SHENZHEN, China Jeshua Anderson won the gold medal in the men’s 400m hurdles with ease Friday in the Main Stadium of Universiade Sports Center at the 2011 World University Games (WUG) in Shenzhen, China.
Anderson, a Woodland Hills, Calif. native and a WSU senior last year, ran a time of 49.03 seconds, ahead of second-place finisher Takayuki Kishimoto of Japan by 49/100s second.
There is a strong possibility the Anderson will run for another medal Saturday as part of the USA men’s 4x400m relay team. USA men’s coach James Li, a former assistant coach at WSU and Cougar alum Bernard Lagat’s coach, would like to have the US squad run in the 4x400m relay set for 9 p.m. Shenzhen time which is 6 a.m. PT.
WSU junior-to-be Holly Parent, from Victoria, B.C. and competing for Team Canada, did not advance to the Sunday final of the women’s high jump after clearing 5-feet 8 3/4 inches (1.75m) in the Friday qualifying rounds. Parent, who has a personal-record in the high jump of 6-0 3/4 (1.85m); the fourth-best mark in WSU all-time records, cleared the opening height of 5-7 (1.70m) on her second attempt and the next bar of 5-8 3/4 on her third attempt but missed all three attempts at 5-10 3/4 (1.80m).