The Tribune

The legacy of Bahamian international track and field is built on the country’s achievements in the relays. Success began 56 years ago in Kingston, Jamaica, and continues today with The Bahamas recognised as part of the global elite in the two relay competitions.

In 1958, the first Bahamian international relay teams captured two bronze medals at the West Indian Federation Games. Oscar Francis, Tom Grant, Enoch Backford and Thomas Robinson placed third in the 4 x 100m relay medal in 44.2 seconds while Francis teamed up with Hubert Dean, Ulric Whyly and George Shannon to clock 3 minutes 35.2 seconds in the 4 x 400m relay, again finishing third.

Four years later, the first women’s team tested their speed in a regional meet.

Elaine Thompson, Christina Jones-Darville, Althea Rolle-Clarke and Gail North-Saunders finished fifth in the 4 x 100m relay at the 1962 Central American and Caribbean Games in Kingston, clocking 48.7 seconds.

These humble beginnings led to global supremacy on August 29, 1999, at the Seville IAAF World Championships.

Savetheda Fynes, Chandra Sturrup, Pauline Davis-Thompson and Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie flustered the mighty United States in the 4 x 100m relay, setting the current national record of 41.92 seconds. Bahamian legend Thomas Robinson witnessed the feat and the team became the “Golden Girls”.

Two years later, the men captured the 4 x 400m relay at the 2001 Edmonton World Championships, setting a national record of 2 minutes 58.19 seconds. Avard Moncur, Chris Brown, Troy McIntosh and Timothy Munnings made up the team and were considered the “Kings of the World”.

Both teams would again emerge as champions of the world.

The women’s team returned on August 30, 2000, at the Sydney Olympic Games and clocked 41.95 seconds for the gold, defeating the US in successive major international events.

On August 10, 2012, at the London Olympic Games, the team of Brown, Demetrius Pinder, Michael Mathieu and Ramon Miller shocked the world. Miller’s impressive, strategic anchor leg defeated the Americans for the first time and lowered the national record to 2 minutes 56.72 seconds.

There is a colourful history between the first Bahamian international relay teams and their ascendance to the top, with record-breaking performances on that journey.

Men’s relays

1962 Kingston

The team of Bernard Nottage, Tom Grant, Hugh Bullard and George Collie finished third in the semi-final of the Central American and Caribbean Games in Kingston, setting a national record in the men’s 4 x 100 metre relay of 41.6 seconds. The great Thomas Augustus Robinson, who had won the 100m at those Games, did not participate in the relay.

1968 Mexico City

The men’s 4 x 100m relay a team of Norris Stubbs, Robinson, Nottage and Kevin Johnson lowered the national record to 39.45 seconds in the quarter-finals at the Mexico City Olympics. In the semi-final, Robinson suffered a pulled muscle, dashing the hopes of The Bahamas for an Olympic medal.

1993 Miami

It took a quarter of a century for the 4 x 400m relay record to fall. At a meet in Miami, Florida, in June, a club team from the Bahamas Tigers, coached by Sidney Cartwright, and comprising Andrew Tynes, Renward Wells, Bernard Young and Iram Lewis established a new mark of 39.40 seconds.

1993 Cali

In July, that same team from Miami broke the record again, clocking 39.33 seconds for victory at the Central American and Caribbean Senior Championships in Colombia.

1997 Athens

Dennis Darling and Joseph Styles joined Wells and Tynes to set a Bahamian record of 39.09 seconds, placing fifth in the first round at the IAAF World Championships in Greece.

2000 Montauban

The Bahamas held its Olympic training camp in France and the team of Wells, Sylvanus Hepburn, Dominic Demeritte and Lewis dipped under 39 seconds for the first time, clocking 38.98.

2013 Morelia

At the senior Central American and Caribbean Championships in Mexico the team of Shavez Hart, Adrian Griffith, Jamial Rolle and Trevorano Mackey lowered the national record twice, running 38.92 seconds in the heats and 38.77 seconds in the final.

2013 Moscow

The Bahamas sprint relay team was on the move at the IAAF World Championships, smashing the record again. Griffith, Rolle, Warren Fraser and Hart teamed to set the new mark at 38.70 seconds.

2014 Glasgow

At The Commonwealth Games the Bahamian team of Griffith, Rolle, newcomer Teray Smith and Fraser lowered the national record to 38.52 seconds, nearly one second faster than the 1968 Mexico mark.

Women’s relays

1978 Nassau

It was at the Carifta Games that the home 4 x 400m team of Oralee Fowler, MaryAnn Higgs, Monique Millar and Debbie Greene clocked 47.73 seconds, breaking the record set at the 1962 CAC Games.

1979 Kingston

At the Carifta Games in Jamaica, Debbie Greene, Higgs, Colleen Hanna and Fowler captured the gold in a national record of 45.79 seconds.

1983 Havana

At the Central American and Caribbean Senior Championships in Cuba, Greene, Fowler, Pauline Davis and Shonel Ferguson won in 45.26 seconds.

1983 Helsinki

At the Inaugural IAAF World Championships in Finland, Ferguson, Davis, Whelma Colebrooke and Fowler shattered the 45 seconds barrier, clocking 44.76 seconds.

1984 Los Angeles

In a warm-up meet prior to the Los Angeles Olympics the team of Eldece Clarke, Greene, Davis and Fowler ran 44.13 seconds.

In the Olympic semi-final the team ran 44.15 seconds and finished sixth in the final in 44.18 seconds.

1995 Havana

It was in Cuba that a new national record was set by Clarke and three newcomers - Debbie Ferguson, Chandra Sturrup and a youngster, Tamar Cherubin. They ran 44.01 seconds.

1995 Gothenburg

At the World Championships in Sweden Clarke and Ferguson were joined by Savatheda Fynes and Pauline Davis in the 400m relay, dipping under 44 seconds for the first time, clocking 42.74 seconds in the semi-final for a new national record. They slipped to 43.14 seconds in the final, placing fourth.

1996 Atlanta

The team of Clarke, Fynes, Sturrup and Davis won the silver medal at the Olympics in a national record 42.14 seconds. They were called “The Silver Ladies”.

Alpheus Finlayson is a former president of the Bahamas Amateur Athletics Association and was the first Bahamian IAAF representative. Next week he will look at the 4 x 400m relays.