The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas has a rich history of success in relay events and since the “Golden Girls” rose to prominence in the late 1990s, have been one of the leaders in the field.

The country has achieved relay success at virtually every level of international competition, one of the reasons the country was chosen by the IAAF as hosts for its newest venture.

With athletics being an individual sport, relays are the sole opportunity for the athletes to operate as a single unit against the backdrop of possible disqualification, strategic lineups, baton exchange and a myriad other factors which add to the drama of the event.

Both head coaches of Team Bahamas weighed in on what makes relays special to the sport and to the Bahamas.

“Relays are simply the most exciting thing in track and field. The team concept always draws people in and for some reason it is always the place where athletes are able to showcase their heart and determination,” Rupert Gardiner said. “We have a rich history of relays in the Bahamas in terms of competing. We have won many medals at major competitions, internationally and regionally, so success is something that is expected of us now.”

Gardiner most recently coached a national team in Sopot, Poland, where Chris Brown and Shaunae Miller were successful in winning the silver and bronze medal respectively in the men’s and women’s 400m at the IAAF World Indoor Championships.

In the past, he served as the coach of the 2000 Olympic Games, where the Golden Girls’ team of Chandra Sturrup, Sevatheda Fynes, Pauline Davis-Thompson, Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie and Eldece Clarke won the women’s 4 x 100m.

Fritz Grant said: “The relays are always exciting. It brings out the best in the athletes and the Bahamian people love the glamour of the relays. It enhances the athletes’ excitement and it also enhances the individual performances. A part of it is running fast splits. If you run 21 seconds in the 200 metres, your split could be 20s and so that always gives the athlete and added boost and incentive to say ‘I am on the right path now and I will continue to excel moving forward.’  We are very well respected around the world because we are a small country with great athletes. We have really set the bar for relays high and when you raise that bar high you have to maintain that.”

“It just a great thing that gets you worked up. Relays are always about four people, whereas track and field is an individual sport, but relays force these four people to connect as one. It can be just an electrifying experience and you have to be in that moment and in that presence to really appreciate the feeling and the excitement that goes through each of these athletes as they run with that baton around the track.”

The coaches heralded the importance of training camps in creating a cohesive bond between the athletes.

“The training camp is very important, because if you don’t have these training camps before any major competition, especially for your relay team, you will be out there competing blind, not really sure how your team will run,” Gardiner said.

“They have to gel and this is a place where we are able to determine who can run which legs, strategy for placement and work on the technical things and exchanges.

“It’s all about the combinations, who you put out there, how they gel, how they train and how they carry the stick around.”

Grant said: “The camp was much needed to put the team together and allow them to form relationships. It allowed them an opportunity to share experiences and we listened to them to see what concerns they had in reference to training or the federation. All of that helps with chemistry. It brings a cohesiveness and lets us know what we need to do to re-evaluate the programme, so we can give our athletes the best opportunity to succeed and strive for excellence and develop their skills.

The Bahamas has won a total of 12 medals at the Olympics, 10 have come in track and field, five of which have come in a relay event.

The relay boom began in earnest at the 1999 World Championships in Seville, Spain when Sturrup, Fynes, Davis-Thompson, Ferguson-McKenzie and Clarke won gold in the 4x100m.

The following year, the quintet took gold again at the Sydney Olympics. Most recently, the Bahamas took gold in the men’s 4x400m at the London Olympics.