By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

in Beijing, China

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

IT WAS an historic moment on day four of the 15th IAAF World Championships here as Jeffery Gibson lowered the Bahamian national record in the men's 400 metres hurdles for the fourth time this year to claim the bronze medal.

In becoming the first Bahamian to win a global medal in the event, the Grand Bahamian native lowered the national mark of 48.37 seconds that he posted on Sunday in qualifying for the final to 48.17.

His medal put the Bahamas tied for 20th place with Bosnia-Herzegovina, France, Kazakhstan, Latvia and Uganda with one each on the chart that surprisingly is being led by Kenya with nine, including four gold, three silver and two bronze. One of those gold came from Nicholas Bett, the winner of the 400m hurdles in a world leading time of 47.79 seconds. Denis Kudryavtsev, in holding off Gibson at the line, also produced a national record for Russia in 48.05.

"The medal is a great achievement, but I take it as the next stepping stone towards the future," Gibson told The Tribune. He added the bronze to his collection of the bronze at last year's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, and his gold last month at the Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada.

"I know I can perform much better. There were a couple of things I have to work on. I am looking forward to more races and more training for the Olympic season."

On Monday night, Shaunae Miller had a sensational come-from-behind victory in the women's 400 metres to book her ticket to the final in grand style.

After using her 6ft 2in frame to power her way into the lead as she came into the home stretch, Miller opened a wide lead over her opponents, finishing in 50.12 seconds for the third fastest time. Her nearest rival in her semi-final was Jamaican national champion Christine Day in 50.82.

"It just went well," was how Miller summed up the performance that came after the two fastest qualifying times by American Allyson Felix in 49.89 and Jamaican Shericka Jackson in 50.03 in heat three.

When the final is held on Thursday at 8.40am EST, Miller will be running out of lane five next to Jackson in four and Felix in six.

The only other appearance for Team Bahamas on day four came from Teray Smith in the men's 200m. He had a tall order running out of lane six in the third heat, where he was sixth in 20.91 behind Jamaican 100m champion Usain Bolt, who is going after his second gold. Bolt came back after a day's rest to win in 20.28.

On Tuesday at 10pm EST, Team Bahamas will see national champion Latario Collie-Minns and national record holder Leevan 'Superman' Sands in action as they compete in the preliminaries of the men's triple jump.

While Collie-Minns will be the last of the 14 competitors in Group A, Sands will be the tenth of 14 in Group B. The automatic qualifying mark is 17m or at least the best 12 finishers for the final on Thursday at 7.10 am EST.

And in the women's 200m first round on Wednesday at 7.15 am EST, Sheniqua 'Q' Ferguson will be back to run out of lane four in the sixth of seven heats after she didn't advance out of the first round of the 100m on Sunday.

Ferguson will need to be in the top three or the next three fastest lowers to get into the on Thursday at 7.35 am EST.

See tomorrow's Tribune for full reports and photographs