The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

As you read this, I will be en route to Moscow, Russia, with high expectations to cover the 14th IAAF World Championships in Athletics.

The Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations, which had been plagued with a series of problems, including a conflict in their administration and a last minute fury to secure the finances to cover the expenses of the 36-member contingent, will be a part of the 206 countries and 1,974 athletes (1,106 men and 868 women) participating. Previously, the most attended championships in terms of athletes was Berlin in 2009 with 1,895.

The biannual championships will officially begin with the opening ceremonies on Saturday. The actual competition will start for the Bahamas on the same day with national record holder Bianca Stuart competing in the qualifying round of the women’s long jump and Shavaz Hart will be in the men’s 100 metres.

National record holder Derrick Atkins was also to have contested the 100m, but the silver medallist from the 1999 World Championships in Osaka, Japan, withdrew from competition because of a back injury.

Hart, who has produced a 10.16 behind Atkins’ 10.06, will have to carry the Bahamian flag in one of the marquee events.

Atkins’ absence, however, will certainly have an effect on the men’s 4 x 100 metre relay team.

Still riding high on their gold medal national record breaking performance at the Senior Central American and Caribbean Championships, the team of Hart, Trevorvanno Mackey, Jamial Rolle and Adrian Griffith will also have Warren Fraser in the mix.

Hopefully, with the team getting into Moscow on Tuesday after the BAAA was unable to fund a training camp, the coaching staff, headed by George Cleare, will have sufficient time to go through their critical relay exchanges.

The same could be said about the women’s 4 x 100 relay team of Sheniqua ‘Q’ Ferguson, Cache Armbrister, Shaunae Miller, Anthonique Strachan, Nivea Smith and Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie.

Out of the two, the women’s team appears to have a real legitimate shot at not only advancing to the final, but in the medal hunt when they compete on Sunday, August 18.

By then, Ferguson and Armbrister would have completed the women’s 100m (on Sunday and Monday), while Miller and Strachan would have finished the women’s 200m (on Thursday and Friday, August 15-16).

The Bahamas will also have a women’s 4 x 400 relay team, comprising of Shekietha Henfield, Miriam Byfield, Lanece Clarke and Cortrell Martin. If this team stands any chance of getting into the final, they will need to rely on some help from Armbrister, Ferguson-McKenzie and Miller. But that’s a coaches’ decision and we will have to wait and see how it all unfolds.

Despite the fact that the men’s 4 x 400 relay team, coming of their gold medal performance over the United States at the Olympic Games in London, England, will be without Grand Bahamian Demetrius Pinder, the team is still solid.

I think the addition of new 400 hurdles record holder Jeffery Gibson should help to fill the void when he teams up with Chris ‘Fireman’ Brown, Ramon Miller, Latoy Williams, Wesley Neymour and O’Jay Ferguson. The Bahamas should definitely be in contention for another medal in the relay.

It’s hard to say right now what our chances are for another medal, not having a chance to review the list of athletes who will actually be competing.

There have been a number of athletes who have either withdrawn or have been suspended because of a doping violation. But based on the calibre of athletes that we have representing us, I would go on a limb and say our best chances will come individually from Donald Thomas in the men’s high jump, Anthonique Strachan and or Shaunae Miller in the women’s 200m and Chris Brown or Ramon Miller in the 400m.

Potential for an appearance in the final are Michael Mathieu in the men’s 200m, long jumper Bianca Stuart, high jumper Ryan Ingraham and Sheniqua Ferguson in the women’s 100m. Outside chance for a final is Jeffery Gibson in the men’s 400 hurdles.

Remember, these are the World Championships, the highest level of competition in the sport on the planet. Athletes tend to rise to the occasion, with or without the help of performance enhancing drugs.

The IAAF has also gone on record to say that they will be implementing an intense level of drug testing. So a word to the wise is sufficient for our athletes. Stay clean and you won’t have anything to worry about.

In 2011, at the last championships in Daegu, South Korea, the Bahamas finished tied with other countries for 33rd with a bronze medal from Trevor Barry in the men’s high jump.

The question is: Who will be the medallist(s) this year and how many will the Bahamas end up with?

Only time will tell as there are just a few days left before the start of the meet.