Given the unavailability of professional athletes, due to conflicting schedules, and college athletes, due to school commitments and them not being released, The Bahamas had a subdued representation in the relays at the inaugural North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) New Life Invitational at the Ansin Sports Complex in Miramar, Florida, this past Saturday, and are, therefore, still on the outside looking in as far as qualification for the Olympic Games is concerned.
The Bahamas had representation in the men’s and women’s 4×100 meters (m) relay, and the men’s 4x400m relay at the World Athletics Continental Tour Silver Meet.
In the women’s 4x100m relay, the team of collegiate athlete Denisha Cartwright, professional athletes Tynia Gaither and Pedrya Seymour, and high school athlete Paige Archer, in that order, ran a time of 44.41 seconds for second. Trinidad & Tobago won in 43.96 seconds.
The Bahamas’ time is the country’s best in the qualifying period, but still more than a second faster than the final cutoff time for the Tokyo Olympics. Nigeria currently holds the final cutoff time, 43.05 seconds.
In the men’s 4x100m relay, the team of Karon Dean, Keanu Pennerman, Ian Kerr and Kendrick Thompson, in that order, finished fourth in 40.49 seconds. Jamaica won in 39.22 seconds, Trinidad & Tobago’s ‘A’ team was second in 39.75 seconds and Trinidad & Tobago’s ‘B’ team was third in 40.30 seconds.
The Bahamas’ best time in the qualifying period is 39.49 seconds, and the final cutoff time for the Olympics is 38.47 seconds, ran by Turkey. The Bahamas would have to run a new national record to qualify. The national record is 38.52 seconds, done by Adrian Griffith, Warren Fraser, Shavez Hart and Teray Smith at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
In the men’s 4x400m relay, The Bahamas’ team of high school athlete Wendell Miller, ‘Golden Knight’ Michael Mathieu, high school athlete Wanya McCoy and Grand Bahamian Alonzo Russell, in that order, ran 3:03.51 for first. The only other nation in the race, Mexico, finished in 3:04.17. The 3:03.51 time is the fastest for The Bahamas in the qualifying period, but the final cutoff time is 3:02.89, done by Mexico.
There was no women’s 4x400m relay or mixed relay at the New Life Invitational on Saturday.
Individually, on Saturday, Seymour was third in the women’s 100m hurdles in a wind-aided 12.81 seconds, after running a wind-aided 12.78 seconds in the heats. Tobi Amusan, of Nigeria, won in a wind-aided 12.44 seconds, and Andrea Vargas, of Costa Rica, finished second in a wind-aided 12.76 seconds.
Gaither didn’t run in the women’s 100m final after clocking the sixth-fastest time in the heats – a wind-aided 11.19 seconds.
Gaither came back in the 200m and finished fourth in 23.10 seconds, just being edged out by Jodie Williams, of Great Britain, who had the same time, but finished third. Jamaican Eliane Thompson-Herah won in 22.54 seconds and American Kyra Jefferson finished second in 22.77 seconds.
In the men’s 200m, Smith finished third in a wind-aided 20.92 seconds. Daveon Collins, of the United States, won in a wind-aided 20.73 seconds, and Kyle Greaux, of Trinidad & Tobago, was second in a wind-aided 20.84 seconds.
Russell was third in the men’s 400m, clocking 46.44 seconds. Deon Lendore, of Trinidad & Tobago, won in 45.48 seconds, and American LaShawn Merritt, a former World and Olympic Champion, finished second in 46.22 seconds.
Collegiate athlete Xavier Coakley ran in the men’s 110m hurdles but failed to make the final, finishing ninth overall in 14.08 seconds. Kinard Rolle started the men’s 800m but did not finish.
Meanwhile, over at the Hungarian Grand Prix Series Tatabánya at Grosics Gyula Arena in Tatabánya, Hungary on Saturday – a World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze meeting – Bahamian national record holder in the women’s 100m hurdles, Devynne Charlton, sped to a first place finish in 12.85 seconds to finish ahead of hometown favorite Luca Kozak who clocked 12.92 seconds. Sviatlana Parakhonka, of Belarus, finished third in 12.99 seconds.
The other Bahamian in action at the meet, Trevor Barry, finished seventh in the men’s high jump with a clearance of 2.14m (7’ 0-1/4”).
The rapidly approaching Olympics is set for July 23 to August 8, in Tokyo, Japan.
There are still four spots available in the men’s 4×100m relay – four in the men’s and women’s 4x400m, three in the mixed 4x400m relay and two in the women’s 4x100m relay. Those remaining slots will be determined by world rankings as of June 29, 2021, but for a team to qualify, the time must be posted at a World Athletics sanctioned meet, and at least two countries must be entered in the field of competitors.
The 5th Blue Marlin Last Chance Meet at the Thomas A. Robinson National
Stadium on Monday, June 28, will serve as a final qualifier for Bahamian relay teams, and individual athletes, trying to qualify for the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Team Bahamas is trying to avoid not having a relay team at the Olympics for the first time since the 1992 Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. If any of the qualified teams pull out of the Olympics, that would open up an additional spot or two for teams looking to qualify.
The post Relay teams come up short in Miramar appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.
source https://thenassauguardian.com/relay-teams-come-up-short-in-miramar/
No comments:
Post a Comment