The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

DESPITE not getting a chance to run in the IAAF/BTC World Relays at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium over the weekend, quarter-miler Lanece Clarke said she was grateful that the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations selected her to the team.

Clarke, who was named to the pool for the women’s 4 x 200 metres, watched as the quartet of Sheniqua ‘Q’ Ferguson, Anthonique Strachan, rookie teenager Brianne Bethel from Grand Bahama (winner of the under-18 girls 200m silver medal at the CARIFTA Games) and Shaunae Miller got disqualified.

On the baton exchange between Strachan and Bethel, Strachan had to catch Bethel outside of the zone to make the connection. Bethel continued running and passed the baton to Miller, who powered the Bahamas into second place before the official result showed the Bahamas was DQed.

The event was a straight final as only eight countries competed. Nigeria went on to win the gold in a world-leading time of 1:30.52, while Jamaica got the silver in 1:31.73 and Germany took the bronze in 1:33.61. The United States and France didn’t complete the race.

“The second Bahamas World Relays is behind us. I think the organisation of this event was truly Bahamazing,” Clarke said. “I am so proud to be a Bahamian and a Bahamian athlete at this exciting time for sports and sports tourism in my country.

“I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the organising committee and all the volunteers who donated their time and efforts to prepare this stage for us, the athletes.”

The 27-year-old Clarke, who was also not considered to run on the women’s 4 x 400 team, said that the World Relays is all about a team effort and she certainly played her part.

“Unlike other meets which have individual events, each and every race at World Relays is about a team and the team effort,” she said. “Last week I came home from Athens where I train to give my best to any team that I might be a part of. The 400 is my main event, but my training for the 400 has also prepared me to run a 200.

“Like World Relays, the experience of running in front of my country is like no other. I was truly looking forward to competing in the 4 x 200 and/or the 4 x 400 and contributing to the best possible experience and outcome for our team.”

The team of Brianca Farrington (double CARIFTA Games under-20 girls 400/800m champion), Shaquania Dorsett, both juniors, along with Katrina Seymour and Christine Amertil ran a season’s best of 3:33.60 for fifth place in their heat of the women’s 4 x 400 for 12th overall, which placed the Bahamas in the B final.

In the B final, the team of Farrington, Amertil, D’Nia Freeman (another junior) and Seymour ran a slower time of 3:35.01 for third place behind Cuba, who won in a season’s best of 3:30.94 and Japan, who was second in 3:34.65.

The Americans won the A final in a championship record of 3:19.39, followed by Jamaica in 3:22.49 and Great Britain in 3:26.38, both season best performances.

Clarke, a 400m specialist and the daughter of former sprinting star Mary Higgs-Clarke who is training in Athens, Georgia with coach George Cleare, said she understands the politics of the sport and will live with the decisions that were made.

“To the best of my knowledge the team selection on race day is made by the coaches,” she said. “What I do know for certain is that given the opportunity to run, I was ready. It was why I was here and what I wanted.

“While I was certainly very disappointed to have not been selected, I recognise that I was put in another unique position, I was given the honour of ‘passing the baton’ to our younger and upcoming runners.”

Despite not competing in any of the events, Clarke still congratulated the efforts of her teammates and she indicated that she’s looking forward to the opportunity to run with them in the future as they continue to represent the Bahamas.

Last year, Clarke played a pivotal role on the women’s 4 x 400 team that included Shakeitha Henfield, Amertil and Miriam Byfield, who got sixth in their heat in 3:54.65 and had to run out of the B final where the same combo in order was second in 3:31.71 behind Australia (3:31.01).

She ran two opening legs on both teams at the World Relays last year and she anchored the team of Amertil, Henfield and Byfield, who got fourth in their heat of the 4 x 400m relay at the Commonwealth Games to qualify for the final.

The team of Amertil, Shaunae Miller, Clarke and Byfield finished seventh in 3:34.86 in the final.

So far this year, she has ran a season’s best of 52.71 in the 400m in Atlanta, just prior to the start of the World Relays on April 18.