Jonathas Reaches IAAF World Championships 400m Final
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina track and field senior Wadeline Jonathas qualified for the finals of the 400m at the IAAF World Championships in Doha, Qatar, with Team USA on Tuesday afternoon.
“Well, once you make it to the final, anything is possible,” Jonathas said. “I’m just going to head back to the hotel, recover, and then try to win it.”
Jonathas, the reigning NCAA Outdoor 400m Champion, took second in her semifinal heat with a new personal record of 50.07 to enter the Oct. 3 final with the third fastest time. Jonathas is the first South Carolina women’s track and field athlete to make a world final since Natasha Hastings took fourth at the 2016 Olympics in the 400m.
Competing in her first World Championships, Jonathas had to use her signature kick in the final 100m to surpass Shericka Jackson of Jamaica and claim the second automatic qualifying spot in her heat. Her 50.07 bests her mark of 50.44 she set earlier this year and is just behind the South Carolina school record of 49.84 set by Hastings in 2007.
WHAT. A. FINISH.
Check out the overhead shot of @TeamUSA‘s Wadeline Jonathas catching Shericka Jackson at the last moment to secure a spot in the 400m Final. #WorldAthleticsChamps pic.twitter.com/S8iM8MNVmN
— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) October 1, 2019
Also competing in the 400m semifinals for the Gamecocks was Aliyah Abrams. Competing for Guyana, Abrams finished fifth in her semifinal heat to settle for a 12th place finish, bettering her finish at the 2016 Olympics where she finished in 38th.
Jonathas will compete in the 400m finals on Oct. 3 at 4:50 p.m. ET. The event can be seen on NBC Sports Gold. Additionally, Jonathas is likely to take part in the USA 4x400m relay team, who will compete on Oct. 5 in that event’s first round.
For more information on the Gamecocks, continue to check back with GamecocksOnline.com. Subscribe to South Carolina on Stanza to get schedule updates directly in your calendars.
Keep up with Carolina track and field on Twitter and Instagram (@GamecockTrack) and on Facebook, so you do not miss any content during the 2019-20 season.
