The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

IT WAS a ‘Bahamazing’ night for the United States on Saturday in the IAAF/BTC World Relays at a packed Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.

The US set the women’s distance medley world record over Kenya and their men’s 4 x 100m team upset Jamaica while the Bahamas enjoyed qualification for the final in the men’s 4 x 400m heats but suffered a major disappointment in the final of the women’s 4 x 200m.

Treniera Moser (1,200m), Sanya Richards-Ross (400m), Ajee Wilson (800m) and Shannon Rowbury (1,600m) clocked 10min 36.50sec to set the tone for the US as they shattered their own women’s distance medley world best of 10:48.38 set in 1988, earning a $50,000 bonus to go with their $50,000 for winning the gold. Kenya, who broke the world record in the 4 x 1,500m event last year that has been replaced by the distance medley, had to settle for the silver in 10:43.35 and Poland took the bronze in 10:45.32.

The highlight, however, was the finale as the American team of Mike Rodgers, Justin Gatlin, Tyson Gay and Ryan Bailey ran 37.38sec to erase last year’s championship record of 37.71 by Jamaica for the gold. Not only did the Jamaicans lose their record, but, with Usain Bolt on anchor, they came second in a season’s best of 37.68. Japan, surprisingly, got third in their season’s best of 38.20. Favourites Trinidad & Tobago failed to finish.

Those two performances, along with their triumph in the men’s 4 x 800m, pushed the Americans out front in the point standings for the Golden Baton after the first day with 24 points. Jamaica were second with 14, followed closely by Poland. The Bahamas failed to get on the board, which had Trinidad and Tobago occupying 15th spot with two, behind St Kitts and Nevis with three.

As host, the Bahamas was counting on the combination of Sheniqua ‘Q’ Ferguson, Anthonique Strachan, Brianne Bethel and Shaunae Miller to secure the first medal in the 4 x 200m. The quartet looked good in finishing the race a strong second behind Nigeria, who crossed the line in a 2015 world leading time of 1min 30.52sec. But on the exchange between Strachan and Bethel, the rookie teenager from Grand Bahama ran out of the exchange zone before Strachan caught her and the Bahamas were disqualified.

A dejected Bethel had to be consoled by Ferguson as she left the track. Strachan was in too much pain to talk to reporters but Miller said she was proud of the effort of the team. She felt they all went out and gave it their best. She said she couldn’t really tell what happened on the exchange between Strachan and Bethel.

The Americans had their share of misfortunes as Jeneba Tarmoh and Allyson Felix - making her debut in the event - had a spill as they collided on the final exchange and did not finish the race along with France. Jamaica moved up to claim the silver in 1:31.73 and Germany captured the bronze in a season’s best of 1:33.61.

After their men’s 4 x 400m heat was recalled twice, the Bahamas held off Brazil for the victory in 3min 02.18sec to clinch a spot in the final in Sunday’s final. They did it with splits of 45.98sec by Michael Mathieu, 45.30 by Demetrius Pinder, 45.84 by Alonzo Russell and 45.06 by Ramon Miller. Brazil was the other automatic qualifier in 3:02.23. It was the second fastest qualifying time behind Trinidad & Tobago, who had a season’s best of 3:02.09 to win their heat.

Miller, back in action after he was injured running in the heats of the initial event last year, gave God thanks for allowing the team to be able to complete the race and making it back to the final. “It’s still early in the season, so we need more rounds,” he said. “But we haven’t ran our A team, so we will see what happens tomorrow.”

For Russell, it was his second time running on the team after competing last year at the Commonwealth Games. He noted that the other members of the team constantly spoke to him, keeping him hyped so that he was ready to compete. Meanwhile, Mathieu and Pinder both felt good, especially Pinder, who indicated that he almost didn’t make it after he was not originally named to the team.

In the heats of the men’s 100m relay, the Bahamas team of Deneko Brown, Blake Bartlett, Javan Martin and Alfred Higgs ran a season’s best of 39.32sec, but it was only good enough for sixth in their heat and 14th overall. Winning their heat was Jamaica, anchored by Bolt, in 38.07, which was - until the final - the world leading time. The same team came back in the B final for eighth place in a slower time of 39.56.

And in their heat of the women’s 4 x 400m, the team of Brianca Farrington, Shaquania Dorsett, Katrina Seymour and Christine Amertil clocked a season’s best of 3min 33.60sec for fifth in their heat and 13th overall as they, too, fell out of contention for the final.

In the first final of the night, the American team of Duane Solomon, Erik Sowinski, Casanir Loxsom and Robby Andrews ran a championship time of 7min 04.84sec as they pulled away from Kenya for the upset victory in the men’s 4 x 800m in the world’s fastest time so far this year. Poland got the silver in a season’s best of 7:09.98 and the bronze went to Australia in their season’s best of 7:16.30 after Kenya were disqualified. Kenya, however, still hold the world record at 7:02.43 set in 2006 in Brussels.

Prime Minister Perry Christie officially opened the championships during the brief ceremony in which Local Organising Committee chairman, Keith Parker, and IAAF president, Lamick Diack, both spoke. Before he began his address, Mr Christie called Hailey Robinson to the podium as he introduced the eight-year-old granddaughter of the late Tommy Robinson to the audience. The Temple Christian Academy student carried the Bahamas banner during the parade of nations.

Afterwards, she told The Tribune that she was surprised when Mr Christie called her and, although she was a little scared, she was delighted to have represented the family.

Mr Christie commended Mr Diack for awarding the Bahamas the World Relays for the second time and for the fact that the Bahamas will have it again in 2017 when the third edition is held. The Prime Minister then congratulated the LOC for organising the games and all of the people who helped to get the event off the ground before he officially declared the games open.

First to be introduced was Bingo the potcake, mascot for the event. He was followed by Trinidad and Tobago’s sprinter Ato Bolden and American quarter-miler Michael Johnson, who serve as the local commentators. They then introduced Golden Girls Eldece Clarke, Chandra Sturrup, Sevatheda Fynes, Pauline Davis-Thompson and Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie after displaying a replay of their 2000 Olympic Games gold medal run. They were followed by the introduction of the heats of the men’s 4 x 400 with the Bahamas team the first to be called, much to the noisy approval of the crowd.

The meet was preceded by the One Island, One Lane competition in which New Providence won all of the races. On Sunday, the finals of the National High School Relays kicked off the programme