Athletes making the grade for summer meets

With more young Bahamian athletes attaining standards for summer meets this past weekend, the list of qualifying athletes is growing as we move closer and closer to regional competition.

There are a number of international meets for junior athletes on the calendar this summer, and sandwiched in between them is the Olympic Games.

The CARIFTA Games have been postponed twice, now set for August 13-15, and still at the Bermuda National Sports Centre in Hamilton, Bermuda. Just a couple days later, the World Athletics Under-20 (U20) Championships will commence – set for August 17-22, at the Moi International Sports Centre in Nairobi, Kenya. The North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) Under-18 and Under-23 Championships is on the calendar for July 9-11, at the Kirani James Athletic Stadium in St. George’s, Grenada. The Pan Am U20 Athletics Championships is still on the calendar as well, set for July 16-18, at the Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos in Santiago, Chile.

Also set to get underway this summer is the inaugural Junior Pan American Games, the responsibility of which, for the Bahamian team, is under the jurisdiction of the Bahamas Olympic Committee (BOC). That event is set for September 9-19 in Cali, Colombia.

Qualifying performances for the summer junior meets for Bahamian athletes have been occurring slowly but surely. This past weekend, at the Red-Line Athletics Track and Field Classic, a total of five athletes qualified outright and another one attained a provisional qualifying mark. There were three qualifiers for the Pan Am U20 Championships, two more for the World U20 Championships, and one for the NACAC Under-18 and Under-23 Championships.

At other meets this weekend, there was one additional qualifier for CARIFTA at the ‘B’ standard, one more for the NACAC Under-18 and Under-23 Championships and another one for the World U20 Championships.

In total, there are 19 Bahamian qualifiers for the CARIFTA Games – one of which is too young, two at the ‘B’ standard, eight for the Pan Am U20 Championships, five for the NACAC Under-18 and Under-23 Championships, and five for the World U20 Championships.

Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ (BAAA) President Drumeco Archer said he’s pleased with the progress of the athletics season so far.

“When you look at the performances that we would have had over the past weekend in particular, with the 

understanding that the season is just ramping up, there is clear evidence of athletes being in superior fitness, and there is still time left to go. I’m looking forward to seeing what they will do in the coming months,” he said.

Attaining the ‘B’ standard for CARIFTA over the weekend was Jeremiah Adderley with a run of 11.08 seconds in the under-17 boys 100 meters (m) at the Red-Line Athletics Classic; and Jasmine Knowles with a time of 55.20 seconds in the under-20 girls 400m at the University of South Florida (USF) Bulls Invitational in Tampa, Florida. The ‘A’ and ‘B’ standards in the under-17 boys 100m are 11.02 and 11.24 seconds, respectively. In the under-20 girls 400m, those standards are 54.76 and 55.85 seconds respectively.

Qualifying outright were Laguerre Clinton in the under-17 boys 400m hurdles in a time of 54.98 seconds, Larcathea Cooper in the under-20 girls 400m hurdles with a time of 1:00.21, Stephan Farquharson in the under-20 boys high jump with a leap of 2.05m (6’ 8-3/4”), and Dion Desamour and Zachary Evans both in the under-20 boys long jump with jumps of 7.34m (24’ 1”) and 7.28m (23’ 10-3/4”) respectively – all at the Red-Line Athletics Meet.

The qualifying standard in the under-17 boys 400m hurdles is 56.48 seconds, the standard in the under-20 girls 400m hurdles is 1:01.91, the standard in the under-20 boys high jump is 2m (6’ 6-3/4”), and the standard in the under-20 boys long jump is 7.23m (23’ 8-3/4”).

Qualifying for the Pan Am U20 Championships over the weekend was Cooper, Wanya McCoy in the under-20 boys 200m in 21.30 seconds, and Otto Laing in the under-20 boys 110m hurdles in 14.43 seconds. The qualifying standards in those events are 1:00.50, 21.30 seconds and 14.70 seconds, respectively.

For the NACAC Under-18 and Under-23 Championships, there was Otabor and Farquharson, and for the World U20s, qualifying over the weekend was Cooper, Otabor and McCoy. For the NACAC Under-18 and Under-23 Championships, Otabor went over the standard of 50.40m (165’ 4”) and Farquaharson matched the standard of 2.05m. For the World U20s, Cooper went under the standard of 1:00.75, Otabor went over the standard of 50.50m (165’ 8”) and McCoy went under the standard for the under-20 boys 200m of 21.38 seconds.

The question now arises: Have athletes qualified too early?

“We’re not worried about that,” said Archer. “We don’t believe they are in peak form as yet. Based on the foundational work that they would have put in, they are at good fitness levels; but we’re optimistic that the coaches are very cautious in the way they are handling these athletes. They have done an excellent job so far in holding the athletes back to ensure that they are peaking at the right time. The athletes themselves will go through various cycles of heavy loading and shedding. Our approach on timing is the way it should be. I believe the athletes will continue to do better as the season progresses.”

Archer said it is likely that junior athletes will compete in senior meets this summer as well, with the two main events being the World Athletics World Relay Championships set for May 1-2 in Chorzów, Poland, and the Olympic Games which will be held July 23 to August 8, in Tokyo, Japan.

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