Home|Sports|The Bahamas ends in a five-way tie for 44thSports
The United States dominates the medal and points standings; Archer optimistic about 2024
Sheldon LongleySend an emailAugust 28, 2023 25 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email
BUDAPEST, Hungary – More than 2,000 athletes from more than 200 countries took part in the 19th World Athletics Championships at the National Athletics Stadium in Budapest, Hungary, over the past nine days, and despite finishing with no medals for the first time in 10 years, The Bahamas had a respectable showing.
At last tally, The Bahamas ended in a five-way tie for 44th with eight points – five from Devynne Charlton for her fourth place finish in the women’s 100 meters (m) hurdles and three from Anthonique Strachan for her sixth place finish in the women’s 200m.
Just the top eight finishers in each event scored points.
The United States dominated both the medal and points standings. They won 29 total medals – 12 gold, eight silver and nine bronze. Their neighbors to the north, Canada, was second in the medal standings with six total medals – four gold and two silver. Spain finished third with five medals – four gold and a silver. Jamaica was the top Caribbean country in the medal standings, finishing fourth overall, with 12 total medals – three gold, five silver and four bronze.
The order of finish in the medal standings is based on quality of medals – total number of gold first, then total number of silver and finally total number of bronze.
In the points standings, The United States came out on top with 277 points. Jamaica was second with 139 points, and Kenya rounded out the top three with 112 points.
“We came out empty, but I believe that the Bahamian people ought to give an assessment of the quality of the performances,” said Drumeco Archer, president of the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA). “There were some great performances, given the circumstances, and then there were some disappointments. We also had a number of major injuries. Some of our athletes weren’t able to come to these world championships. TyNia Gaither was plagued with injuries for the entire season, and a number of our other athletes were out, which prevented us from fielding a formidable women’s 4x100m relay team.”
The women’s 4×100 meters was the only relay in which The Bahamas qualified for the world championships. However, due to a conflicting schedule between one of the lead runners and her individual event, injuries to others, and simply a lack of legs, The Bahamas was unable to field a team. It’s not a good sign going into the World Relays Bahamas 2024, but Archer is optimistic that they could get teams together and that they could have a good representation at home.
“The world relays is a seminal event for The Bahamas. It’s more than just competition for us. It’s a way of showcasing the country as a threat on the world stage again,” aid Archer. “We have an opportunity to show the world that we are the champions that we claim to be. This is the precursor to the Olympic Games in so far that this is the only real qualifying event for the relays. Out of the 16 countries who will be competing at the Olympic Games, 14 of those countries would be determined from the world relays, so this is an important opportunity for us. I believe that the athletes are ready to go and there will be an opportunity for Team Bahamas to get in the medal count, both at the world relays and at the Olympics next year.”
The top 14 teams in the men and women’s 4x100m relay, the men and women’s 4x400m relay, and the mixed 4x400m relay, from the world relays, will qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France. It’s a huge opportunity for The Bahamas to get a number of relay teams qualified.
The 2023 season is nearing a close. The Bahamas might not have gotten on the medal stand at the world championships but there is light at the end of the tunnel.
The country’s two biggest stars, Steven Gardiner and Shaunae Miller-Uibo, are expected to be near top form going into the Paris Olympic Games. Devynne Charlton and Anthonique Strachan are in their prime years and are steadily improving. TyNia Gaither, a two-time finalist at the world championships in the women’s 200m, should be back from injury, and young stars like Charisma Taylor, Rhema Otabor and Terrence Jones, who all competed at the Budapest World Championships, are up and coming and are expected to benefit from their experience from a global meet on the senior side.
Archer likes what he sees from the track and field stars of The Bahamas.
“In as much that we might not have gotten all that we would have set our eyes to achieve at these world championships, I think that we need to put things into perspective. I’m excited about bringing this season to a close,” he said. “We’ve had some wonderful memories in track and field this year, and at the end of the day, the outlook for 2024 is promising.”
Going into 2024, The Bahamas is hoping to build off its performance at the world championships and have strong showings at both the World Relays Bahamas 2024 and the Pars Olympic Games.
The world relays is set for May 4-5, 2024, at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium in New Providence, The Bahamas, and the Olympics will be held from July 26 to August 11, in Paris, France.