The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

The Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations was hoping that with the addition of Derrick Atkins, the Bahamas men’s 4 x 100 metre relay team would be in a much better position to compete for a medal at the IAAF World Championships in Moscow, Russia, next month.

But after skipping the Central American and Caribbean Championships in Morelia, Mexico, July 5-7 where the team of Adrian Griffith, Jamial Rolle, Trevorvano Mackey and Shavez Hart broke the 4x100m national record twice, first in the heats with 38.92, and then in the final with 38.77 to win the gold, Atkins has confirmed that he will not be in Moscow for the biggest global meet slated for August 10-18.

“I hurt my back a few weeks ago and I thought I would be ready to go, but I won’t be able to go,” Atkins said. “I’m waiting on my MIR results to see what extent the injury is before I do anything. I was scheduled to go to Mexico, but I didn’t go. So I thought I would at least be ready to go to the World Championships, but that definitely won’t happen.”

Atkins, who has been hampered by a series of injuries during his career, won the silver medal at the Worlds in Osaka, Japan, in 2007 when he lowered his Bahamian national 100 metre record to 9.91 seconds as he trailed American gold medallist Tyson Gay, while beating out Jamaican Asafa Powell.

As fate would have it, both Gay and Powell have both failed a drug test and are currently on suspension by the IAAF. Gay, coming off an injured season last year, has posted world-leading times of 9.75, 9.79 and 9.86 in the 100, while Powell has the fifth best of 9.88.

Atkins, who has ran the best by a Bahamian of 10.06, said it’s quite disappointing for him, especially considering the fact that the field is starting to open up with defending champion Johan Blake of Jamaica also out of the championships because of an injury.

“With the field not as strong now, I would have loved to have gone to the World Championship and perform my best, but that won’t happen,” Atkins said. “I am just going to try to get healthy again and get ready for next year’s World Indoors.”

The Bahamas men’s 4 x 100 relay team has currently produced the seventh best time by a country going into the Worlds. With Atkins in the mix, the Bahamas’ stocks for a medal was a lot higher than it is now without him. But Atkins is encouraging his teammates to go to Moscow and give it their best shot.

“They’re the new crop of sprinters for the Bahamas, so I just want to encourage them to go out there and represent the Bahamas,” he said. “Hopefully, I can get back in shape and be ready to join them next year. I want to wish them every success when they compete this year.”

Worlds team manager Ralf McKinney said Atkins will definitely be a big loss.

“When the relay ran in Mexico, in the first round, they ran without Warren Fraser and Derrick. With the addition of the two of them, our chances would have been good for us to elevate our performance,” McKinney said. “So I think it’s definitely going to be a big loss for us.

“But I’m confident that with the team that we have assembled, if they are fit and ready to run, they should be able to run very well in the semifinal and based on how well they run, they should do very well in the final and even lower the national record in the process.”

Without Atkins, the relay pool will now consist of Griffith, Rolle, Mackey, Hart and Fraser. There’s a possibility that Michael Mathieu, who is expected to run in the 200m, will also get a chance to compete on the team.

“I travelled to Mexico and I saw the team run at the CAC Championships. They improved on both rounds as the coaches stuck with the same quartet,” McKinney said. “I don’t know who will get to run at the World Championships. It will come down again to a coaches’ decision.”