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Bahamas Associations of Athletic Association president Drumeco Archer called this year’s National Championships held over the weekend at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium, one of the best ever staged.
The Nationals, sponsored by Fidelity Bank & Trust International Limited Group and the Oaktree Medical, were held on Friday and Saturday and featured the majority of the top elite and collegiate athletes.
Heading the list of top-notch performers was Devynne Charlton, who lowered her Bahamas national record in the women’s 100 meters hurdles to 12.60 seconds in her victory to erase the previous mark of 12.61 she set on May 9, 2021.
American-born Haitian Mulern Jean, one of the few visiting international athletes to compete in the meet, got second in 12.99 and returning home from college, Denisha Cartwright was third in 13.24 and Sasha Wells got fourth in 13.26.
After the performance, Charlton said, “I don’t get to compete in front of the home crowd very often so coming home for the trials is always something special for me and to beat the national record in front of the home crowd was just cherry on the top of the performance.”
Another impressive performance came from Antoine Andrews in the 110m hurdles he shattered one of the longest records still on the books in running 13.46 to erase Shamar Sands’ previous mark of 13.67 that he set on July 20, 2002, at the World Junior Championships in Kingston, Jamaica.
Andrews, who is preparing for the World Junior Championships in Cali, Colombia in August, won over Otto Laing, who was second in 14.29, and Jon-Mark Smikle, third in 15.84.
Looking back at his performance, Andrews said “I think it was the best I executed all season. I think it was more mind over matter as I went out there and performed my best.”
Everybody came to watch two of the world’s brightest stars and they were not disappointed in the performances of reigning Olympic 400m champions Shaunae Miller-Uibo and Steven Gardiner, although it wasn’t as fast as they both anticipated.
Gardiner only competed in the men;’s 400, but he was untouchable as he sped to victory in 45.32. Grand Bahamian Alonzo Russell was second in 46.41 and Bradley Dormeus was third in 46.70.
Gardiner said he’s now gearing up for the World Championships where he hopes to “go there and compete and do my best and hopefully bring home a medal for our country.”
SOURCE: BAHAMAS ATHLETICS
