The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedis.net

BEIJING, China — With the 15th IAAF World Championships at the halfway mark, a lot of the focus is starting to be placed on the exciting relays in the Bird’s Nest stadium this weekend.

The Bahamas intends to be right in the mix vying for medals in both the men’s 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 metres as well as the women’s 4 x 400m.

Tyrone Burrows, one of the team’s assistant coaches who has the responsibility for the men’s relay team, said the good thing for Team Bahamas is that the majority of the athletes are fresh, considering that they didn’t advance to the final of any of the events.

“The alternates who are here for the relay have all had good practices. It was unfortunate that our 400 metre runners didn’t advance to the final, but unfortunately, this is the first time that the rounds have been that fast,” Burrows said.

“So it really took an unexpected toll on us, but the good thing is that our guys who ran will be able to recover in time to be ready to run in the first round if we need them to run.”

Burrows said the two additional days rest will definitely work in favour for Team Bahamas in their effort to get back on the global podium where the aquamarine, gold and black flag was last raised and the national anthem sang at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England.

The 4x400 relay team will be without Demetrius Pinder, who is still recovering from an injury, but will include Chris ‘Fireman’ Brown, Michael Mathieu, Steven Gardiner, Ramon Miller, Alonzo Russell and LaToy Williams.

Burrows won’t reveal who exactly will run and in what order, but prior to the championship, the team of Williams, Russell, Wesley Neymour and Miller ran 3:00.53 for the silver behind the United States’ gold medal performance of 3:00.07 at the NACAC Championships two weeks ago in San Jose, Costa Rica.

The heat for the men’s 4 x 4 is set for Saturday with the final on Sunday.

As for the men’s 4 x 100m, the team of Warren Fraser, Teray Smith, Jonathan Farquharson and Trevorvano Mackey placed eighth in 40.33.

Here to compete out of the pool are Fraser, Smith, Shavez Hart, Farquharson and Elroy McBride. Hart opted not to compete in the 100 or 200m here, where he qualified for both events, so that he can concentrate on the relay. They will run both the heats and final on Saturday, if successful in advancing.

Burrows said they intend to focus on qualifying the relay team for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as this will probably be the last major opportunity to do so.

The women’s 4 x 400 relay team will be coached by Shaun Miller and is expected to include Shaunae Miller, Christine Amertil, Lanece Clarke, Katrina Seymour and Adanaca Brown, who is also running in the women’s 100m hurdles.

The team of Clarke, Amertil, Seymour and Brown an 3:31.80 for the bronze at the NAACAC Championships behind the gold medal performance from the USA and the silver from Jamaica.

Like the men, the women’s 4x400 relay will be contested on Saturday with the heats and the final on Sunday.