The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

AFTER participating in the inaugural IAAF World Relays, USA Track and Field are looking forward to returning for the second version at the Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium May 2-3.

Sandy Snow, director for International and Team Championships, said they were quite impressed with the stadium and are even more enthused after hearing of the improvement that the National Sports Authority has made.

“We heard that they have added a weight room, which was probably one of the only things that was missing (during the first event last year),” said Snow, who along with Aretha Thurmond were here this week to inspect the housing facilities at Atlantis.

In defence of the Golden Baton, which they won by accumulating a total of 69 points - 21 points ahead of second place Jamaica - Snow said Team USA will be back with a full squad of 50-60 members as they contest all of the disciplines over the two days of competition.

“We will have some of our high calibre athletes as well as some of our youngsters,” said Snow, who indicated that she was not at liberty to reveal any names of athletes being considered for their team selection.

Whoever is eventually selected, Snow said she’s confident that Team USA will repeat as champions.

“We came with a great team last year and we were fortunate to win enough relays to receive the Golden Baton and we hope that our team will be as good this time, we’re counting on it (to repeat as champions),” she said.

“We know that there are a lot of teams coming this year and we know that they are coming to win the Golden Baton too, so we have our work cut out for us, but we are looking forward to it.”

Joining her counterpart, former athlete Thurmond said the relays is a concept that the Americans have welcomed to the IAAF calendar.

“We think that the IAAF concept to use the relays is good for us because our athletes don’t get a chance to come together more than once a year for a major championships,” said Thurmond, who is now in her second year as an administrator after representing the USA as a discus thrower for more than a decade.

“When it comes to our team, we’re so deep that it’s hard to give the veterans and the young folks a chance to get that experience with one another and to learn from each other and build that camaraderie.”

Thurmond, a married mother of one who resides in Indianapolis, Indiana, said as soon as the initial event was over and the word got out about how nice the event was, those athletes who didn’t compete were all saying how they are not going to miss competing this year.

“We just had our indoor championships a few weeks ago in Boston and even while we were there, people were coming and asking bout the world relays,” Thurmond said. “You only need so much athletes for relays, so it’s going to be tough to see which ones we say no to.”

If there’s any event in particular that the USA will continue to put its emphasis on, it’s the men’s 4 x 400m relay where the Americans are hoping that they won’t be upset like they were by the Bahamas at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England. Last year, the USA got revenge by holding off the Bahamas for the title in one of the marquee events.

“I think that rivalries are what make the sport,” Thurmond said. “I was in the stadium last year during that men’s 4x400m relay and it was electrifying. Those are the rivalries and moments in sports that we live for. I mean, what’s sports without competition?”

Coming from someone who has represented the USA with distinction, Thurmond should know.