The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

SPRINTER Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie remembers when she was the youngest member of the Bahamas national track and field team. She also remembers going to the IAAF World Championships where she competed in both or either the 100 and 200 metres and was a member of the women’s 4 x 100 relay team.

Those were the days.

These days, Ferguson-McKenzie now finds herself in a unique situation where she will be returning to the World Championships as the oldest member of the team at the age of 37. But, more importantly, her role has been relegated to just running on the relay team.

My, how the years have changed.

From one injury to the next on both legs, Ferguson-McKenzie has worked her way back into shape and although she didn’t run any of the A qualifying times to compete in the 100 or the 200 in Moscow, Russia, next month, she’s looking forward to being on another relay team in the post ‘Golden Girls era.

“I was hoping to go to the (Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’) Nationals (in Grand Bahama in June) and run the qualifying times, but it didn’t work out,” Ferguson-McKenzie said. “So I won’t be greedy. At every World Championships that I went to, I ran the 100, 200 and the relay.

“So this time, I get a chance to focus solely on the relays and that’s it. That’s my only goal, to focus solely and only on the relay. And right now, it seems like everybody else is falling a part, take nothing away from the Jamaicans, but this is a chance for the Bahamas to get together and salvage the 4 x 100 relay.”

In her opinion, Ferguson-McKenzie said the core of women, inclusive of herself, Nivea Smith, Cache Armbrister, Anthonique Strachan, Shaunae Miller and Sheniqua Ferguson, remind her of the era of the ‘Golden Girls’ that comprised of herself, Pauline Davis-Thompson, Sevatheda Fynes, Chandra Sturrup and Eldece Clarke.

With the six females in this year’s relay pool, Ferguson-McKenzie said they have a chance to be a force to reckon with in Moscow, but it will come down to just exactly how much work they put in together.

“We’ve done some, but we haven’t really had a good session of relay exchanges,” said Ferguson-McKenzie, who is hoping that they won’t suffer the same fate as they did in 2011 when Strachan and Smith collided on the second exchange and the Bahamas missed out on a golden opportunity to get into the final.

“I pray that it doesn’t happen in Russia because we have the women to get the job done. We just need to work. It doesn’t come easy. At this point right now, we have countries like Ukraine and Russia, who won’t have people in the semifinal of the 100 or the 200, but they’re training their relay teams to get the stick around. That’s what it takes to get there.”

Although she’s hoping to train with Armbrister and Smith, who is in town from Grand Bahama, Ferguson-McKenzie said the BAAA has to find a way to ensure that the women come together and work out before they get to Moscow because the focus first and foremost will be on the individual events.

“We are leaving on August 4 and should get there by August 5. That would mean that we will have August 6 to recuperate. We may have August 7 and 8 to get in some workouts, but that may not be enough,” she said. “The trick about the worlds is that by the time we get there, those people who have individual events are focusing on their events and not necessarily concentrating on the relay.”

As the most decorated Bahamian female athlete, having won at least one medal at every international meet she has competed in, Ferguson-McKenzie said she doesn’t know how much longer she will continue to compete, considering that she’s the only member of the ‘Golden Girls’ left after Sturrup announced her retirement at the Nationals.

“Chandra was about to run at age 41 when she retired. For me at this point, I don’t think I will go that long,” Ferguson said.

“I don’t want to think about it. But I’m not sure how much longer I will compete. I had some personal goals and one of them was to run in the new Thomas A Robinson Stadium. For those of you who know me, you know how dare and near Mr Robinson (her godfather) was to me. So at this point I would like to pay respect by getting a chance to compete in the new Thomas A Robinson Stadium. So I will take it one year at a time. But I would like to compete in the IAAF World Relay Challenge, which will be on home turf at the new stadium and that will give me a chance to retire at home.”

With the new stadium hosting the recent CARIFTA Games in April and the initial Chris Brown Bahamas Invitational in May, Ferguson-McKenzie said she was disappointed that the BAAA didn’t continue the string of meets being staged there.

“We have a new stadium. Why not let the people come and see us and enjoy it,” she said. “I guess for reasons unknown to me, I don’t know what happened. But we didn’t get to use the stadium.”

While she didn’t know what transpired with the BAAA opting not to use the new stadium, Ferguson-McKenzie said she was also disappointed in the turmoil that the executives are experiencing right now.

“These executives think it’s about them, but it’s not about them,” she said. “It’s about the athletes and what they are doing. The situation is embarrassing the country. People on the outside are looking in and asking is this what we have come down to? I am totally embarrassed because we are wasting so much time and energy on something that is not necessary.

“Right now, for the first time, we have all four relay teams qualified to go to the Worlds. At one point they were thinking that maybe they won’t send the women’s 4 x 4 team. I thought it was a money issue. No. They’re thinking that they will not get a medal. Give them a chance. They worked hard. It’s a building thing. That’s what happened with the Golden Girls.”

Ferguson-McKenzie said she would like to see the BAAA resolve the dispute between the executives because, at the end of the day, the general public is watching and it’s going to be hard to secure funding from potential sponsors with the matter unresolved.

“It’s time for a change. I’m tired,” she said. “I’ve been through enough. I’ve been a team player. I am going to stand up and speak it up like it is because the truth will set you free. Set an example for the athletes who are coming up. It’s about time that everything changes.”

In recent times, there has been a number of positive drug tests, which has affected athletes such as Jamaicans Veronica Campbell-Brown, Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson, as well as American Tyson Gay. Since competing in her first Worlds in 1995 in Gottenburg, Sweden, Ferguson-McKenzie has been an advocate for a drug-free sport.

“For too long, the fans of the sport have been dealing with this,” Ferguson-McKenzie said. “Not calling any names because you are innocent until you are proven guilty. We are all human. But we know in the sport people who are not performing fairly. What makes anybody different. Yes, it’s about talent, but talent and drugs makes you super natural. At the end of the day, for someone like me who has been running in the sport since 1987, you’ve never heard my name called in any drug scandal. I don’t even drink coffee because it is a stimulant. I don’t take any drugs.”

As a fan of the sport as well, Ferguson-McKenzie said she would like to see athletes compete the way they should - without the performance-enhancing drugs. She noted that if they are going to cheat, then they should have a race for all of the athletes who are clean and another race for all of the athletes who are using performance enhancing drugs, so the spectators can have a choice.

Fergson-McKenzie said for 26 years in the sport, she chose to stay clean and that is something that nobody can discredit her with, even if they have a problem with her voicing her opinion on the matter.