The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

THE women’s 100m national record holder, who rose to prominence as a member of the “Golden Girls,” returned home to officially bring an end to a storied career.

Sturrup, 41, announced her retirement from athletics on the opening night of the 2013 BTC Open Nationals at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex. It brought an end to a professional career that spanned over two decades and produced two Olympic medals and four IAAF World Championship medals.

“I wanted to be here at home and do it personally to let the Bahamian people know that I have appreciated everything they have done for me throughout my career,” Sturrup said. “It is not a sad moment, the support I have received from you all has meant everything to me, so it was important for me to come here and tell you personally.”

Sturrup is the national record holder in the women’s 100 metre dash with a personal best of 10.84 seconds set in Lausanne, Switzerland on July 5, 2005.

An alumnus of Norfolk State University, she has taken part in almost every major event since 1991 after the birth of her son, Shawn Murray Jr.

At the junior level, Sturrup won four CARIFTA medals from 1988-1900, and won six medals during the same time period at the CAC Junior Championships, including a gold medal in 1988 when the event was hosted in Nassau.

In 1993, she won bronze in the 100m at the 1993 CAC Games and was a member of the 4x100m silver medal winning team at the CAC Championships in Athletics.

The iconic moment for Sturrup came at the 1996 Olympics when she teamed with Eldece Clarke, Savatheda Fynes, Pauline Davis-Thompson and Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie to win silver in the 4x100m.

Following the Olympics, in 1998 she won silver in the 100m and 4x100m at the Continental and gold in the 100m at the CAC Games and Commonwealth Games.

In 1999, another gold in the 100m at the Pan American Games and the “Golden Girls” took gold at the World Championships in Athletics.

The dynamic quartet returned to the 2000 Olympics and struck gold on the largest stage in the sport.

In 2001, she won her first individual medal at the World Championships with a bronze in the 100m and won gold at the World Indoor Championships at 60m.

Two years later she won bronze once again in the 100m at the World Championships.

In 2005, she won gold in the 100m at the CAC Championships and silver in the 4x100 relay, followed by a 100m bronze at the 2007 Pan Am Games, her final individual medal on the international stage.

Her final relay medal came as a member of the 2009 World Championships team which took silver in Berlin.

Sturrup is a six time Olympic Games finalist, seven time World Championships finalist and four time Golden League meet winner.