The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

AS the holder of both the Bahamas national indoor 200 and 400 metres records, Demetrius Pinder said the only thing missing from his résumé; is the outdoor record held by veteran Chris ‘Fireman’ Brown.

As he makes his return to the track and field circuit after sitting out the past year and a half with an injury he sustained at the inaugural Chris Brown Invitational in 2013, Pinder said one of his goals is to erase Brown’s record of 44.40 seconds that he set in Oslo in 2008.

“I would say that I am ahead of where I’ve been for the past four years,” Pinder said. “I feel way better, I feel way stronger and I started earlier than I usually start as far as my gym (workout) and everything. I think this year is going to be something to look out for.

“Maybe some records being touched outdoors. I already took care of the records indoors, but most definitely, I’m shooting for records outdoor.”

The 25-year-old Pinder, who posted the national indoor record of 20.50 seconds in 2011 in the 200m and 45.33 seconds in 2011 for the 400m, has run a personal best of 44.77 and done 20.23, which is slightly off the 200m record of 20.16 held by Michael Mathieu from 2012.

Although he has been sidelined from participating in any of the major international meets for the past year and a half, including the 2013 IAAF World Championships in Moscow, Russia, and the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, Pinder said he has been working on his recuperation from the injury at the Chris Brown Invitational.

“For me to run 45’s coming back, no one has done that. I’ve talked to my coach and I talked to others,” he said. “To be out for a year and a half, it actually took them two years to get their rhythm to start running 45s consistently. I’ve been out for almost two years and I opened up with 45 and I’ve stayed consistent with 45.

“People see it as a bad year because I normally don’t just run 45. But if you look at where I actually came from and being consistent with it, it’s actually a blessing. The 400 is not an easy event for you to just go out there and run like the 100 or the 200 based on just going out on speed. You have to get a rhythm. You have to find that rhythm again. It’s like running all over again.”

The winner of the 2011 NCAA Division 1 Indoor Championships, who won a silver at the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships and was a finalist at the 2012 London Olympics where he ran the second leg on the victorious men’s 4 x 400m relay team, said he is looking forward to making his return next year.

“This is not my first time I’ve been injured. I’m known for injuries, so it was something that I was already used too,” he said. “I’m just the type of person who is just interested in going after what I want too. I’m still ready to compete even if I’m injured. But I have people telling me to relax because I have a bigger picture next year and the year after.

“I wouldn’t say it was easy, but it was something that I already went through. So I had to tell myself that I will have to be ready for the next two years.”

In preparation for the IAAF World Championships in 2015 in Beijing, China, and the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the Tabernacle Baptist Academy and Texas A&M University graduate is currently in Bradenton, Florida, where he is training at the IMG Academy with American superstar LaShawn Merritt.

But Pinder said he is not sure how long that will last.

“I’m there for now, working on some other programme, but I won’t say anything more,” he said. “I’m working with someone’s programme that has people running low 44’s, so it should be a good year.”

And what are his goals for the upcoming season?

“I just want to medal in every games,” he proclaimed. “If I can place in the top three I will be happy, which should not be a tough task as long as I follow through with the training that I’m doing right now.”

Except for the indoor silver, Pinder has not won a major outdoor individual event medal since he claimed the bronze at the NACAC Under-23 Championships in the 400m in Miramar, Florida, in 2010. He is hoping that next year will be the start of his success on the international scene.

“The World Games is a big event, but it’s never going to outshine the Olympics, so my main goal is in two years,” said Pinder, who intends to continue to work out even though he is home for a short break.

And if all things work in his favour, Pinder said he is hoping that he will have his name on the one major national record that has eluded him. Watch out Chris Brown, Demetrius Pinder is coming.