The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

GLASGOW, Scotland — Team manager Ralf McKinney felt the Bahamas’ first medal in athletics at the 20th Commonwealth Games couldn’t have come from a more deserving athlete than Jeffery Gibson.

The 23-year-old Grand Bahamian stormed from behind on the home stretch to surge into the spotlight yesterday on day nine of the games to pick up a bronze medal in the men’s 400 metres hurdles at the Hampden National Stadium.

The medal came in a national record-breaking performance as Gibson clocked 48.78 seconds to trail world leader Cornel Fredericks of the Republic of South Africa, the gold medallist in 48.50 and 2013 IAAF World Championship gold medallist Jehue Gordon from Trinidad & Tobago, the silver medallist in a season’s best of 48.75.

Gibson’s medal was just the second for Team Bahama. The first came from Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace with a silver in the women’s 50m butterfly at the Tollcross Swimming Centre. It was also the first major international medal ever achieved at the Olympics or Commonwealth Games and even the IAAF World Championships in the 400m hurdles.

“Jeffery Gibson showed me that if you are focused and determined, a medal could be in your grasp,” McKinney said. “I told Jeffery before he left the Games Village, make sure go and get a long pair of pants that fits you before the race is over.”

Like Gibson, who sensed that he would be making history as the first Bahamian to win a medal in the 400m hurdles at the games, McKinney said they were confident that he was going to raise the Bahamian flag during a medal presentation.

The Bahamas was hoping for two medals yesterday after Bianca ‘BB’ Stuart popped the leading jump on her first attempt to advance to the women’s long jump final. She ended up eighth in the final as Gibson went on to get the Bahamas on the medal table, one day after the opportunity slipped away in the men’s 400 metres with Latoy Williams finishing fifth in the men’s 400m final, while Chris ‘Fireman’ Brown didn’t compete because of a stomach virus.

“He is so focused and determined and the ability was there,” McKinney said. “I also told him that in order to win a medal, you had to produce a national record or a world standard here. That’s imperative.”

McKinney is hoping that Gibson’s performance will inspire the rest of the Bahamian team with just three more days of competition to go. The highlight, according to McKinney, will be on the relays with Gibson in the pool for the men’s 4 x 400 team.

The heats for all of the relays - men’s and women’s 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 - are slated for today with the finals set for the last day of the athletics competition on Saturday. The games will close on Sunday with the cycling road race, followed by the closing ceremonies.

Chef de mission Roy Colebrooke Sr, who watched as the cyclists began competition in the individual time trials yesterday as well with Chad Albury finishing 50th and Jay Major Jr 55th, said it’s always a good feeling when the country wins a medal.

“Jeffery came and he got a bronze medal. I believe it’s important for him to medal in these kinds of senior games,” Colebrooke said. “He’s a humble young man and I believe he will do the Bahamas proud, not just today, but in the future. Hats off to him tonight.”

Jennifer Davis, one of the medical staff members on the team, said after watching Vanderpool-Wallace secure the first medal for Team Bahamas, she was delighted to be present when Gibson got the first for track and field.

“I’m excited, super excited,” said Davis, who got a birthday gift from Gibson. “Swimming was a big deal because the sport has been near and dear to my heart. Track and field is our heartbeat in the country right now, so to see Jeffery do that and to see that he has so much more potential, it’s exciting. It sets the pace for everybody going into the relays tomorrow (today).

Davis, like Cottrice Robinson from Grand Bahama, said it’s good that they can be on hand to provide any assistance that the athletes need to achieve their success.

“It’s been a great experience here. We’ve worked hard. We’ve had some challenges along the way, but the kids are learning how to take care of their bodies and they are learning how to find out what’s wrong with them and then to work on the problems that they have,” she said.

“So along with trying to work with them, we are teaching them to take care of their bodies so that they can get on the podium and win medals like Arianna and Jeffery have done. It’s just been a pleasure to be here to see them do it.”

Hopefully with two more days of competition in athletics, Robinson said she can see a couple more medals added to the Bahamas’ total.