The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

CHRIS “Fireman” Brown says he is happy with his performance so far this year after he got a second and fourth place finish in his two races in Europe last week to get his hectic 2016 campaign started.

Brown, who is preparing to stage his 2nd Chris Brown Bahamas Invitational next month at the Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium, posted a season’s best time of 46.80 seconds on Saturday at the Glasgow Indoor Grand Prix. The race was won by Pavel Maslak from the Czech Republic in his season’s best of 46.02. The performances came after Brown got second behind Maslak in Ireland on Wednesday.

“It was good to get out there and compete again,” Brown said. “I had a good run on Wednesday in Ireland where I won my heat and finished second behind Pavel and I came back on Saturday in Glasgow and performed even better, although I got fourth. It showed that I’m right on track and ready to run this year. I’m just glad that I came out without any injuries.”

Back in Atlanta, Georgia, where he is expected to continue his training for the outdoor season and trek to the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Brown said he’s looking forward to competing again at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon, but only on the men’s 4 x 400 metre relay team.

“With this being an Olympic year, I really want to concentrate on that,” Brown said. “I’ve competed in quite a number of world indoors and have won medals in the 400m, but I think I prefer to go to the World Indoors and just concentrate on the relay. We have never won a medal at that meet, so it would be good to see if we can do it this year. I think we can put together a solid team to get the job done.”

It’s not known exactly who all will make up the team. The Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations is expected to hold a press conference today to release the entire list.

But so far, Michael Mathieu and Alonzo Russell have been listed to carry the Bahamas banner in the 400m. They are expected to compete along with Donald Thomas in the men’s high jump, Adrian Griffith in the men’s 60m and Tynia Gaither in the women’s 60m. Collegian Devynne Charlton has also qualified in the 60m hurdles, but she opted not to compete because of her commitment to Purdue University. The team is expected to be coached by Peter Pratt with Julie Wilson as the manager.

While there is a qualifying time of 45.05 for the 400m, there are no standards set for the relay, so it will just be a matter of who is available to compete on the men’s team at the championships, scheduled for March 17-20. That should be revealed at the press conference today.

While Brown won’t compete again until the championships, he’s also busy putting the finishing touches on the hosting of his invitational, scheduled for April 16 in the new Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.

“I’m quite pleased with the way things are progressing,” Brown said. “I think I have a very good local organising committee, who is doing a fantastic job of promoting the meet and making sure that everything is in order. I’m looking forward to a number of international athletes coming to the Bahamas to compete. They missed it the last two years because we didn’t have it. I think with the meet back on schedule this year, the athletes are all looking forward to coming to the Bahamas, so this should be a very good meet.”

Following the CBBI, Brown said his focus will be on getting ready for the Rio Olympics August 5-21.

“This is my fifth Olympics and so I really want to do well because I’m not sure if I will be around for another one,” Brown said. “Me and my coach will be looking at what it is I have to do to be ready, but I will be ready to compete.”

Over his career, Brown has won five individual medals in the 400 at the World Indoors, but he has not been able to get on the podium at neither the World Championships (outdoors), the Olympics or the Commonwealth Games, the three major global meets. He has also won individual medals at the Pan American Games as well as the Central American and Caribbean Championships.