The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE stage is set for the return of the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ National Track and Field Championships this weekend with some exciting matchups as athletes vie for spots on the various international events, including the 2020 Olympic Games.

During a joint press conference with the Bahamas Olympic Committee yesterday at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium, BAAA President Drumeco Archer confirmed that all of the top athletes will be among a list of about 430 athletes, including those competing for other countries, participating in the championships from Friday to Sunday.

“I’m excited because after two years of a terrible hiatus, track and field is back and back in a way that we’ve never seen before,” Archer said. “I think that this must be historic with the amount of athletes we have registered for this meet.

“That’s never heard of, in any nationals, not considering the fact that we have a combined meet for junior and senior athletes and I think that is what is going to make it even more exciting his time around because we have junior athletes who are already world-class athletes.”

While the focus of qualification is on the Olympics, scheduled for July 23 to August 8 in Tokyo, Japan, the meet will also be used as a qualifier for the NACAC Under-18 and Under-23 Championships in San Jose, Costa Rica, July 9-11 and the World Under-20 Championships, set for August 17-22 in Nairo, Kenya. During the meet, more than 20 athletes from around the world will be participating in individual events as they take advantage of the fast approaching deadline of June 31 for qualifying for the Olympics.

Additionally, teams from Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, India, Haiti, Trinidad & Tobago, Germany and the United States of America will also be using the opportunity to run their relay teams in the men and women 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 as well as the mixed gender 4 x 400 metre relays.

The participation of these countries should help the Bahamas, according to relay coordinator Rupert Gardiner, to run times in all of those relays which should enable the Bahamas to add to the total of eight automatic qualifiers so far.

Gardiner revealed that Olympic 400m champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo and World Championships 400m champion Steven Gardiner have both consented to lead the Bahamian delegation in competition against the visiting teams.

As for the individual match-up, Archer said Miller-Uibo has confirmed that she will contest both the women’s 200 and 400m which should add more excitement as she is challenged by Tynia Gaither and Anthonique Strachan in the half-time race and collegians Brianne Bethel, Megan Moss and Doneisha Anderson in the one-lap race.

The women’s 100m hurdles is also expected to be another exciting showdown between national record holder Devynne Charlton and former national record holder Pedrya Seymour, both of whom have already qualified for the Olympics, along with collegians Charisma Taylor, Denisha Cartwright and Sasha Wells.

Taylor will also have her hands full in the triple jump when she go head-to-head with Tamara Myers.

And Serena Brown, coming of her tenth place finish in the women’s discus at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, will have ne of the top Americans here to compete against as she try to either surpass the Olympic qualifying standard or move up from 37th spot to within the top 32 to be invited to compete at the games.

On the men’s side, Archer said the marquee event will once again be the 400m where Gardiner will have a few young stallions in Wendell Miller and Wonya McCoy going after him.

Veteran Alonzo Russell is also entered in the event and should not be counted out.

The men’s triple and long jumps between LaQuan Nairn, Tamar Greene. Holland Martin, Kaiwan Culmer and twin brothers Latario and Lathone Collie-Minns should be a highlight on the field.

The other is the men’s high jump where Jamal Wilson has already qualified, but Donald Thomas hasn’t made the mark.

BOC’s secretary general Derron Donaldson said they are just waiting on the nationals to be completed so that they can complete Team Bahamas selection for the games.

He noted that everything is in placed and Cora Hepburn, who will be making her maiden voyage as the chef de mission, is on the ground reaching out to all of qualifiers getting them all of the virtual information needed.

He also stated that Dr Rickey Davis, who heads the medical team, will be making sure that everybody follow all of the safety protocols before they leave and when they get into Tokyo.

Meet director Laura Charlton noted that one of the interested aspects of the nationals is that will be opened to spectators at a cost of $10 each.

“Unlike our regular meets when we didn’t have any fans, we will have fans for the Nationals,” she said. “But all patrons must have taken their full vaccination shots in order to be allowed access.”

She noted that they have implemented an apt that will ensure that only fully vaccinated spectators will be allowed to enter the stadium.