The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

DONALD Thomas said there was never any doubt in his mind that his performance would have enabled him to make the Bahamas team for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.

Despite not being named officially to the 14-member team announced by the Bahamas Olympic Committee last week, Thomas said based on the stringent qualifying standard of 7-feet, 7 3/4-inches or 2.33 metres, he knew that he would have been one of the 32 competitors competing in the games, scheduled for July 23 to August 8.

While the BOC said they were waiting on an invite from the BOC for Thomas, the Grand Bahamian said either you qualify or you don’t. World Athletics, the governing body, based the entry list on the 16 who automatically qualified, 16 who did the B standards and another 26 based on their rankings.

“The objective and the goal was the same, just prepare and be ready for when the time comes,” Thomas said. “I just want to go to the games and compete at a high level against the best in the world and represent the Bahamas to the best of my ability.”

Thomas, coming off another title at the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ National Championships at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium where he leapt 7-1 (2.26m), will be joining Jamal Wilson at the games.

“It’s always good to have a countryman in the field. Jamal is a good jumper. I competed with him before, so it’s a blessing to have the two of us representing the country again,” said Thomas, who noted that he was glad to be back home, enjoying the Bahamian food and relaxing at the Atlantis resort before he heads to Europe. Wilson, a sixth place finisher at the Nationals with 6-8 3/4 (2.05m), said he was never concerned about whether or not Thomas would have made the team.

They both admitted that they took cautionary measures at the nationals because the conditions weren’t the best, based on the event being delayed as a result of the rain. Officials worked to have the event completed before the curfew kicked in at 11pm.

Nevertheless, Wilson said he’s looking forward to competing with Thomas at the Olympics. “He should be okay,” Wilson said. “We’ve had this conversation all season long about having multiple high jumpers at the games. I knew based on his performances, he would be one of the Bahamians with me at the games.”

Wilson, 32, said his expectations, like Thomas, are high.

“Without a doubt, we go there with the fiercest of attitudes, not thinking about anything but getting on the podium,” Wilson said. “We know what we have to do to get there, so the expectations are very high.

“We just have to stay sharp and ready. We have about a month before the games get started with athletics. That’s a lot of time, especially if you’ve been staying in shape. So with a month before athletics starts, you have to be ready.”

At the games, 37-year-old Thomas said he hopes that he can finally get the one medal that has eluded him in his long and illustrious career and that is the Olympics. He would like nothing better than to add to his 2007 World title and gold medals at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, 2011 Pan American Games, 2010 and 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games and 2018 Continental Cup.

Thomas, who is currently in Hungary training, is expected to compete in at least one or two meets before the Olympics to ensure that he’s in tip-top shape for the challenge ahead of him in Tokyo.