The Nassau Guardian
Bahamas gets rave reviews for world relays
The Bahamas won more than silver at the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Relays. It won the love of many of the athletes, journalists and visitors who attended the event this past weekend.
Several online sporting websites posted glowing reviews of the relays, which were held in The Bahamas for the first time.
Alan Abrahamson of www.3wiresports.com said the meet had passion.
“Passion is what track and field needs,” he wrote.
“Passion is what The Bahamas delivered, along with great weather, spectacular scenery, a Junkanoo band, fantastic hospitality, first-rate facilities and a fast track that produced three world records, 37 national records and, overall, saw the U.S. team — and especially the U.S. women — dominate the meet.”
The two-day sporting event was held at Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium.
The Bahamas’ only medal was in the men’s 4x400 meter relay in what many Bahamians have called a heartbreaking, but superb race.
“If the Bahamian team had won that gold medal, I think we would’ve had to close Nassau on Monday,” Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Dr. Daniel Johnson said.
“You would’ve had to have a public holiday, and I don’t know how we were going to get out of that stadium that night.”
Abrahamson described that race as “an advertisement for track and field”.
“It was great theater,” he wrote.
There were three world records broken at the meet and thousands packed the stadium to support Team Bahamas.
In an article appearing on the sports website Spikes, Bahamians were listed as the “prototype sports fan”.
“The noise inside the Thomas A. Robinson Stadium was never less than deafening,” said the article, entitled “Bah-Mazing”.
“The spine-tingling, three-minute-long roar generated during the men’s 4x400 meters final will be remembered for years to come.”
Following the relays, IAAF President Lamine Diack said the IAAF “experienced a true sporting paradise” in The Bahamas.
“The people have embraced the IAAF World Relays and the noise of their support will be left ringing in our memories for many years to come,” he said.
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