Head coach Dianne Woodside-Johnson and relay coordinator Rupert Gardiner overlook the women’s 4 x 100m relay practice before the World Championships.

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#HEAD coach Dianne Woodside-Johnson said it was her responsibility to put out the best team possible to represent the Bahamas at the 16th International Amateur Athletic Federation World Championship in London, England last week.

#As a result, she took exception to remarks by national record holder Steven Gardiner, who defied her orders to run in the heats of the men’s 4 x 400 metre relay on Saturday, more than three days after he opened the country’s medal account at the event.

#In giving his side of the story after it was reported in the media that he “refused” to run in the relay, Gardiner said he had informed Woodside-Johnson that he was still recuperating from running a blistering 43.89 seconds to lower his national record in the individual 400m semifinal and booked his lane in the final.

#Gardiner, 21, said he was also recovering from the flu, but claimed none of that was taken into consideration when he was told by Woodside-Johnson that he had to run the heats to ensure that the team got into the final.

#Back home from the championships and reviewing Gardiner’s comments, Johnson-Woodside said she will provide a full report to the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations on what really transpired.

#But she didn’t mince her words on responding to certain things that Gardiner had to say.

#“I don’t wish to play this out in the media. It will be detailed in my report,” she said. “But I thought it was quite interesting about what he had to say. When I did the interview, I told the athlete that if he had not run in the heat, it was highly unlikely that there would have been a final.

#“That’s when he refused to run. He said I disliked him because I don’t coach him, but everybody knows that I am an educator for all of his lifetime and I love all kids. I am a professional and I love all kids. It doesn’t matter who I coach, every athlete can attest to the fact that I don’t favour anyone.”

#She said it seemed as if this was Gardiner’s way of trying to cover up the reason why he chose not to run in the heats, in favour of running in the final if the team qualified.

#Without Gardiner, the team of Alonzo Russell, Michael Mathieu, Ojay Ferguson and Ramon Miller ran a season’s best of three minutes and 03.04 for seventh place in their heat and 11th overall, denying the Bahamas a chance to compete in the final.

#“The truth was he refused to run in the heat,” Woodside-Johnson said.

#She also noted that whatever changes were made to the relay teams were discussed with the coaching staff, including relay coordinator Rupert Gardiner, the day before and they then advised the athletes.

#“The only change on the morning of the day the relay took place, we discussed the order and everybody agreed, except for one, which was Anthonique Strachan, who really wanted to run the 4 x 1, but we needed her for the 4 x 4,” Woodside-Johnson said. “That was the only change.

#“Kendrick Thompson, who was mentioned in the article, his name was never considered for any relay, which was discussed by the coaches. I think the truth will come out, everyone will have their say and they will let you exactly what happened.

#“That is as much as I would like to say in the media at this time. All of the other things that he (Gardiner) said, which I feel were disrespectful, I won’t respond to them at this time.”

The Bahamas in action in the men’s 4×400 relay heats. None of the relays teams managed to qualify. (AP)

Saturday, August 12, 2017

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#LONDON, England: One by one the Bahamas teams were eliminated in the preliminaries of the women and men’s 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 metre relays on Saturday, abruptly ending the country’s appearance at the 16th IAAF World Championships.

#There was one drama after the other for Team Bahamas just before the final day of competition on Sunday in what can be classified as a very strange championships.

#Traditionally, the Bahamas would have a lane in the grand finale in the men’s 4 x 4m relay. But that was not the case this year as the team of Alonzo Russell, Michael Mathieu, Ojay Ferguson and ran a season’s best of three minutes and 03.04 seconds for sixth place in heat two – putting them in 11th place overall and out of contention for the showdown on Sunday.

#Spain, surprisingly, took the top spot in a season’s best of 3:01.72 in the heat, but the Bahamian athletes felt that they didn’t go to “war” with their best team as 400m national record holder Steven Gardiner didn’t run with them.

#Just before that, the quartet of Lanece Clarke, Christine Amertil, Anthonique Strachan and Shaquania Dorsett didn’t get to complete the last of the two women’s 4 x 4m heats after Amertil tripped legs with another runner and fell.

#She laid on her back until the race was done before she could get some medical attention. Eventually, she was treated and, although she said she had a terrible headache and was going back to the games village to get further assessment from team doctor Keir Miller and physiotherapist Eugenia Patton, she was okay, but disappointed that she let the team down, especially Dorsett, who didn’t get to make her debut at a major global event.

#If that’s wasn’t enough, the women’s 4 x 100m team of Devynne Charlton, Carmiesha Cox, Janae Ambrose and TyNia Gaither never completed their heats of the women’s 4 x 100m after Cox and Ambrose couldn’t connect the baton on the second exchange.

#Gaither, fresh off sharing a piece of history with Shaunae Miller-Uibo as the first two Bahamians to run in a final of the women’s 200m at these championships, was peeved because the team didn’t spend sufficient time preparing for the competition.

#And although the men’s 4 x 100m team of Warren Fraser, Shavez Hart, Sean Stuart and Teray Smith finished their heat in seventh place in 39.35, they were disqualified. The team wasn’t informed until after they had already gone to warm down.

#So as it turned out, the Bahamas has a disastrous showing in the relays with none of the teams moving on. As a result, the Bahamas will only end up with two medals, a silver from Gardiner in the men’s 400m and a bronze from Miller-Uibo in the women’s 200m.

#When asked what transpired with the teams, relay coordinator Rupert Gardiner said it was just a series of circumstances that will have to be addressed from the executive level of the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations.

#“To tell you the truth, but I don’t know how to say this. You cannot come up on the day of the meet and put relay teams together,” he said. “If we practice the teams and we go over the relays, as the relay coordinator, you have to trust my judgement.”

#Gardiner said there was clearly some dissension in the team camp and it showed when the final decision was made by the management on who will run as opposed to who will not run. 

#“I’m not going to be the fall guy for the performances of the relay team,” he insisted. “I’m disappointed how they performed. It’s not their fault, it has to be put on management. That’s the way I feel about it.”

#The team was co-managed by Maybeline Miller and Carl Oliver, who were not available for comments. But head coach Dianne Woodside-Johnson said there was no doubt that Team Bahamas had a rough day

#“We had some really good exchange practices, but of course when they go out there, we really don’t know what’s going to happen,” she stressed. “We had some major instances out there today and I’m disappointed, but the athletes went out there and did their best and things just happened this morning and we didn’t fare as well.”

#Read a full account of how things transpired in The Tribune on Monday.

Shaunae Miller-Uibo

Tuesday, August 1, 2017

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#WHEN the 16th International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) World Championships gets underway this weekend in London, England, Bahamas women’s quarter-miler Shaunae Miller-Uibo will have a tall order to fill.

#The 2016 Olympic Games’ gold medalist and leader of the Bahamian 25-member team seems to be fit and ready for the duties ahead of her as she attempts to complete the 200 and 400 metre double for women over a five-day span.

#No woman has ever won the 200/400m combo at the championships since its inauguration in 1983 in Helsinki, Finland. If Miller-Uibo does it, she will join American Michael Johnson, who made the achievement on the men’s side in 1995 in Gothenburg, Sweden.

#She didn’t get a chance at the double last year at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro due to a tight schedule, but Miller-Uibo said her focus has been on that goal all season long with the format adjusted to accommodate her this year.

#“I’m prepared for the rounds, but, as I stated earlier this season, my main focus will still be the 400m,” she told The Tribune, while completing her training in Europe prior to heading to London to join up with her Bahamian teammates.

#The 400m has always been her specialty.

#Last year in Rio, she dove across the finish line to win the 400m title at the Olympics over American Allyson Felix as she avenged a loss in the final at the last World Championships in Beijing, China in 2015.

#Miller-Uibo, who celebrated her 23rd birthday on April 15, said she’s been training hard in preparation for her third appearance in the championships when she’s expected to face Felix in another epic showdown.

#Going into London, Miller-Uibo has posted the third fastest time this year – 49.77 seconds that she ran in Shanghai, China on May 13. Felix ran a world leading time of 49.65 in the pre-World Championship meet in London on July 9 with fellow American Quanera Hayes taking the USA Championships title in 49.72 in Sacramento, California on June 26.

#As for the 200m, Miller-Uibo’s time of 21.91 in Eugene, Oregon on May 27 puts her in second place behind her American training partner Tori Bowie, who won the race in Eugene in 21.77.

#Although there are a number of top-notch competitors to face in London, including Jamaica’s double Olympic gold medalist Elaine Thompson and 2015 world champion Dafne Schippers of the Netherlands in the half-lap race, Miller-Uibo said she’s up to the task.

#“I know the competition will be stiff, but once again I’m going out there to have fun and enjoy the moments and put on a great show for the crowd and of course the Bahamian people who I know would be watching,” she insisted.

#Miller-Uibo is looking to become just the second Bahamian to win a World Championship one-lap gold medal, joining Tonique Williams, who set the pace in her historic feat in 2005 in Helsinki, Finland.

#Miller-Uibo is also the second Bahamian to win a silver medal at the championships, following in the footsteps of Pauline Davis, whose accomplishment came in 1995 in Gothenburg, Sweden.

#As for the half-lap race, Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie holds the distinction of being the only medalist at the championships, earning a gold medal in 2001 in Edmonton, Canada.

#For those who will be tracking her progress, the preliminaries of the women’s 400m will take place on Sunday, August 6. The semifinal will run on Monday, August 7 and the final will be contested on Wednesday, August 9.

#The preliminaries of the 200m will start on Tuesday, August 8 as well with the semifinal on Thursday and the final on Friday, August 11.

#In addition to Miller-Uibo, the Bahamas will send two more competitors to the starting line-up with TyNia Gaither and Anthonique Strachan in the mix.

#Gaither, now in her first round of competition as a professional athlete, is tied with Jamaican Shashalee Forbes with the 13th best time of 22.71, while Strachan, who is slowly returning to form after a series of injuries, is tied with Justine Palframan of the Republic of South Africa with the 22nd best time of 22.84.

#With her heavy load at the nine-day championships, Miller-Uibo said she would only be available to run on the women’s 4 x 400m relay team if the team advances to the final.

#The preliminary round of the 1600m relay will take place on Saturday, August 12 and the final will be staged on Sunday, August 13 when the championships come to a close.

#“Due to the numerous rounds from the double, when the ladies make it to the final, I can help out,” she said.

#Named to the women’s relay pool are Strachan, Christine Amertil, Doneisha Anderson, Lanece Clarke and Shaquania Dorsett. The Bahamas has the 13th best time going into the championships with the national record performance of 3:26.36 by Clarke, Strachan, Carmiesha Cox and Amertil at the Rio Olympics.

#Cox is on the Bahamas team in London in the 4 x 100m pool with Keianna Albury, Jenae Ambrose, Devynne Charlton, Gaither and Strachan. It’s not known if Cox will also be made available for the 4 x 400m relay.

#The Bahamas qualified for London in the women’s 4 x 100m relay by placing sixth in 44.01 in the final of the third IAAF World Relays at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium on April 23 with the quartet of Devine Parker, Brianne Bethel, Tayla Carter and Gaither.

#The Bahamas is still searching for its first medal in the four-lap (4 x 400m) relay to go with the one lap (4 x 100m) gold that the team of Savatheda Fynes, Chandra Sturrup, Davis, Ferguson-McKenzie and Eldece Clarke won in 1999 in Seville, Spain and the silver the team of Sheniqua Ferguson, Sturrup, Amertil and Ferguson-McKenzie achieved in 2009 in Berlin, Germany.

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZrBsi1hs4bw%3Ffeature%3Doembed

Shaunae Miller speaks to Brent Stubbs by Tribune242

Shaunae Miller on the ground after winning the 400m final. (AP)

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#RIO de Janeiro, Brazil — With the bruises and bumps to show, Bahamian Shaunae Miller said the dive across the finish line at the Olympic Stadium was worth the gold she will receive for the Bahamian people.

#Miller, 22, emerged as the 2016 Olympic Games women’s 400 metre champion, clocking a personal best of 49.44 seconds to hold off a late surge by American Allyson Felix in the epic rematch between the two gladiators on the world’s biggest stage last night.

#Felix was hoping for her second straight major victory over Miller but it was not meant to be.

#In similar fashion to last year when Felix pulled away and snatched the gold at the 2015 IAAF World Championships in Beijing, China, Miller duplicated the feat, turning the tables on Felix, who didn’t have enough real estate and had to settle for the silver in a season’s best of 49.51.

#And in a rematch of last year’s final, Jamaican Shericka Jackson picked up another bronze in 49.85. The only difference was the two medals switched places at the top and Miller used her 6-foot, 1-inch frame to return the favour to Felix.

Shaunae Miller dives across the finish line. (AP)

#“Before we started the race, the last thing my coaches said was just give me your all and we will be satisfied with that,” said Miller, who had lost out again to Felix in a semi-final showdown the night before as the American came from behind and pulled away for the win.

#“Before I went into the blocks, I said ‘God, I’m leaving this in your hands, I’m going to execute my race and however I finish, I know that God is going to help me’. He did. I know everybody is talking about the dive or the fall. But I don’t know what happened. My mind just went blank and the next thing I know I was on the ground.”

#It was the first final for athletics at these games as Miller became just the second Bahamian to achieve the Olympic feat, joining national record holder Tonique Williams-Darling, who set the stage in Athens, Greece, when she ascended the podium. Williams then won the gold again at the IAAF World Championships in Helsinki, Finland.

#During the race, Miller got out to a comfortable lead in lane seven. But on the back stretch, she was challenged by American Natasha Hastings in four, who pulled up beside her. But she shook that off going through the final curve.

#Off the bend, Miller was again in total control of the race. This time, Felix tried to reel her in. She managed to close the gap at the end, but Miller had one surprise for her. She didn’t run through the line or try to nip her. Instead, she must have gotten some pointers from three-time Olympic swimmer Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace before she left on Sunday, as she dove across the line.

#“I saw Allyson the last 20 metres of the race and then my mind just blanked after that,” Miller stressed. “The only thing I was thinking about was the gold medal. I was on the ground and I heard my mother (Maybelene Miller, who was near the finish line) screeching, so I knew I must have gotten the gold.

#“But I’m just so thankful right now.”

#That put the Bahamas in a five-way tie for 45th place on the medal standings with Fiji, Kosovo, Puerto Rico and Sinapore as the United States continues to control the leaderboard.

#While she will waits for tonight to hear the national anthem played and the Bahamian flag raised during the medal presentation, Miller said she’s going to wait until her fiancé Maicel Uibo from Estonia is done competing in the men’s decathlon before the celebrations begin.

#She will be sharing the moment with her parents, including Shaun Miller, who is an assistant coach on the team, and Uibo’s mother, who is also here, before she looks towards coming home for whatever is planned for her to share the experience with the Bahamian people.

#In the meantime, Miller said she’s just going to enjoy being called an “Olympic champion”.

#It’s her first global medal since silver in the World Championship last year after claiming the bronze from the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Sopot in 2014.

#The back-to-back 2010 IAAF World Junior Championship and 2011 IAAF World Youth Championship champion recovered from her disappointment four years ago when she wasn’t able to complete in the preliminaries of the women’s 400m in her Olympic debut, coming off the first turn with a slight hamstring injury.

#Monday night, there was nothing that was going to stop her, not even Felix, who stunned her in the semi-final the day before. The night belonged to Shaunae Miller, even if she had to add a little of another sport. She will recover from the cuts and bruises as Olympic champion.

#The only thing that Miller didn’t do was break Williams’ Bahamian national record of 49.07 that she established on September 12, 2004 in Berlin, Germany. She said that she will take on that feat next year as she pursues her first medal at the IAAF World Championships in Tokyo, Japan.

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#RIO de Janeiro, Brazil — Shaunae Miller said it was so surreal for her to finally receive her Olympic gold medal.

#It happened last night, one day after she stunned American Allyson Felix by diving across the finish line to become just the second Bahamian to win gold, receiving it from one of the Bahamas’ ‘Golden Girls,’ IAAF councilwoman Pauline Davis-Thompson in the ceremony at the Olympic Stadium.

#“It’s such an amazing feeling. I just thank God for it,” Miller told The Tribune after she received the medal. “I worked so hard for it.”

#The hard work is over and Miller began celebrating with her family and the Bahamian delegation.

#She said her biggest thrill was when she got to walk out of the tunnel and into the stadium with Felix and Jamaican Shericka Jackson to hear the national anthem played and the national flag raised.

#“I am so excited and happy that I get to bring home a gold medal for the Bahamas,” she stated.

#Twenty four hours since the accomplishment that drew mixed reviews all over social media and buzzed throughout the media centre after the dive, Miller said it still hasn’t sunk in that she is the Olympic champion.

#“It’s still so surreal that I won the Olympic gold,” Miller stressed. “I’m just going to enjoy the moment with my family, who are all here and continue to cheer on the rest of the Bahamian athletes as they compete. She also has some vested interest in Estonia as her fiancé Maicel Uibo is competing in the decathlon.

#But with the Bahamas women’s 4 x 400m relay team getting ready to compete on Friday in the preliminary rounds, Miller said she’s not certain that she will be able to suit up.

#“I have to go to the doctor to check out the bruises,” said Miller about the minor injuries to her body she sustained when she dove head first, scraping her arms and stomach area.

#If she’s not ready to compete, Miller said she will be there to support her team-mates 100 per cent on the stands.

Thursday, August 18, 2016

GOLDEN GIRLS: ‘Golden Girl’ and IAAF Councilwoman Pauline Davis-Thompson said it was an honour to present the gold medal to Olympic 400 metre champion Shaunae Miller at the Olympic stadium on Tuesday night.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#RIO de Janeiro, Brazil — From one Olympic champion to another, IAAF Councilwoman Pauline Davis-Thompson said it was an honour to present the medal to Bahamian women’s 400 metre champion Shaunae Miller during the presentation in the Olympic stadium on Tuesday night.

#The presentation was done following the awesome performance on Monday night when she had a famous dive across the finish line to hold off the late attack from American Allyson Felix, who last year came away with the gold at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing, China where she ran away from Miller.

#“Shaunae had an amazing performance. She is a very gifted and talented athlete. I was very happy to see that she really wanted it and she went after it from the gun,” Davis-Thompson said. “She is our future and she continues to hold her head, she should have a terrific future ahead of her.”

#Davis-Thompson said she was delighted to have been able to join Miller, especially after the fact that she (Pauline) didn’t get to celebrate in that manner when she won the silver in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, but was eventually awarded the gold after the games because of a doping ban on American Marion Jones.

#“The medal is really for her family to touch and feel because of all the love and support that they have given to her,” said Davis-Thompson, who was presented with her gold in a ceremony at Government House. “But to have the national anthem played and the flag raised is for all of the Bahamian people. This was our time to celebrate with her.”

#Obviously, the celebrations are just starting to build for Miller.

#For their part, the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture’s director of sports, Timothy Munnings, said the government’s policy calls for Olympic individual gold medallists to receive $40,000 and hopefully she will receive that.

#As a part of interest, $30,000 goes for silver and and $20,000 for bronze. All members of the relay teams will split $80,000 for gold, $60,000 for silver and $40,000 for bronze.

#As for the celebratory activities on her return home, Munnings said the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture staff is currently putting everything in place and in short order, an official statement will be made.

#As a former quarter-miler, Munnings called Miller’s performance one of the greatest in Bahamian history.

#“Shaunae did a fantastic job. We knew that Allyson Felix was a definite threat. She’s an experienced runner, so I knew that Shaunae had to take it out,” her said. “When the gun cracked, she was so aggressive. I’ve never seen her that aggressive, I knew it was all over. Allyson made an attempt to come back on her, but Shaunae held on, it was all over.”

#Now the celebrations begin and the remunerations will start to kick in.

#And Bahamas Olympic Committee president Wellington Miller said he was delighted to witness the feat.

#“It feels so good walking around the hotel and everybody congratulating you,” Miller said. “She did a fantastic job and we look forward to bigger and better things from her in the future.”

BAAA president Drumeco Archer and Pauline Davis-Thompson.

Monday, September 30, 2019

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#DOHA, Qatar — After serving for two consecutive terms as a Councilwoman of the International Amateur Athletic Federation, Pauline Davis-Thompson’s tenure will officially be over at the end of the 17th World Championships here on Sunday, October 7.

#Davis-Thompson, in an interview with The Tribune at the Khalifa International Stadium, said she has no regrets about her achievement.

#The interview was conducted on the 19th year anniversary on Sunday that Davis-Thompson would have won the silver medal in the women’s 200 metres, but elevated to gold after disgraced American Marion Jones was stripped of her victory at the 2000 Olympic Games on September 28 in Sydney, Australia. It also came two days before the actual date of September 30, 2000 when Davis-Thompson along with Sevatheda Fynes, Chandra Sturrup, Eldece Clarke-Lewis and Debbie Ferguson were crowned the “Golden Girls” after their gold medal performance in the women’s 4 x 100m relay at the same Olympics.

#“I was really, really sad when I learned that it was coming to an end because I know that there is so much more that I can give to the world and to the sport of track and field,” Davis-Thompson said. “I was so surprised when I got this amazing award and I am still in shock. It feels like I am living a dream and that it is not a reality because there are very few persons and only one other woman to receive the award.”

#During the IAAF Congress, Davis-Thompson was named as an Honorary Life Person Member of the IAAF, a recognition that was bestowed upon her by Sebastian Coe, who was re-elected as the IAAF president.

#“I didn’t know that I had worked that hard and as recognised that well by my peers in the IAAF to receive such a recognition,” Davis-Thompson said. “I am just humbled and honoured to be recognised in that manner.”

#As she prepares to demit office, Davis-Thompson said she will continue to serve as a honorary member of the IAAF, which will afford her the rights to receive some of the perks that she did as a council member.

#But her aim is to continue to work with the IAAF in promoting the sport and through her role as a consultant with the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, more specifically in the Bahamas.

#However, she noted that not having gained the support of the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations and the Bahamas Olympic Committee, she’s not sure to what extent she will make her contribution to those bodies at home.

#“I am grateful to the Davis family that raised me and provided me with the support from the start of my track and field career as an athlete all the way to serve at the highest level of the sport in the IAAF.

#“I also want to thank the BAAA for providing the platform for me to get to this level because without them, I don’t know if I would have accomplished it. So I am grateful to them as well.”

#Davis-Thompson said now that her reign is coming to an end, she will also focus more attention on the launch of the Golden Girls Delite Smoothies, a nutritional product that she has already introduced to the Bahamian public at the Farmer’s Market.

#But if there is one thing that Davis-Thompson would like to see in the Bahamas, it would be a sports academy where the local athletes can be properly groomed, not just in competing, but presenting themselves so that they can be well-rounded ambassadors for the country.

#“I’m going to try and open my mini sports academy, but I’m hoping that the Bahamas Government will see the need for us to really get it together and get a proper sports academy with a weight room facility so that our athletes can get the full benefits of training at home,” she said.

#“So I will be selling my smoothies and working on ways to get the sports academy up and running. I don’t know how I will achieve it yet, but I’m hoping that corporate Bahamas will come on board and help out.”

#As she prepares to close another chapter in her illustrious track and field career, Davis-Thompson will cherish the three Olympic medals – the other being a silver on the women’s 4 x 00m relay in Atlanta, Georgia in 1996.

#From the IAAF standpoint, she would have won a gold medal with the Golden Girls in Seville, Spain in 1999 and a silver in the 400m in Gothenburg, Sweden in 1995. She also earned a silver and bronze in the 200m at the IAAF Indoor Championships in Barcelona, Spain in 1995 and Maebashi, Japan in 1999.

#The 53-year-old graduate of the Government High School and the University of Alabama, was first elected as an IAAF Councilwoman in 2007. She was -re-elected in 2011 and 2015.

#However, because of the election of Mike Sands as the new president of the North American and Central American and Caribbean (NACAC), Davis-Thompson could not be re-elected as the IAAF constitution doesn’t allow for two members of a country to sit on the executive board.

#As the NACAC president, Sands will serve as a member of the IAAF’s executive board. His position will take effect following the completion of the championships.

#In departing, Davis-Thompson said she holds no ill feelings towards the BAAA because she enjoyed her tenure in the IAAF’s office. She’s not sure if she will be accepted to serve as a member of the BAAA executive, having served on the IAAF board.

#She also noted that after attempting twice to become a member of the Bahamas Olympic Committee, she’s not sure if she will pursue that either because she believes a “profit is not accepted in her home.”

#But she said if the opportunity presents itself for her to serve in any capacity in the future, she will be more than willing to step forward for her beloved country, the Bahamas.

The Golden Girls – the famous winning quartet from 2000

By Brent Stubbs

Monday, September 28, 2020

Pauline Davis-Thompson

#IT took her fifth and final Olympic Games in 2000 in Sydney, Australia for Pauline Davis-Thompson to ascend the podium to finally secure her elusive individual track and field medal on the world’s biggest sporting stage.

#Today, 20 years later – September 28 to be exact – Thompson strolls down memory lane as she remembers how, at 34-years-old, she trailed American Marion Jones in the Olympic Stadium for the silver and ahead of Susanthika Jayasinghe from Sri Lanka.

#However, 10 years later after Jones was stripped of her prized possession, Davis-Thompson also reviewed how she was elevated to the gold, receiving her new hardware from Alberto Juantorena, the Cuban double 400/800 champion and IAAF executive, in a ceremony held at Government House by the Bahamas Olympic Committee on December 9, 2009.

#While Davis-Thompson was presented with the gold, Jayasinghe got the silver and Jamaican Beverly McDonald earned the bronze.

#Two days later at those games, Davis-Thompson had another memorable experience when she ran the third leg as the team of Savatheda Fynes, Chandra Sturrup and Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie with Eldece Clarke as the alternate powered across the line with the gold in the women’s 4 x 100m relay.

#As she reflects on her historic gold medal anniversary today, Davis-Thompson said she’s still flabbergasted by the achievement.

#“When I won the medal, I was also ecstatic, I was so excited. I always knew that I would be an Olympic medallist,” she said. “I knew that I was the Olympic champion because we had a suspicion that Marion was not as clean as she appeared.

#“I remember after the race, we were in doping control and I asked if we were going to have any blood tests done that night and they told us no and my heart stopped. I saw the nasty look from her coach (Trevor Graham) and I gave it right back at him.”

#After falling short of getting on the podium in her specialty in the 400m with a fourth place four years earlier at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, Davis-Thompson felt her turn to succeed was coming in Sydney. She just didn’t know what colour the medal would be.

#“I worked so long and so hard to get on that podium,” Davis-Thompson stressed. “I did it honesty, I did it fairly. I fell down a couple of times, but I got back up and I kept pushing myself.

#“So when I did it, I was so disappointed that I didn’t get to hear the national anthem at the games. I wanted that experience so bad. I wanted to prove that the small countries could do it just like the big ones did.”

#Although it followed the epic Olympic moment produced by Frank Rutherford as he earned the Bahamas’ first track and field medal in the triple jump at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, Davis-Thompson said it was just as special being the first to achieve the feat on the track.

#“I wanted the Americans to stand up to our flag and lift up their heads to it,” Davis stressed. “I wanted them to stand at attention as our national anthem was played. That was really supposed to be paramount to me.”

#Before she left the land known as ‘Down Under,’ Davis-Thompson got that opportunity in the 4 x 100m relay as the “Golden Girls” struck gold again, one year after the same five athletes established themselves as queens with their victory at the IAAF World Championships in Seville, Spain.

#As a young girl out of Fleming Street, Davis-Thompson’s rise to the top of the highest sporting spectacular in the world came after she first made her debut at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, California where as a teenage student-athlete at Government High School, she was the flag bearer during the opening ceremonies.

#Although she was eliminated in the semifinal of the 100m and 200m, in the latter race she broke the 23-second barrier with a time of 22.97. She also went on to run on the women’s 4 x 100 relay team with Clarke, Debbie and Oralee Fowler where they placed sixth in 44.18.

#Over the next eight years, Davis returned to the Olympics in Seoul in 1988 and again in Barcelona in 1992 where she advanced to the semifinals in both the 100 and 200m.

#Fast forward to 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, Davis-Thompson anchored the team of Fynes, Sturrup, Clarke and Ferguson-McKenzie as the alternate to the country’s first relay medal with the silver in the 4 x 100m behind the US team that featured Chryste Gaines, Gail Devers, Inger Miller and Gwen Torrence.

#Davis-Thompson’s emergence onto the senior circuit came after she earned the Austin Sealy award as the most outstanding athlete at the top junior regional CARIFTA Games here in 1984 before she went on to compete for the Crimson Tide at the University of Alabama where she became the national 200m champion.

#“The road was a lot harder. The road was rougher for me,” said Davis-Thompson, comparing then to now. “The girls now are talented, but I don’t know if they were as patriotic as we were.

#“I had some mishaps along the way, but it took me a long time to get on the podium with my first Olympic medal. I just say that’s the way God had it planned because I believe I had to wait for the other girls to come along.”

#Davis-Thompson, now 54, was referring to Fynes, Sturrup and Ferguson-McKenzie, who helped her and Clarke to also gain the prominence that they did for the Bahamas in the sprints.

#After all of her success over a 28-year span, Davis-Thompson retired in 2000.

#Along the way, she was employed by the Ministry of Tourism and she coached at the University of Tennessee from 2007-2008, winning the NCAA Coach of the Year.

#Following her departure, she traversed between Atlanta and New Providence where she coached a number of international and local athletes from 15 different countries, including Christine Amertil, Avard Moncur, Jamial Rolle and Addis Huyler.

#In 2007, Davis-Thompson also made history in the administration of the sport when she was elected to serve on the women’s committee for four years. She then became the second Bahamian to become a member of the IAAF Council for the next 12 years.

#Davis-Thompson, who followed in the footsteps of Alpheus ‘Hawk’ Finlayson, was named an Honorary Life Person Member of the IAAF at last year’s World Championships and will receive a plaque of merit and veteran pin awards.

#In 2011, Davis-Thompson began her employment as a consultant at the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, a position she still holds today. She also formed her Bahamas High Performance Athletic Academy here at home.

#“I’m going to be wrapping up the coaching in the club in a year’s time and then I will move to the second phase of the club where I will be tutoring the athletes, who I find in the ghetto and try to put them into track clubs where coaches can help them,” she stated.

#“I want to make sure they learn more about grooming, finance and patriotism. When I move away from the coaching aspect, I want to do the tutoring side of it to help them, especially those who want to go off to college.”

#When she’s not working or coaching, Davis-Thompson could be found at the Farmer’s Market on Gladstone Road on Saturdays between 10am and 4pm where she sells her delicious Golden Delights smoothies.

#She was motivated to start the business three years ago by a gentleman named Mr Douglas, who instilled an AC ductless unit in her home. She shared the brewed green smoothie with him and he encouraged her to take it to the world as an entrepreneur, having already established her name as an elite runner.

#It wasn’t until after he called her on her WhatsApp twice when she was in France and Italy, trying to ascertain if she had heeded his advice. On her return home, she visited the Farmer’s Market and a lady named Sarah encouraged her to share a booth with her to sell her smoothies.

#Today, she has her own booth and her smoothies are on the shelves of eight Super Values in Cable Beach, Market Street, Winton, Robinson Road, Golden Gates and East Street South.

#She thanked Rupert Roberts, his granddaughter and Mr Fernander at Super Value headquarters for giving her the opportunity to showcase her smoothies to a wider range of the Bahamian populace.

#“I have my regular customers who come out to the Farmers Market every Saturday for their green smoothies,” Davis-Thompson said. “Religiously they come out there for it.

#“People have even stopped me on the street, saying ‘We heard about your smoothies. We have to come to the Farmers Market to try it.’ They have been coming ever since.”

#On a personal note, Davis-Thompson got married to Jamaican Olympic 400m hurdler Mark Thompson on October 24, 1998, a union that saw her endure the miscarriage of a son at four months in 2003 and a daughter at birth in 2005, which almost took her life.

#Today, as she celebrates, Davis-Thompson said she’s just elated to be able to enjoy life in the aftermath of a glamorous track career that saw her win a medal at every major international junior and senior meet she competed in, including the Olympic 200m gold.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Tureano ‘Reno’ Johnson

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#TUREANO Johnson is set to get back in the ring in short order and compete in the WBA eliminator for the middleweight title.

#According to Golden Boy Promotions officials, Johnson (21-2-1, 14 KOs) is scheduled to face Magomed Madiev (13-0-1, 4 KOs) with a tentative date set for November.

#The aftermath of Hurricane Dorian halted Johnson’s plans to begin his training camp, originally scheduled for August 26 in Atlanta.

#“This is a very scary time for all of us. So many of our great friends and families have lost their lives and belongings. This is a horrifying moment,” Johnson told BoxingScene.com.

#“Boxing has given me a platform and a voice to reach people, and I encourage everyone to help and support with any kind of donations. I’m asking all of my friends and colleagues in the boxing world to assist in any way. My country is in dire need of monetary and tangible support.”

#Johnson’s last appearance was a win over Jason Quigley last July for the NABF middleweight title.

#“Madiev is a fast and crafty fighter. He’s strong and slick – somewhat of a European Floyd Mayweather,” said Johnson.

#“But he’s a very beatable opponent. We’re going to expose his flaws. I’m brushing up on my tools, and no one will be able to withstand that. I’ll be ready, regardless of my situation right now dealing with the hurricane.”

#A win over a ranked opponent will move Johnson one step closer to regaining his status among the elites in the division and an opportunity to face WBA champion Ryota Murata of Japan.

#In July, Johnson defeated Ireland’s Jason Quigley via 9th round stoppage in the 10-round main event of the Golden Boy DAZN Thursday Night Fights at Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California.

#The 35-year-old handed the 28-year-old Quigley (16-1, 12 KOs) the first defeat of his professional career.

#He has battled several injuries recently, with just three fights in three years hampered by nagging shoulder issues.

#He called this bout a career-defining moment.

#Quigley’s trainer Dominic Ingle stopped the fight just ahead of the 10th round bell to give Johnson the title.

#“I’m here to be a world champion,” Johnson said,

#“Whoever got those belts, I want a Charlo, I want a Canelo, I want all of them!”

Tureano Johnson

Thursday, September 10, 2020

#By Renaldo Dorsett

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#A MUCH anticipated bout between Tureano Johnson and Jaime Munguia has a tentative date – October 24.

#The Athletic first reported that the promotional sides are nearing a deal that will solidify the logistics of the bout between the two middleweight contenders.

#“A fight between Jaime Munguia and Tureano Johnson is being discussed for October on DAZN, sources tell The Athletic. Would be the Mexican’s first test at 160 pounds. Johnson, a tough, rugged gatekeeper, is coming off a stoppage win over Jason Quigley. October 24 is a potential date,” Mike Coppinger tweeted.

#Munguia’s coach, Erik Morales, also confirmed with TUDN Radio that his fighter – the current WBO junior middleweight titleholder, is preparing to face Johnson next month.

#October 24 will also feature Gervonta Davis against Leo Santa Cruz and in the world of mixed martial arts, the UFC will feature a lightweight title fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Justin Gaethje.

#Both Johnson and Munguia fight under Golden Boy Promotions. The possible bout between the two has also been profiled on the promotional outlet’s web series “Fantasy Fights.”

#Now sporting a 21-2-1 win-loss-draw record, Johnson is coming off a victory over the previously undefeated Jason Quigley on July 18 for the NABF middleweight title at the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California. Just after his win over Quigley, Johnson was ranked No.8 in the World Boxing Council and No.15 in the International Boxing Federation.

#He first issued a challenge to Munguia in May via Twitter.

#“Gots to keep the momentum,” Johnson tweeted, “Let’s bring on Jaime Munguia. Come and test the waters with a real Middleweight SHARK. Come for a swim.”

#Munguia, 23, is undefeated (35-0, 28 KOs) and stopped Gary O’Sullivan in round 11 of his last fight on January 11.

#Johnson was profiled by Golden Boy Promotions on his time spent during quarantine and made a clear statement on his intentions for his return to the ring.

#“It’s not just Munguia, it’s any of the big boys out there. I am in the top 10, I’ve been in the top 10 for quite a while. In recent times I’ve even been close to the number one ranking. I deserve that opportunity, I believe I’ve gotten an unfair shake at many times but that’s just the way boxing is at times,” Johnson said. “Munguia, he was the junior middleweight champion, he did an extraordinary job disposing of the champion at that time and he moved up to middleweight into my territory and claimed to be one of the best fighters there, well – fight the best fighters. You cannot think about going to the very top without going through levels. I believe that Munguia has to go through Tureano.”