BEIJING, China – LSU’s track and field athletes are off and running at this year’s IAAF World Championships in Athletics after three former Tigers and Lady Tigers were automatic qualifiers into the semifinal rounds of their respective events in Sunday’s second day of competition on the track at the “Bird’s Nest” National Stadium in Beijing.
Two World Championship debutants with Team USA were among those advancing to semifinals as Cassandra Tate cruised to victory in her heat of the women’s 400-meter hurdles and Vernon Norwood earned third in his heat of the men’s 400-meter dash, while former Lady Tiger Kelly-Ann Baptiste of Trinidad & Tobago took the tape in her preliminary heat of the women’s 100-meter dash.
Tate, the reigning U.S. Outdoor Silver Medalist in the women’s 400 hurdles, lined up in the third heat and crossed the finish line with a comfortable win in 54.27 seconds ahead of South Africa’s Wenda Nel (54.45).
Not only did Tate take the tape in her heat, but she turned in the fastest time of the first round of qualifying as Nel’s 54.45 for second place in the race was the second-fastest of Sunday’s morning session. Tate lines up at the World Championships as a medal contender as the No. 4-ranked 400-meter hurdler worldwide in 2015 with her personal-best time of 54.01 run at the USA Track & Field Championships.
Norwood followed moments later by advancing to the semifinal round of the men’s 400 meters in his World Championships debut as he clocked 45.53 for third place in the fifth preliminary heat to automatically qualify. Norwood’s opening 45.53 was the 33rd-fastest time of the opening round as he grabbed the 24th-fastest qualifier into the semifinal round.
The 2015 NCAA Indoor and NCAA Outdoor 400-meter champion is looking to make a mark on his first World Championships as he will also run for Team USA in the 4×400-meter relay in next weekend’s finale.
Baptiste, the 2011 World Championship Bronze Medalist in the women’s 100-meter dash, took one step closer to the medal podium in Beijing when she sprinted to victory in her qualifying heat on Sunday morning in a time of 11.13 (+1.5) for the 13th-fastest time of the morning session.
Each will return to the track during Monday’s evening session at the Bird’s Nest as Tate will compete in the semifinal round of the women’s 400-meter hurdles at 6:10 a.m. CT, Baptiste will line up in the semifinal round of the women’s 100-meter dash at 6:40 a.m. CT and Norwood will step onto the track in the semifinal round of the men’s 400-meter dash at 7:05 a.m. CT.
Time Schedule for LSU Entries at the 2015 IAAF World Championships in Athletics
Note: Times are Central and subject to change based on round-by-round qualifying and weather delays.
Sunday, Aug. 23
Television Coverage: 12-1:30 p.m. CT (NBC); 6-7:30 p.m. CT (Universal Sports); 8:30-11 p.m. CT (Universal Sports)
9:00 p.m. – Men’s Long Jump Qualification (Damar Forbes)
Monday, Aug. 24
Television Coverage: 6-9 a.m. CT (Universal Sports)
6:10 a.m. – Women’s 400 Hurdles Semifinal (Cassandra Tate)
6:40 a.m. – Women’s 100 Meters Semifinal (Kelly-Ann Baptiste)
7:05 a.m. – Men’s 400 Meters Semifinal (Vernon Norwood)
8:35 a.m. – Women’s 100 Meters Final (Kelly-Ann Baptiste)
Tuesday, Aug. 25
Television Coverage: 6-8 a.m. CT (Universal Sports); 8:30-11 p.m. CT (Universal Sports)
6:25 a.m. – Men’s Long Jump Final (Damar Forbes)
9:25 p.m. – Women’s 800 Meters First Round (Natoya Goule)
Wednesday, Aug. 26
Television Coverage: 7-8:30 a.m. CT (Universal Sports); 8:30-11 p.m. CT (Universal Sports)
7:10 a.m. – Women’s 400 Hurdles Final (Cassandra Tate)
8:25 a.m. – Men’s 400 Meters Final (Vernon Norwood)
8:30 p.m. – Men’s Discus Throw Qualification Group A (Rodney Brown)
9:50 p.m. – Men’s Discus Throw Qualification Group B (Rodney Brown)
Thursday, Aug. 27
Television Coverage: 6:30-8 a.m. CT (Universal Sports); 7:30 p.m. – 12 a.m. CT (Universal Sports)
7:05 a.m. – Women’s 800 Meters Semifinal (Natoya Goule)
Friday, Aug. 28
Television Coverage: 6:30-9 a.m. CT (Universal Sports); 6:30-11:30 p.m. CT (Universal Sports)
9:40 p.m. – Men’s 4×400 Relay Qualifying (Vernon Norwood)
11:00 p.m. – Women’s 4×100 Relay Qualifying (Kelly-Ann Baptiste)
Saturday, Aug. 29
Television Coverage: 1:30-3 p.m. CT (NBC); 4-5:30 p.m. CT (Universal Sports); 6:30-9:30 p.m. CT (Universal Sports)
6:15 a.m. – Women’s 800 Meters Final (Natoya Goule)
6:50 a.m. – Men’s Discus Throw Final (Rodney Brown)
7:50 a.m. – Women’s 4×100 Relay Final (Kelly-Ann Baptiste)
Sunday, Aug. 30
Television Coverage: 1-2:30 p.m. CT (NBC); 4-5:30 p.m. CT (Universal Sports)
7:25 a.m. – Men’s 4×400 Relay Final (Vernon Norwood)