Category: Athletics

Smith To Make Move To Big 10

As of Monday, June 15, 2020

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#SPRINT hurdler Oscar Smith will make the move to the Big 10 when he transfers to a new programme.

#Buckeyes Track and Field announced via Twitter that Smith will join the Ohio State programme for the upcoming Fall campaign following a COVID-19 pandemic shortened freshman season with the Kansas State Wildcats.

#In his lone season with the Wildcats, Smith ran an indoor season’s best of 7.81 seconds in the 60m hurdles in the prelims at the Razorback invitational in February. The time ranked No.4 all time on the school’s top 10 list. He eventually went on to finish eighth in the final in 7.86.

#At the Tyson Invitational he finished third in the 60m hurdles in 8.09.

#Smith was also a member of the 4x400m relay team that turned in a season’s best time of 3:27.09 at the DeLoss Dodds Invitational.

#According to his feature on the Wildcats’ athletic website, he made his Kansas State debut with a time of 8.02. The following day he ran a time of 7.87 and in his first race of 2020, posted a time of 7.98.

#He credited his training and quick adjustment to the NCAA Division I level for his early success.

#“It was pretty intense when I first started, but as we inched into indoor season it started to settle down, started to get more specific with my event, and I think I’m handling it well now,” he said in February. “I think I’ve gotten significantly faster. I’ve improved my form over the hurdles, especially with the hurdles going up three inches. I think I’ve improved in that division of it.”

#Smith joins a Buckeyes men’s programme that finished fifth at the Big Ten Indoor Championships. The Buckeyes claimed 10 top-eight finishes and collected four medals.

#He becomes the second Bahamian sprinter to transfer to the Buckeyes in as many years following Devine Parker’s transfer from the Kentucky Wildcats. Parker earned All-America honours in her first season at Ohio State.

#Locally, Smith was a member of the St Augustine’s College Big Red Machine. He was a 2018 CARIFTA bronze medallist and a 2018 World Junior semi-finalist in the 110m hurdles.

Sprinter Resias Is Seeking Financial Support

As of Friday, June 12, 2020

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Cliff Resias has been hoping to get on the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture’s subvention to elite athletes since graduating from Southeastern Louisiana last year.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#WITHOUT any success in securing any financial support from the Bahamas Government, sprinter Cliff Resias is forced to come home from the United States of America to redirect his career as he prepares for the 2020 Olympic Games.

#Since graduating from Southeastern Louisiana last year, Resias was hoping that he would have gotten on the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture’s subvention to elite athletes.

#But with only the support from his parents, Tamika Evans and Cliff Resias Sr, along with his coach Bernard Newbold, Resias Jr said it’s not sufficient to sustain him in the United States.

#Still in Louisiana, Resias had to put his training on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic and now he’s waiting until July when the border opens to make the trek back home.

#“If I can get the financial support, I can go back to Arkansas and continue my training with coach Bernard,” Resias said. “I was never on subvention. Before I graduated, I was trying to get on it. After I graduated, I continued and a whole year went without any word from the ministry.”

#Despite not getting any financial support from the government, Resias said he intends to continue running track because he loves it.

#“I can only do what I can do. I can’t do everything,” he said. “I can only do so much with the help from my parents and with coach Bernard’s help. He’s been helping me out as best as he could.”

#Since his graduation from SLU on May 19, 2019, Resias has been training and competing for the Bahamas. He made the team that competed at the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru in August where he failed to advance out of the preliminaries of the 200m, placing sixth in his heat in 21.74 seconds.

#Resias also led off the Bahamas men’s 4 x 200m relay team that included Stephen Newbold, Anthony Adderley and Rico Moultrie at the Worth Athletics’ fourth World Relays in Yokohama, Japan in February.

#The team, however, got disqualified. Resias, Newbold, Adderley and Shavez Hart advanced out of the preliminary rounds with the sixth fastest time after placing second in their heat.

#In his last season for SLU at the 2018 outdoor season, Resias captured the 200 in 21.23 at the Louisiana Classics and was on the second-place 4 x 100m relay that ran 41.32. He also helped their 4 x 200m relay set a school record with a second-place time of 1:26.78 at the McNeese Cowboy Relays and was also on the winning 4 x 100m relay team that ran 40.69 and 4 x 400 that did 3:18.57.

#During that indoor season, Resias was fourth in the 200 (21.79) and fifth in the 60 (6.85) at the Samford Open. He also got eighth in the 60 (6.96) at the KMS Invitational and broke a 17-year-old school record with a second-place time of 6.72 seconds in the 60 at the LSU Purple Tiger.

#He was training up until the coronavirus pandemic put a damper on sports throughout the United States in March, shutting down all sporting facilities and training sites. During that time, Resias said he’s not been able to work out, which made his stay in Louisiana that more difficult.

#“My parents couldn’t really send me any money because the banks were closed, so the only person I really had to rely on was coach Bernard,” Resias said. “I really want to thank him for all of the assistance that he gave me because it was really hard for me.”

#In addition to that, Resias said he didn’t get his Optional Practical Training (OPT) card, which denied him the opportunity to secure a job while in the USA. He noted that with all of the social unrest and protests over the death of American George Floyd in Minneapolis, he’s tried to stay away from everything and not get involved in it.

#Newbold, who had formed the RK Athletics Track Club in the US last January to help Resias, Maverick Bowleg, Andre Colebrooke and Ashley Riley to prepare for the 2019 World Championships, said he’s done all he could to try and get Resias on the subvention programme, but nothing has happened and it has made it difficult for him to continue his training.

#“We’ve been trying since last year trying to get him on subvention. We followed all of the procedures like all of the other athletes,” said Newbold, now in his second year of his masters degree programme at the University of Central Arkansas in College Student Personnel Administration.

#“We’re thankful for the assistance that we got for him from Mr (Harrison) Petty to help him train and to travel to competition. But we sent in his resume and indicated that he was no longer a collegiate athlete and was now on the pro circuit. Then we found out in August that the ministry was not putting any new athletes on subvention because the BAAA didn’t submit their list in time for consideration.”

#Once again in February, Newbold said he resubmitted Resias’ information to the BAAA so that he could be considered in this year’s subvention list, but now they are told that the current athletes on the list are going to be cut by at least 20 percent.

#“It’s just a tough one,” Newbold said. “He was in Arkansas with me training earlier this year, but after the Covid-19 outbreak and the state began shutting down, he went back to Louisiana. We were hoping it was only temporary, but it’s still going on, so it’s tough.

#“He couldn’t train because all public spaces were locked down and then we found out that there were no more meets, so we called it a season. We just have to see how we can get him some funding so he can be relocated here in Arkansas and see how best that can work and to pursue the legal challenges to get him on the job force, if that is possible.”

#The 23-year-old Resias, who came into SLU after attending Iowa Western Community College where he was an All-American and regional champion on the 4 x 100m team, was a Carfita, BAISS and GSSSA 100 champion while competing for CV Bethel up until 2014 when he graduated.

#Having posted personal best times of 6.82 in the 60m, 10.20 in the 100, a wind-aided 21.58 in the 200m and 50.89 in the 400m, Resias said he’s not yet ready to give up on his dream of being a professional athlete and competing for the Bahamas in the Olympic Games.

#With the Olympics delayed from July 24 to August 9, 2020 to July 23 to August 8, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, Resias said he’s more committed to getting ready to compete in the 100m and possibly on the men’s 4 x 100m relay team, if they qualify.

#“If it works out, it works out, but if it doesn’t work out, then I would have to move on and find something to do in the job market,” he said. “Even though I may not be on subvention, I still want to try and achieve that goal of competing at the Olympics.

#“I know that I am close, so I’m not about to give up right now. If I wasn’t that close to qualifying, I would give up. I could use the subvention, but I don’t want to let that discourage me from trying to qualify for the Olympics. Hopefully everything will work out in my favor.”

Riley Looking To Qualify For Olympics

As of Friday, June 12, 2020

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Quarter-miler Ashley Riley is looking to continue his athletic career with the goal of qualifying for the 2020 Olympic Games.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#ALTHOUGH he has been forced to join the workforce to support his wife and daughter, quarter-miler Ashley Riley said he’s still looking to continue his athletic career with the goal of qualifying for the 2020 Olympic Games.

#Riley, a graduate of the CR Walker Secondary School, is in Louisiana where he’s employed with Target.

#But he said he’s still looking for some financial assistance from the Bahamas Government to help him with his training at his alma mater at Southeastern Louisiana University. “I can still train at my former college,” said Riley, a graduate of Southeastern Louisiana. “I didn’t get to compete this year because the COVID-19 came, but it’s bearable now.”

#After graduating from CR Walker Secondary High in 2012, Riley went to Colby Community College where he was a NJCAA All-American award winner in the 600m and on their 4 x 800.

#The following year, he transferred to SLU where he became a All-Southland Conference 1st team indoor 4 x 400m champion in 2016 and in 2017, the LSWA All-Louisiana member on the 4 x 400m relay and Southland Conference Spring Commissioner’s Honour Roll.

#Now married to Brishay and the father of Brai’lynn, Riley said his focus is on maintaining his family, but he’s not giving up on competing as a track athlete.

#“I had a rough time since I graduated from college. I got an injury during my last year in college, but without the assistance of school and no subvention, it was tough, but I made the decision to keep going.

#“It’s still a funding situation for me. You have to find the funding and everything you need to train and go to the meets to compete. I was still able to compete at a decent level, so it’s bearable, but it could have been a whole lot better.”

#The conditions of COVID-19 were not as drastic as it was with the curfews and weekend lockdowns in the Bahamas for Riley in Louisiana, but he’s not complaining about his situation.

#“We had some curfews, but it wasn’t that bad,” Riley reflected. “I was still able to do most things that I wanted. I pulled back from training until I am ready to start my offseason training, so I just concentrated on working for the time being.”

#And in the midst of the pandemic, Riley said the social racism resurfaced with the death of American George Floyd, but he tried to avoid the protests and all of the events surrounding Black Lives Matter.

#“The city that I am in is a bit small, so we’re not really affected by all of the riots and protests,” said Riley, who is stationed in Hammond. “But it’s affecting everyone seeing something like that happen.

#“I think it’s a good outcome because they are making a lot of changes to the law with the Police, so it’s worked. But I didn’t want to get caught up in all of that, so I just went about my business and back home to my family.”

#As he moves forward, Riley said whether or not he gets on the subvention that is provided by the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, he’s looking forward to running in the 400m and the 4 x 400m relay team.

#“I will get back into training and make the Olympic team. I’m glad that they pushed it back until next year,” he said Riley, who ran a personal best of 46.70 in 2017, his last year in college just before he got injured. “I feel it’s more suitable to everyone , including me because I can have more time to train.”

#Riley, the son of Edwin and Shearine Riley, was a part of the RK Athletics Track Club that was formed last January in Arkansas by coach Bernard Newbold.

#The club was formed to help Riley, Andre Colebrooke, Maverick Bowleg and Cliff Resias prepare for the 2019 World Championships. The club, however, has been dismantled after Colebrooke moved on to MVP International, a club with Henry Rolle; Maverick Bowleg returned home in New Providence and Resias and Ashley relocated to Louisiana.

#Newbold said while all of the athletes are still committed to competing for the Bahamas, Riley is more committed right now to raising his family.

#“It’s kind of hard for Ashley, being an athlete who secured a world indoor silver medal as a member of the 4 x 400m relay team and can not get any subvention as well. As a young father, he made the decision that his family comes first and track and field has to be on the back burner,” Newbold said.

#“If we can get him some financial assistance or on subvention, he will be back this fall training,” said Newbold. “I spoke with him. He’s not given up. He said he will get back into training. But a guy of his caliber, but’s going to be tough working and training part-time. He’s a guy that can run 44 seconds easy if he can get the funding to train full time.”

#Riley, a former Carifta medalist, competed for the Bahamas at the 2017 IAAF Bahamas World Relays; was a member of the silver medal 4 x 400m relay team at the IAAF World Indoor Championships and on the 4 x 400m relay team that took third at the IX NACAC Under-23 Championships in 2016.

NACAC, Sands speak out against racism

Mike SandsJune 15, 2020Sheldon Longley0433Views

Given the current climate in the United States, and indeed throughout the world, following the death of African American George Floyd while under arrest, a number of sporting bodies are speaking out against systemic racism and social justice.

One of the latest organizations to come forth and offer its position is the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC), which is headed by Bahamian Mike Sands. Over 50 percent of its members represent nations that are predominantly black. The 31-member body released a statement over the weekend, stamping out racism and social injustice as ills in society that must be eradicated.

NACAC is arguably the most productive area association out of the six of World Athletics (WA), usually generating the bulk of the medals and top finishes at global outdoor meets, particularly the world outdoor championships and the Olympics.

Floyd’s death heightens an ongoing issue in the United States – one that has reached crisis level and has spurred numerous protests in major cities in the U.S. and around the world.

“Over the past few weeks, the spectre of systemic racism has been at the forefront of international news. Because of the resurgence of racism at the global level in the recent past, many local, regional and international sporting organizations and athletes have been forced to speak out because of their understanding of the mounting evidence of its invasion in the world of sport,” said Sands in a press release. “NACAC finds it absolutely necessary to add its voice to the chorus that continues to grow, declaring its total rejection of any form of racism in society, generally, but more so in the world of sport. The positive values attendant to sport have allowed it to be one of the fastest growing industries in the world today. The blight of racism and its consequences defy our very humanity and must be vehemently rejected in all its forms, wherever it threatens to rear its ugly head.”

The NACAC covers nations in North and Central America inclusive of English and Spanish-speaking countries, and all of the Caribbean. Sands made history when he became the first Bahamian to be elected to the top position of the prestigious body a year ago. He will serve until 2022.

“NACAC is insistent that there is no place for racism in our sport of athletics and will commit to the promotion of the lofty values that has allowed us to rise to and maintain our position at the very pinnacle of global sport,” said Sands. “As we continue to lead the world in the fight against drugs in sport, so too we strive to play a leading role in the eradication of racism in sport, fully cognizant that by doing so, we are participating in a greater war – that of eradicating the scourge of racism from global society,” he added.

The sports world, athletics included, has been on hold since the COVID-19 pandemic became widespread in March. Following that, systemic racism and social injustice came to the forefront following the death of Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in May – an incident that has sparked outrage throughout the U.S. and the world. Four police officers were fired and have been charged – Derek Chauvin with second-degree unintentional murder and second-degree manslaughter; and three others with aiding and abetting second-degree unintentional murder as well as aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.

Sailing recognized as a vital sporting discipline for kids

The sporting discipline of sailing is recognized as one of the top sports in the country for the overall development of the youth. FILE

June 10, 2020

The Nassau Guardian0

186 Views

The Bahamas Sailing Association (BSA) is of the belief that sailing is one of the top sports in the country for the overall development of the youth. There is something about sailing that makes it unlike other sports, according to the BSA.

More than just skills and strategy, it teaches certain life skills and values that shape sailors into productive, well-disciplined and responsible individuals, as stated in a BSA press release.

Over the next few weeks leading up to the BSA Summer Sailing Camp at the Bahamas National Sailing School, there is expected to be articles about the incredible benefits of sailing, along with stories from some of the top sailors about how sailing has had such a great impact on their lives.

Paloma Cartwright is a 20-year-old from Long Island currently attending McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She started sailing at the age of five and has now embarked on a 2024 Olympic campaign with fellow Bahamian Paul de Souza.

There is so much to be gained, not just physically and boating-wise, but socially and emotionally as well, according to the press release.

The top five socio-emotional benefits of sailing, as reported by the Singapore Sailing Federation in 2018, include grit, confidence, teamwork, friendship and sportsmanship.

It can be argued that just about any sport offers a lesson on resilience, but sailing is a sport that demands an inner strength far greater than most, according to the press release.

“In this sport, it is us sailors against the elements. Whether it is a novice experiencing strong winds for the first time or a national sailor met with 10-feet high waves in foreign waters, they learn to keep fighting – no matter how uncomfortable it is. If the boat capsizes, sailors get the boat upright and keep sailing,” stated the press release. “Most sailors’ foray into the sport begins with the optimist. It’s a single-handed boat, which means it’s controlled by the sailor. Alone on the boat, sailors as young as six or seven are constantly required to make their own decisions. They don’t always make the right ones, but the opportunity to think for themselves helps them grow in self confidence.

“Though they sail individually, sailors are forced to work together from day one. After all, no one sailor can flip his or her optimist boat alone. Over time, sailors gradually realize that working together not only helps speed things up, but also allows them to learn more from one another. Perhaps one of the most valuable takeaways from sailing is the friendships forged. It is inevitable that sailors bond with one another during windless days and scary storms.”

Sailors also get to make new friends with international sailors, especially during international regattas.

“We realize how sailing is not just a sport that keeps you fit, but also one that develops you into a well-rounded individual – something far more important than winning medals,” the press release stated.

Sailing is a self-governing sport, which means it’s completely up to sailors to abide by the rules and uphold the fairness of racing. It’s a matter of integrity and sailors learn the importance of playing fair and respecting the rules of the game.

Miller-Uibo Gets Set For Inspiration Games

Shaunae Miller-Uibo

Shaunae Miller-Uibo

As of Thursday, June 11, 2020

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#As World Athletics seeks to return to a state of normalcy, an innovative new approach will feature some of the biggest names in the sport competing remotely, including Shaunae Miller-Uibo.

#The reigning Olympic 400m champion and Diamond League 200m champion will compete against her chief rivals from their respective locations in an exhibition series as a part of the ‘Weltklasse Zurich Inspiration Games on July 9.

#In just under a month, Miller-Uibo, Allyson Felix of the United States and Mujinga Kambundji of Switzerland will race against the clock simultaneously in the 150m from their respective locations.

#Miller-Uibo will race out of Miramar, Florida, while Felix – the six-time Olympic champion – will race from Walnut, California, and Kambundji competes in Zurich, Switzerland.

#In addition to her signature events, Miller-Uibo has been a world leader in the 150m in recent years at the Adidas Boston Games. She won the event in 2018 in a time of 16.23 seconds, a record time performance on a straight track. Miller-Uibo repeated as the 150 metre champion at the 2019 event in 16.37.

#The Inspiration Games are a part of the Wanda Diamond League. The games, a live team event, will feature dozens of athletes competing simultaneously in different venues across the globe. The format is a partnership between World Athletics, the Wanda Diamond League, Swiss Timing and broadcaster SRG SSR.

#“Thirty track and field superstars compete across eight disciplines in an innovative team event spanning seven stadiums and three continents. The aim is not only to provide live sport for athletics fans across the world, but also to inspire the next generation,” World Athletics said.

#Karin Nussbaumer, SRG SSR’s national coordinator added: “To simultaneously broadcast three different venues in each discipline will certainly be a technical challenge. Time delays will have to be corrected so that everything is synchronised for the viewer. It is highly demanding to organise such a broadcast.”

#World Athletics reopened its headquarters this month after the COVID-19 pandemic forced its closure for 11 weeks. The new competition format featured in the Inspiration Games emerged as just one of its strategic measures moving forward.

#“Our head office may have been closed for 11 weeks but we have not been idle,” World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said following a meeting with its 14-member federations. “We have used that time to continue to develop our strategy to grow athletics. A huge amount of work has been put into developing our four-year strategic plan, led by our CEO Jon Ridgeon and with input and involvement from all at HQ, our Executive Board, our Area Presidents, Commission Chairs and Commissions. This is an exceptional body of work that brings together all the great things we do as a global sport body with a laser sharp focus on doing it better, and includes some innovative and creative ideas to drive growth in our sport. It is exactly the type of roadmap our sport needs to bring together all our stakeholders with a single vision, mission and clear priorities.”

Ub Mingoes Athletics In First Of 4-Phase Plan To Normalcy

As of Thursday, June 11, 2020

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Kimberley Rolle

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#MINGOES Athletic Director Kimberley Rolle is confident that with an additional $1.5 million allocated in the Bahamas government’s 2020/21 budget to the University of the Bahamas, they could continue to become a viable tertiary institution for Bahamian student athletes to attend.

#In putting in place the necessary protocols for the return of sporting activities on their campus on University Drive, Rolle said they are in the first of their four-phase plan to get back to normalcy.

#“Our athletic trainers have team training going on at home right now,” said Rolle, referring to certified trainers Sasha Ferguson-Johnson and Shakeitha Henfield. “We commenced that on June 1 with all of the teams. Each team has a trainer assigned to them to get them ready.

#“We will stay in that stage until we can receive students back on our campus. When we get back to school, we will move into phase three. I can’t say when that date is because the university is getting its cue from the government.”

#With the use of virtual training, Rolle said they are focusing on getting their student athletes in tip-top shape after being locked down for the past three months since the country was shut down in March as a result of COVID-19.

#“We want to avoid the risk of injuries to our athletes, so we’re using the next couple of weeks in this phase to get our athletes developing their strength and conditioning right now,” she said.

#“As we move into other phases, their muscles will be developed so that they can be ready for the upcoming season whenever we get to that phase of normalcy with school reopening.”

#And with the United States of America going through a state of social unrest with protests and racism surfacing after the death of George Floyd, Rolle said they expect that there will be an influx of student athletes deciding to use UB as a viable option for their tertiary education.

#“The reality is that a lot of the US schools have indicated that their international numbers are down as a result of the uncertainty of COVID-19,” Rolle said. “So I don’t think it’s just the Bahamas that would be affected.

#“I think a lot of countries will see their numbers shrink as it relates to student athletes travelling abroad. I know the numbers in reference to the persons who are applying to our admissions office speaks for itself.”

#In the aftermath of COVID-19, Rolle said there is expected to be a decline in the number of student athletes who are expected to travel to the US for the upcoming school year. So if the numbers increase, she said they are hoping that there will be some student athletes in the mix. “As we expect an influx into the university, we expect that there will be an increase in the interest of our student athletes for our programme,” she said.

#“Over the last few years, I think UB’s athletic programme spoke for itself. We have turned out some good athletes and our teams have performed very well. In sports, you can do a lot of talking, but you have to deliver. We want to deliver a programme that persons can say ‘I could see myself being a part of that’”.

#At present, the Mingoes have about 90 student athletes involved in about nine disciplines in men’s basketball, men’s soccer, men and women’s track and field, cross country, judo, golf, women’s volleyball and women’s softball. Through these disciplines, Rolle said they are trying to recruit the best athletes available in the Bahamas.

#“We want to ensure that our coaches, athletes and parents see that the university is making progress each year and it’s producing student athletes who are excelling,” Rolle said.

#“At the end of the day, there are only a handful of student athletes who will become pro athletes, but there are much more who will become better professionals in the field of their studies. So high on our agenda is that our student athletes graduate and they move into the professional areas they have studied.”

#This is Rolle’s 12th year since accepting the job on December 1, 2008 as athletic director. She returned home from Miami University of Ohio where she got her MSc in 2007 after graduating from Henderson State as one of their top Lady Reddie women’s basketball players in 1995.

#So far, the married mother of two boys, Deuce and Derrius, admitted that it has been a rewarding experience. “You’re never satisfied. You can ask Duke University if they are satisfied and they will say, ‘there’s always a great deal of work ahead of you’”, reflected Rolle, whose husband Bacchus, a former versatile basketball/baseball player, serves as the head coach for the men’s basketball team.

#“But we’re so much further along than where we were 10 years ago. We couldn’t get student athletes to seriously look at our programme 10 years ago. But we’re now seriously competing for our top-tier athletes to stay here at home and compete for UB.”

#Last year, Rolle said they employed their first full-time coach in Ednal Rolle, who has attracted some talented student athletes to the programme.

#“When I look at how our athletic programme has transpired over the years with two full-time athletic trainers, who are among the best that we have to offer in the country with masters degrees, I feel like we’re in good hands,” Rolle said.

#Ferguson-Johnson, a former versatile basketball player, is now in her fifth year and Henfield is an Olympic 400 metre runner who is in her second year. They are being charged with formulating a programme to get their protocol in place for the return of their student athletes to their campus.

#“We’ve had a physical fitness trainer in place for the past five years. I believe that Sasha has done a yeoman’s job before she was joined by Shakeitha,” Rolle said. “They are busy taking the athletes through their home-based training with their strength and conditioning.

#“They are also writing out the protocols that we will put in place for our student athletes when they return to the campus. They have been very instrumental in getting our programme up and running again. I like to tease them that they are more than just ice and bags, but the job that they do is tremendous and they do it without complaining.”

#With all these things in place, Rolle said UB is well on its way to becoming an affiliate of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), an organisation that caters to the small schools in the United States.

#“COVID-19 has put a monkey wrench in our plans. A lot of what we are doing now is watching the US in particular, how they deal with their sports and how they manage social distancing and protocol as it relates to the participation of sports,” Rolle said.

#“There are still one or two things that the university has to do before we can make the application to the NAIA. We know there will be some new challenges as it relates to COVID-19, but we want to still make that application once we get back to normalcy and let the chips fall where they may.”

#Rolle, however, said with the programme that they have made over the years, especially competing against NAI teams, they have been able to hold their own, so she’s confident that they will be received with open arms.

Track And Field Nationals In Limbo

As of Wednesday, June 10, 2020

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#EVEN with the economy starting to get back to normalcy in the wake of COVID-19, Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ President Drumeco Archer is still not sure whether or not their National Track and Field Championships will take place.

#The BAAA nationals are scheduled for the weekend of July 31 to August 1 at the Thomas A Robinson Stadium, but Archer said they are still in limbo because of the uncertainty of how many athletes will be prepared to compete once the Bahamas government allows large gatherings at sporting activities.

#“We know we have a large number of athletes who are training and we have a large number of athletes who are not training,” Archer said.

#“But we also know that many of the athletes have not had access to training facilities since the country was locked down.”

#At their next executive meeting, Archer said they will have a practical decision on the feasibility of putting on the nationals, which would include the junior and senior athletes, or they decide on putting on an All-Comers Meet where athletes can come out and compete in a less marketed meet.

#“We may not get the desired effect that we would get from a highly publicised nationals, but at least we can still provide an avenue for the athletes to come out and participate in a less pressured meet,” Archer pointed out.

#Apart from the World Athletics’ limited Diamond meets designed for the elite athletes around the world to compete in later this year, there are plans for the North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) to host a regional meet here in the Bahamas, but no date has been confirmed.

#“Our nationals were set to accommodate our athletes before they return to school and we wanted to give them an opportunity to compete if it is possible for them,” Archer said.

#“All of these assumptions have us in limbo because of the uncertainty of the coronavirus that we still can’t get a handle of. So we’re still not sure what will happen until the economy is fully opened and things are back to some sense of normalcy in what will be a new norm with the social distancing and wearing of masks in large gatherings.”

#While there are a number of Bahamian athletes, who either attend high school, college and university or are training there in some of the professional clubs, Archer said the social unrest with the protests that are currently underway, may as well as it may not have any effect on the movement of Bahamian athletes to and from the United States.

#“I look at it as two separate incidents. The US has its share of protests going on with its racial challenges, but we had a number of athletes who were performing well before the closure of our borders,” Archer said.

#“The problem is when you try to market them into the schools, you can’t tell that they were running 10.1 and now because of what we have been experiencing with the curfews and shutdowns that they are now running 10.7.

#“So I think that has limited the marketing ability of our athletes, more than the social unrest because in my view, the schools’ structure is designed so that they can accommodate the student athletes based on crises such as this,” Archer added.

#The other issue, which could hinder their progress, is the US Immigration policy where the athletes could be denied student visas if the US is concerned about limiting the amount of persons they would allow into the country as a result of the spread of the coronavirus.

#“If you say COVID-19 is having an impact on the students’ resources because of financial displacements, then it’s totally different from the social unrest,” Archer pointed out. “So I think there are some more pointed issues over the social unrest that we are now consumed about.”

#In the meantime, Archer said the BAAA will be willing to assist in any way that they can to help facilitate the process of getting more student-athletes into schools in the United States to further their education and at the same time develop their athletic prowess, which in turn will be more beneficial to the growth and development of the Bahamas’ national track and field programme.

Shaunae set to compete next month

Shaunae Miller-Uibo.June 10, 2020Sheldon Longley0773Views

In a unique athletic set-up and format next month, Shaunae Miller-Uibo will be in action.

The Bahamian Olympic Champion will take on American legendary sprinter Allyson Felix and Switzerland’s world bronze medallist Mujinga Kambundji in the women’s 150 meters (m) in a series of clashes between the United States, Europe and the rest of the world.

The Weltklasse Zürich Inspiration Games will feature 30 track and field superstars competing in eight disciplines in an innovative team event across seven stadiums and three continents on Thursday, July 9. Meet organizers said the aim is not only to provide live sport for athletics fans across the globe, but also to inspire the next generation.

It will be the first meet of the season for Miller-Uibo, and first clash between herself and six-time Olympic Champion Felix since the 2017 London World Championships when Felix finished third and Miller-Uibo was fourth. The two years prior, they exchanged the top two spots at the Beijing World Championships and the Rio de Janeiro Olympics with Felix winning the world title in 2015 and Miller-Uibo claiming the Olympic title in 2016.

The match-up in July is one of the more anticipated athletic events of the season, pitting the two global champions and Swiss double sprint national record holder Kambundji up against each other.

Felix commented: “Weltklasse Zürich always holds such a special place in my heart… This new format will hopefully give the fans something fun to look forward to during a time that has been really difficult for everyone.”

In the men’s triple jump competition, Americans Christian Taylor and Omar Craddock and Cuban-born Pedro Pichardo, of Portugal, will battle. Taylor is the two-time Olympic Champion and a four-time World Champion. Craddock is the Pan Am Games Champion and Pichardo is a two-time World silver medalist.

Taylor and Pichardo are two of only six men in the history of world athletics to ever jump over 18m (59’ 0-3/4”) in the men’s triple jump event.

Miller-Uibo’s husband, Maicel Uibo, of Estonia, has already been in action since the resumption of world athletics, competing in pole vault, shot put and a shuttle run triathlon in the Ultimate Garden Clash exhibition event against decathlon world record holder Kevin Mayer, of France, and German Niklas Kaul, on Sunday.

Mayer competed in Montpellier, France; World Champion Kaul was at an indoor facility in Mainz, Germany; and World silver medallist Uibo was in Clermont, Florida, USA, in the remote combined events contest among the world’s top three ranked decathletes. Uibo finished third, just behind Mayer and Kaul.

Uibo said: “Obviously, none of us have really done something like this before but it was a great thing to come out and have fun on this Sunday with each one of us in different locations. At least we got a little competition moment going on.”

As for the “Inspiration Games”, the innovative team event will be spread across three continents, as sports continues to get back on stride in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the main Weltklasse Zürich event unable to take place as planned this year, meet organizers have launched the Wanda Diamond League exhibition event as a new and exciting competition on the schedule.

The Weltklasse Zürich was set to be one of two Diamond League Finals this year, but was put off due to the pandemic. Substituting for that mega event, the Swiss city will now take itself to the world, by hosting the new live high-level team event, with dozens of athletes competing simultaneously in different venues across the globe.

“We want to offer fans what they have long been yearning for – a world-class live athletics event,” said Meet Director Christoph Joho.

Kambundji will burst out of the blocks in Zurich; Felix will compete out of Walnut, California; and Miller-Uibo will compete in Miramar, Florida.

The format, developed in cooperation with World Athletics, the Wanda Diamond League, Swiss Timing and broadcaster SRG SSR, will showcase traditional athletics from a completely new angle thanks to a unique, specially designed broadcast to be produced by SRG SSR.

“To simultaneously broadcast three different venues in each discipline will certainly be a technical challenge,” said Karin Nussbaumer, SRG SSR national coordinator. “Time delays will have to be corrected so that everything is synchronized for the viewer. It is highly demanding to organize such a broadcast.”

Overcoming challenges is what the “Inspiration Games” are about, said Meet Director Andreas Hediger.

“National and international stars such as Kambundji, Miller-Uibo and Felix are important role models in this respect. They can show the youngsters just how far you can go if you never stop improving, dreaming and believing in yourself,” said Hediger.

The Weltklasse Zürich was one of four Diamond League meets to be canceled this year. The remaining 11 are compacted into a three-month schedule from August to October.

Continental Tour Gold meets and the World Athletics (WA) Half Marathon Championships are also scheduled to be held during that period as World Athletics tries to salvage the 2020 season in the midst of the coronavirus crisis.

The first Continental Tour Gold Meet of the outdoor season will be the Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku, Finland, on Tuesday August 11 – right after the national championships window of August 8-9. That will be followed by the Wanda Diamond League Meet in Fontvieille, Monaco, on Friday, August 14. A number of smaller meets are already underway in Europe.

The Diamond League meets will not include a series point score this year, so there will be no overall league winners.

Naser Suspended

As of Monday, June 8, 2020

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#Bahamas Olympic women’s 400 metre champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo and her management team declined comments on the alleged doping scandal of arch rival Bahrain women’s world 400m champion Salwa Eid Naser that could lead to a possible two-year suspension.

#Naser, who ran the third-fastest 400m in history when she pulled away from Miller-Uibo on the final curve to snatch the gold at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Qatar, was provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit last week.

#But in comments made on social media, Naser denied being a drug cheat and indicated that it was normal to miss three drug tests in a year, which is cause for concern according to the AIU, an organisation within the World Athletics, the governing body for the sport.

#“I’ve never been a cheat. I will never be,” said the 22-year-old Bahraini in an Instagram live video. “I only missed three drug tests, which is normal. It happens. It can happen to anybody. I don’t want people to get confused in all this because I would never cheat.

#“This year I have not been drug tested. We are still talking about the ones of last season before the World Championships.”

#When contacted over the weekend at her home in Florida where she resides with her husband, Estonia’s decathlete Maicel Uibo, Miller-Uibo offered no comments.

#The 26-year-old, who is preparing to defend her title at the 2020 Olympics, which was postponed from this year until July, 2021, referred The Tribune to her management team.

#Her manager Clyde Bryan, the chief executive officer of On Track Management, Inc, said they are not focusing on their arch rival. He would only offer this simple statement on the matter. “Shaunae is focused solely on her season, if there’s one, and wishes everyone peace and safety during these challenging times,” he said.

#In a stunning performance at the World Championships in Doha, Naser ran 48.14 seconds to claim a surprise gold medal, beating the Olympic champion, Shaunae Miller-Uibo, who had to settle for the silver in a national and NACAC area record of 48.37.

#Naser’s time was the fastest in 34 years, with only the East German Marita Koch, in 1985, and the Czech athlete Jarmila Kratochvílová, in 1983, having run faster.

#While none of the women failed a drug test, their times are regarded as suspicious given drug-taking in eastern Europe was systemic and state-sponsored during the 70s and 80s. Naser, who moved from Nigeria to Bahrain when she was 14, dispelled any concerns about whether or not her career has been tainted by drug allegations.

#“Hopefully, it’ll get resolved because I don’t really like the image, but it has happened,” said Naser, a former youth champion. “It’s going to be fine.

#“It’s very hard to have this little stain on my name. I would never take performance-enhancing drugs. I believe in talent, and I know I have the talent.”

#Athletes are required to provide regular updates on their whereabouts to make it possible for anti-doping authorities to carry out surprise testing outside of competition. A violation means an athlete either did not fill out forms telling authorities where he or she could be found, or that athletes weren’t where they said they would be when testers arrived.

#Three violations within 12 months can lead to a suspension if the athletes can’t justify why they weren’t available for testing, according to the rules of the World Athletics.

#Naser’s case comes to light after three other major doping cases highlighted among Bahrain’s top female runners in recent years, including the Olympic steeplechase champion, Ruth Jebet, and the Olympic marathon runner-up, Eunice Kirwa, who tested positive for EPO, and the world indoor 400 champion, Kemi Adekoya, who was found to have taken anabolic steroids.

#All were banned for four years.

#Three years ago at the 2017 World Championships in London, England, Naser won the 400m silver medal behind American Phyllis Francis. Miller-Uibo had a comfortable lead going onto the home stretch when she tried to exert her 6-feet, 1-inch frame about 30 meters from the finish line, but pulled up and ended up in fourth place,

#Miller-Uibo went on a sensational 25-month winning streak in both the 200 and 400m races since the defeat and the build up to the much anticipated rematch with Naser in Doha.

#In that memorably spectacular performance, Naser came off the final curve of the 400m ahead of Miller-Uibo and surged to the impressive victory, adding to the gold medal to the bronze she received a few days earlier in helping Bahrain’s mixed 4 x 400m relay team that finished third behind the United States and Jamaica.

#The Bahamas didn’t participate in the event, although Miller-Uibo joined Steven Gardiner, Anthonique Strachan and Michael Mathieu in winning the initial mixed relay race held at the third edition of the World Relays at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium in 2017.