:32 while Nicholas Lando was third in 16:45.

Dennis Horatio

The Guyanese athletes had stormed the island in wake of the qualification requirements for the Caribbean Games. It is hoped that these regular high level competitions will help them prepare for the prestigious event.
The Bishop 5k left D’Andrade little time to recover for the 1500m at the Southern Games later in the day. However, Cleveland Forde did Guyana adequate justice in the race when he finished a close second behind Gavin Nero.
Forde, who travelled right into the race from Guyana, was present to collect a local award Friday night. He completed the heated 1500m race in 4:00.53, which were split seconds behind Trinidadian, Nero’s winning 4:00.02 time.
Arguably one of the region’s most successful distance athletes, Pamenos Ballantyne was third in the race with 4:02.99. D’Andrade merely managed sixth with a distant 4:20.00 while Horatio was reportedly too tired to compete.

Lionel D’Andrade

“I could not make it in the 1500m because of the [5k] race this morning and besides, I don’t do too well on track. I am basically a road race runner,” D’Andrade told Kaieteur Sport from Trinidad and Tobago yesterday evening.
He said that he is looking forward for the 5000m race today where D’Andrade, Forde and Horatio will lead Guyana’s challenge against Nero, Ballantyne and the remainder of the region’s top athletes when the Southern Games continue.