The Tribune

By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

Following a record-breaking performance on Tuesday, Devynne Charlton remained poised in the 100 metre (m) hurdles semifinals yesterday and booked her ticket to today’s finals.

Sprinter Anthonique Strachan has all the momentum behind her this track season as she left it all on the track in heat one of the 200m sprint race at the National Athletics Stadium.

Day five was a busy one for Team Bahamas at the 19th World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, with the majority of the 11-member team competing on the track and field.

Joining Charlton and Strachan in action were long jumper LaQuan Nairn, javelin champion Rhema Otabor and jumper Charisma Taylor.

TRACK

Charlton was on a mission from the opening round of the women’s 100m hurdles on Tuesday. She finished heat one behind the United States of America (USA) world record holder Kendra Harrison in record-breaking fashion, clocking 12.44. After cementing a new national record time, Charlton stepped on the track one day later and placed second once again, this time stopping the clock at 12.49 seconds to qualify for today’s finals.

The Bahamian will prepare to be the first of the 11-member team to medal following the unfortunate injuries of Shaunae Miller-Uibo during training and Steven Gardiner in the men’s 400m semifinals on Tuesday.

Charlton will battle for a spot on the medal podium against Harrison, Ditaji Kambundji, Tobi Amusan, Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent, Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, Nia Ali and Jamaica’s Danielle Williams.

The 27-year-old will no doubt have to hit the next gear in the race after notching the third fastest time in the semifinals. The record holder Harrison blitzed the competition, clocking the fastest time of the semifinals combined with 12.33.

Additionally, in the opening round on Tuesday, Harrison ran a swift 12.24 to lead the world.

The second fastest time of the semifinals belongs to Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico who ran 12.41 to lead heat three yesterday.

Ultimately, Charlton has the full support of The Bahamas in her quest to medal today in lane six of the 100m hurdles at 3:22pm local time.

Strachan has had a fantastic track season leading up to round one of the 200m heats on Wednesday.

In the morning session, The Bahamian sprinter crossed the finish line first with a time of 22.31 to qualify for the semifinals today. She finished ahead of Daryll Neita hailing from Great Britain and Jaël Bestuè of Spain. The two clocked 22.39 and 22.58 respectively.

Strachan is hoping to advance and enter her first global finals on the big stage.

“I feel very excited. I pulled out of the 100m just to do the 200m so I have basically been sitting down here for five days waiting to run…I hope to produce way faster times and hopefully make my first global finals,” she said.

Following a quad injury at the 18th World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon Strachan said she used the heartbreaking moment to fuel her momentum this season.

“Last year I was very heartbroken in Oregon so it sort of changed my method in how I look at things and made me look at myself and see what I actually did wrong and what I have constantly been doing wrong so I have been trying to revamp those things there,” she said.

Going to the semifinals round with Strachan is none other than the newest 100m world champion from the USA Sha’Carri Richardson. The latter has been on a mission all season long having quite the comeback year following a disappointing stint last time around. The sprinter reeled off the fastest time of the opening round with a blistering 22.16 to win heat two.

Nonetheless, a motivated and rejuvenated Strachan will compete in the semifinals in lane seven at 1:45pm today (local time).

FIELD

NCAA javelin champion Otabor, the youngest member of Team Bahamas, made her global debut in Group B of the women’s javelin. She came into the international competition with a personal best throw of 59.75m and has been on a mission to cross the 60m mark all season long.

Ultimately, the 20-year-old wrapped up her competition debut ranked 15th in Group B with a final throwing distance of 53.62m.

Despite the event not turning out the way the second best women’s javelin thrower in Bahamian history wanted, Otabor is taking it as a learning experience.

“It felt amazing being able to compete with the world’s greatest at this time. I was really excited and a bit nervous but I felt like I was ready to go. Things didn’t turn out how I wanted but I guess it’s still a learning experience,” she said.

University of Tennessee collegiate athlete Taylor got in on the action in the women’s triple jump qualification. The automatic qualifying mark was 14.30 or at least the best twelve qualify for the finals. Taylor came up short in Group B after jumping to 13.51m in the competition.

Injuries once again got the best of Team Bahamas this time targeting Nairn in the long jump. The former Commonwealth Games champion went down with an apparent ankle injury in the event on Wednesday’s morning session.

The World Athletics Championships will wrap up on Sunday.