The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

DOHA, Qatar — Teenager Terrance Jones, with the devastation of home in Grand Bahama in the back of his mind, lived out his dream of competing on the senior global stage in the International Amateur Athletic Federation’s 17th World Championships.

He attempted to advance out of the qualifying round of the men’s 200 metres on day three of the championships yesterday.

But after clocking 21.40 seconds for eighth place in the first event on the track at the Khalifa International Stadium in the first of seven heats, he inadvertently stepped on the line on the curve in lane four and was disqualified.

His heat was won by Great Britain’s Adam Gemili in a season’s best of 20.06.

Although he didn’t get to advance, a surprised Jones said he was still grateful for the opportunity to be here as he made his debut on the senior global scene as a 17-year-old 12th grader at Tabernacle Baptist Academy.

“It was a pretty good experience. I just stayed focused and trust in God and I just came to do what I always do, which is to run hard and finish at the line,” he said.

Jones, however, said he didn’t realise that he was disqualified, but he kept running. He was surprised that he was able to came through in 21 seconds. He hopes to use this as a motivation for 2020 and a bid at qualifying for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.

“I have definitely grown mentally,” he said of coming here and competing. “I was looking at the sport as something that I just do, but now, I look at it more as a way of me displaying my talent to the world and displaying the love of God to as many people as I can.”

He thanked his coach John Ingraham for preparing him for an exceptional season at the junior level, which earned him the opportunity for the IAAF to grant him the invitation to compete here.

He said he was pleased with the words of encouragement he got from elite quarter-milers Steven Gardiner and Shaunae Miller-Uibo as they encouraged him to “go out and just do his best.”

Now that his appearance here at the championships is over, Jones said he will try to get some more sleep before he heads back to the Bahamas to begin his senior year at Tabernacle Baptist Academy. He noted that he had an opportunity to help in the clean-up process (in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian) before he came here.

“We had a chance to go to school and help clean it up so it could be ready for school,” said Jones, who doesn’t mind taking the time off from his classes to be here competing. “I can’t wait to get back and go back to school. This is an experience I will not forget.”

The passing of Hurricane Dorian was another event in his life that Jones won’t forget. He could only remember going to sleep during the passing and waking up when it passed over.

“Our home suffered some damage through the flooding, but we didn’t lose any lives,” said Jones of his home that was occupied by his parents, Terrance and Tara Jones and five siblings. “I don’t know why they stayed up, but I went to sleep.”