The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

TOKYO, Japan — Despite a slight injury, veteran Anthonique Strachan fought back in the nick of time across the finish line in the women’s 200 metres semi-finals to book her ticket in Friday’s final.

In becoming the second Bahamian to secure a final spot at the 20th World Championships, Strachan’s usual comeback on the home stretch lowered her season’s best to 22.48 seconds for fourth place.

But she paid a price for her gallant efforts. 

As she drew closer to the line inside the Japan National Stadium, she started to slow down and hobbled across as she grabbed her left leg. 

Once she struggled over the line, her Jamaican training partner Shericka Jackson was there to greet and console her as she grimaced in pain.

Jackson, the defending champion from Budapest, Hungary, had just won the heat in the fastest qualifying time of  21.99 when she looked around to express her concern for her close Bahamian friend.

As the race unfolded at the line, Great Britain’s Amy Hunt finished in 22.08 for the second automatic spot for the final.

American Brittany Brown, who won the heat over Strachan in the first round, got third in 22.13 for the first fastest losing time to also book her spot in the final.

Unexpectedly, there was a revision of the final listing with three fastest losing qualifiers as American McKenzie Long joined Brown and Strachan after running the same time as Strachan for third in the third heat for ninth overall. 

As she came through the mixed zone, Strachan spoke briefly with the media.

She indicated that she thought she was hydrated properly but said she felt she had drank more water than electrolytes. “With the change in temperature, it was hot when I arrived and then it started to get breezy, which brought down the temperature and then it started to rain,” Strachan said.

When asked about the race and also if she was disappointed with the injury that slowed her down, Strachan declined comments. Jackson, the 31-year-old multiple medalist at both the Olympic Games and the World Championships, said Strachan had a cramp and she wanted to check on her before they went into the final. 

Hopefully, the 32-year-old Strachan will hope to bounce back from the injury to run the final on Friday at 10:22 pm (9:22 am EST) when she runs out of lane one in the final. 

The rest of the field, with Long included in lane two, comprise of Brown in three, Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith from the Ivory Coast in four, Hunt in five, American 100m champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden in six, Jackson in seven, American Anavia Battle in eight and Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith in nine.

Strachan, still looking for her first senior global international medal after she dominated as the World junior sprint champion in 2012, advanced to the final on Wednesday in the heats.

In the fourth of six heats, she ran her previous season’s best of 22.57 for second behind Brown’s winning time of 22.50 as they advanced to the semifinals with the two automatic times.

Coming off her victory in the 200m at the North American, Central American and Caribbean Championships in Grand Bahama in August, Strachan goes into the final with a lifetime best of 22.15 she ran on May 28, 2023.

She follows Deevynne Charlton, the first member of the Bahamas’ 15-member team to reach a final at these championships, accomplishing her feat in her specialty in the women’s 100m hurdles. 

The two-time world indoor 60m champion and world record holder, advanced to the final of the women’s 100m hurdles where she placed sixth in a season’s best of 12.49 running out of lane nine.

The Bahamas, without a medal to its ledger yet, still has two more competitors who have yet to compete.

Today, Olympian Rhema Otabor, the Pan American Games’ silver medalist, will join Strachan in action when she contests the qualifying rounds of the women’s javelin.

The Bahamian national record holder with her lifetime best of 64.19m and a season’s best of 62.94m will be the 16th competitor in action in Group B. starting at 7:30 pm or 6:30 am EST. 

If the 22-year-old NACAC bronze medalist in Grand Bahama in August advances, the final will take place on Saturday at 9:05 pm or 8:05 am EST.

Also on Saturday, 28-year-old Kendrick Thompson will be the last Bahamian to compete when he enters the men’s decathlon with the first events in the 200m, long jump, shot put, high jump and 400m. 

The former Bahamian national record holder and the NACAC silver medalist with a personal best of 8,182 points will compete in the final five events on Sunday.

They include the 110m hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and the grueling 1,500m as he brings the curtain down on Team Bahamas’ appearances at this year’s championships.

Unfortunately, the Bahamas won’t participate in any relays in the championship that concludes on Sunday, but there’s hope for the return in the 21st edition in Beijing, China from September 11-19, 2027.