The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

SPRINTER Adrian Griffith and quarter-miler Michael Mathieu, now training partners in Orlando, Florida, have booked their ticket to the IAAF World Indoor Championships next month in Portland, Oregon.

The duo competed over the weekend at the KMS Invitational Indoor Meet in Birmingham, Alabama, where they turned in lifetime achievements in their respective events in the men’s 60 and 400 metres respectively.

Griffith, back in action after skipping last year’s season because of an injury, got back on track by running 6.60 to win the men’s 60m over American Trell Kimmons, who had to settle for second in 6.61. With his time, 31-year-old Griffith went under the IAAF World Indoors qualifying time of 6.65.

“I want to thank God for blessing because last year I was injured and I didn’t compete,” Griffith said. “I’m now 100 per cent and I’m doing some positive things, just running with a passion right now and doing it like I should have been doing it a long time ago.

“It’s never too late. I’m just getting it together now. The first race was actually good. I opened it up with a PB and I also opened with a World Indoor qualifier. But I still have more room for improvement. I came from behind on that one. Once I can get my start cleaned up, I will be okay. Right now I’m hungry.”

“It’s an ongoing process going towards Rio,” Griffith said. “The first step is Portland. I’m glad that the World Indoors is on this side of the world. It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be interesting. I’m just going to go out there and explore my talent and push it to the limit.”

This weekend, Griffith and Mathieu are expected to travel to Texas A&M to compete next month.

“I want to lower my time and get more sharper for indoors,” Griffith said. “Indoors is all about your start, who can accelerate the best and who can finish fast at the line.”

Griffith thanked everybody who supported him during the time that he was sidelined. However, he said he’s appealing to corporate Bahamas to lend him their financial support because it’s going to be needed as he prepares for the long haul to Rio in August.

As for Mathieu, 31, he also ran an indoor personal best of 46.05 to take second place in the men’s 400m. American Calvin Smith crossed the finish line first in 45.86. Mathieu’s time was well under the IAAF World Indoor qualifier of 46.70. It was Mathieu’s third race for the season and he’s quite thrilled with his progress.

Two weeks ago in New York, he did 46.56 and prior to that, he was in Alabama where he ran 46.47. In both meets, Mathieu crossed the line ahead of the field.

“I feel pretty good about this one over the weekend,” Mathieu said. “I expected to go quicker, but I’m just happy with the PR.”

As for his season overall, Mathieu said he’s excited about his performances.

“I had three tough competitions and two PRs, so the season has been going pretty well,” he said.

And having qualified for the World Indoors, Mathieu said he’s looking forward to going to Portland and coming out as one of the top contenders and eventually be on the podium for his first individual medal before he looks at the bigger picture in Rio and the Olympics.

“I’m trying not to think too far ahead,” he said. “I still have this major World Indoors coming up so I’m just trying to deal with that and after that, I will see what I will do for outdoors. I really can’t say where my focus will be this year, whether it’s going to be the 200 or the 400. I just want to get ready for the World Indoors.”

When he travels this weekend to compete at Texas Tech, Mathieu is expected to face Demetrius Pinder in a showdown in the men’s 400m, an event that Mathieu said he’s looking forward to.

“I’m in pretty good shape right now, so we will see what happens,” said Mathieu about the much anticipated match-up.

Griffith and Mathieu have been training together since October and they both admitted that it has been a competitive partnership.

“It’s been going good so far. He’s a positive guy, a guy who trains really hard like myself,” Griffith said. “I help him out technically and he helps me out with my endurance. We push each other. On certain days, I have different stuff than he has, but we help each other to hit our times.

“It’s working out the best for us. I don’t run the 400, but sometimes I talk trash to him so that I can bring out the best in him. So it’s been working out for the best. You could see as the season progresses. His times have been dropping and my own have dropped so far, so we are quite happy about what we have going on.”

Mathieu couldn’t agree more.

“It’s coming along very good so far. He’s been helping me out with a few things and I’ve been helping him out with a few things too, so it’s working out very well,” Mathieu said.

The results have certainly shown their progress.