The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WITH her usual broad smile, an enthusiastic Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie said she has been waiting for this opportunity to come home to compete in the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium for a long time.

The country’s most decorated female athlete at the age of 39 will dig deep down in her reservoir to compete for Team Bahamas at the IAAF/BTC World Relays Bahamas 2015 this weekend.

“Once upon a time, I dreamed of this day, travelling the world and of the magnitude of the World Games and the Olympic Games and now I’m coming home for the World Relays. It’s like a dream come true,” said Ferguson-McKenzie, who never got the opportunity until now to compete in the new stadium that has been named after her late godfather and mentor.

“So I’m really excited and getting the chance to be here and to practice and compete is even more exciting for me.”

As the only member of the Golden Girls era - the women’s 4 x 100m relay team that won the gold at the IAAF World Championships in Seville, Spain, in 1999 and the Olympic Games in 2000), still competing, Ferguson-McKenzie said she is hoping to show that she still has some gas left in the tank to help propel the women’s 4 x 200m and possibly the 4 x 100m teams.

“It’s about about the stick, getting the baton around in the 4 x 2 as well as the 4 x 1,” Ferguson-McKenzie stressed. “It’s not so much about having the four fastest people because we know we have the leg speed. It’s just about getting the baton around the track.”

Competing for the first time in two years due to the fact that she is now a full time assistant coach at the University of Houston, Ferguson-McKenzie said she is feeling fine, in great shape and ready to compete.

“On Thursday and Friday, I did my job as a coach. I walked on my feet all day and on Saturday, I turned around and competed,” said Ferguson-McKenzie, who teamed up with Anthonique Strachan, Lanece Clarke and Sheniqua Ferguson on the Caribbean All-Star team in the USA against the World women’s 4 x 200m relay squad.

The team clocked 1min 32.40sec for third place behind the United States and Jamaica, but Ferguson-McKenzie admitted that they could have run faster.

“We have a lot of work to do. We didn’t get much time to work on our relay exchanges. We just went on the track and tried to go on our experience,” she said. “Of course, we were a little off, but we have a chance to work on it here before we compete. I think the team is young, but we have the speed. With the speed and excitement, I believe we will get the job done.”

No doubt, the addition of Shaunae Miller, who didn’t run at Penn but instead won the women’s 400m at the Tom Jones Memorial over the weekend as well, Ferguson-McKenzie said she brings just as much excitement to the team and with all of the women fit and ready, they should all run well for Team Bahamas.

Ferguson-McKenzie said she remember in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, when as the rookie, she had to sit out as Eldece Clarke, Chandra Sturrup, Sevatheda Fynes and Pauline Davis-Thompson carried the Bahamas flag in the women’s 4 x 100m relay at the Olympic Games.

“I know I didn’t compete as well as I wanted too, but the following year, I got better and so I want to encourage and uplift the younger athletes because they are going to have to carry the flag in the future,” she said. “I know they can do it. It’s just going to be a matter of time.”

This year’s relays serves as a qualifier for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and the top eight teams in both the men and women 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m relays will book their tickets. So Ferguson-McKenzie said she’s eager to compete this weekend to help put the Bahamas back in a position to continue the relay legacy.

“Every chance you get, you got to put your best foot forward,” she insisted. “I know my team-mates are excited. I had a chance to talk to them and I’m excited, so I hope the whole Bahamas is excited.”

In the meantime, Ferguson-McKenzie said she’s enjoying her new role as a coach at the University of Houston.

“This year, I had my first conference champion indoors with a personal best, so I’m having fun learning a lot,” she said. “Thanks to coach (Leroy) Burrell and coach Carl Lewis and the UH staff for supporting me 100 per cent. It was a blessing.”

Ferguson-McKenzie said she is just eager to come home and display her talent this weekend.