The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

FRESH off her selection as the North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) Female Indoor Athlete of the Year, Bahamian Olympic and world champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo is still leading the world list in both the women’s 200 and 400 metres.

The list of the top performances was compiled by Glen McMicklen for Track and Field News and was updated to May 11.

Miller-Uibo, the reigning Olympic 400m champion who is gearing up to go after her first title in the 200m at the games in Tokyo, Japan in July, has taken off from her national record-breaking performances indoors.

Just before she celebrated her 27th birthday on April 15, Miller-Uibo clocked 22.03 seconds on April 4 at the Pure Athletics meet to top the field that is followed by American rising sensation Sha’Carri Richardson of Nike, who did 22.11 at the Jones Invitational on April 16.

Right after her birthday celebrations, Miller-Uibo came back and clocked 49.08 on April 24 at the USATF to control the list that is followed by Christine Mboma of Namibia in 49.22 that she ran on April 17 in Wiindhoek.

Miller-Uibo has already attained the A qualifying standards for the Olympics of 22.80 and 51.35 in the 200 and 400m respectively.

Tynia Gaither, 28, has produced the best time performance by any female as she is now tied with two others for the eighth spot in the women’s 100m at 11.02, surpassing the A Olympic qualifying cut of 11.15.

While Gaither did her feat at the TruFit Classic on April 24, Mikiah Brisco of Nike and Symone Mason of Nike both did their time at the Alumni Gold on April 24.

Richardson ran the world’s fastest time so far of 10.72 at the Miramar Invitational on April 10 and Jamaican Elaine Thompson-Herah did 10.78 for the second best time on May 2 at the Pure Athletics Elite Classic.

Gaither has also produced a wind-aided time of 22.70 at the TruFit Classic.

And in the women’s 100m hurdles, 25-year-old Devynne Charlton sits in sixth place with her newly minted Bahamian national record performance of 12.61 she ran on May 9 at the USATA Golden Gala.

Former Bahamian national record holder Pedrya Seymour, who turns 26 on May 29, is 21st with her best time of 12.88 on April 10 at the Miramar Invitational.

She has also qualified for her second Olympics along with Charlton (who missed competing in Rio because of an injury) after they both surpassed the A standard of 12.84. Seymour’s performance was done prior to the start of the pandemic that halted sports worldwide in 2020.

Puerto Rico’s Jasmine Camacho-Quinn tops the list with 12.32 on April 17 at the Jones Invitational. American world record holder Keni Harrison and Nigeria’s Toby Amusan both ran 12.48 to tie for second on May 1 and 2 respectively.

On the men’s side, world champion Steven Gardiner is tied for seventh in the men’s 400m with Johnny Blockburger of Arizona with 44.71 as he dipped under the Olympic A qualifying time of 44.90.

Gardiner’s time was posted on April 17 at the Jones Invitational, while Blockbuster’s was done on April 10 at the Click Shootout.

Collegian Noah Williams of LSU has the fastest time of 44.30 at the Alumni Gold on April 24.

Gardiner, 25, is also tied for 15th with Fred Kerley in 20.24 to match the Olympic A cut. Gardiner did his time on March 19 in Carolina, while Kerley ran his time on April 16 at the Jones Invitational.

Collegian Terrance Laird, competing for LSU, has the top mark of 19.81 done on March 27 at the Texas Relays.

In the men’s long jump, Laquan Nairn is tied for 15th with Shakwon Coke of Jamaica with 26-9 1/4 (8.16m), just off the Olympic A cut of 26-11 3/4 (8.22m). Nairn, 24, did his mark indoors on February 27 at the Atlanta Invitational and Coke did his mark on March 27 at Arkansas City.

JuVaughn Harrison won the NCAA indoor title with 27-8 3/4 (8.45m) for the best mark.

Holland Martin, competing at the Miramar Invitational on April 19, had the fourth best wind-aided leap of 26-9 (8.15m). The 24-year-old Grand Bahamian is hoping to soar with Nairn at the Olympics.

Jamal Wilson and Donald Thomas have both done the A standard of 7-7 3/4(2.33m) prior to this season, but neither are among the leaderboard this season.

The Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) is also hoping to get one or two teams qualified for the relays after opting not to travel to the World Relays in Poland earlier this month.

The BAAA is now hard pressed to try to find a meet where there are at least three or more countries competing in order to get the men’s and women’s 4 x 100 and 4 x 400m races, along with the mixed gender 4 x 400m team qualified for Tokyo.