The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

When she returns to the track to compete next month, Anthonique Strachan could be adding the 400 metres to her sprint repertoire as she begins her trek to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for the 2016 Olympic Games.

The 22-year-old has been inactive as she spent some time recuperating from surgery last year for the sports hernia - a strain or tear of any soft tissue (muscle, tendon, ligament) in the lower abdomen or groin area – that prevented her from competing at the IAAF World Championships last year in Beijing, China.

“We haven’t decided yet on when I will open up because the Olympics is in August and not right now,” Strachan said. “We’re not going to rush me into something that I’m not fully prepared for right now.”

Her coach in Auburn, Alabama, Bahamian Henry Rolle, said her training is going very well.

“Her first meet will probably be early June and then the trials,” said Rolle, who also serves as an assistant coach at Auburn University. “If not, then the (Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations) trials (in June) would be her first meet.

“The reason for that is because it’s the best time available for her to compete. She has re-directed her focus a bit. I don’t like to give people credit when they don’t deserve it, but I can actually give her some credit. Her training is going very well and everything is geared towards Rio.”

Despite the fact that she hasn’t competed for the year, Strachan said everything is going as she anticipated.

“Everything is on track to where it should be,” she said. “I’m just waiting to compete.”

Rolle said Strachan will have a very limited schedule going into Rio.

“I want to take her into Rio well rested,” he stated. “If she’s well rested, she may do something special. So we will start with a competition prior to the trials when she will run the 400m and then she will run the 200m at the trials.”

With the Olympics as the ultimate competition for all athletes to compete in, Strachan said she’s not sure whether she will be competing in the 100, 200 or the 400m.

“I’m not going to count my eggs before they hatch,” she said. “If I hope in the 400m and it goes good, then I will look at doing the 400m. I hate the 400m, but it’s a doggy dog world and either you are the menu or you’re eating the dish on the menu, so I’m not trying to be the menu.”

 Once she gets back in action, Strachan said her goal is to run under the 22-second barrier and when she tests her skills in the 400m, she would like to do at least 54 seconds flat or faster. She doesn’t have any preference for the 100m.

“I’ve always been told that it appears as if I would be a better 400m runner than a 100m sprinter or a 200m person, just because of how I run,” she stated. “But I’ve never really cancelled out the 400m. If I could do it, I’m going to do it.

“I’m not going to say ‘oh, I hate it, but I’m not going to do it.’ No, that’s life. You hate a lot of things, but you still do them. So if I have to do the 400m, then I will have no other choice but to do it.”

Rolle said there are no plans this year for Strachan to move up completely to the 400m, but it’s in her cards for next year.

“We just want to see where she’s at strength wise and where she’s at mentally,” he said. “That is an event realistically that we will be looking at for 2017. She will be concentrating on the 200/400m combo.”

As for not competing yet, Strachan said she’s leaving the decision up to Rolle because she trusts what he’s doing.

“I’m going to be with Henry even when Henry doesn’t want me,” she said. “I really don’t like switching coaches because I know that when I find somebody who could deal with me, I’m going to stay with them because I know I’m not an easy person to deal with.”

Although she has already qualified for the Olympics from last year, Rolle said he wants to ensure that she come back and duplicate the feat this year.

“I think if you can’t do the qualifying standard in the year of the games, then you don’t need to go to the games,” Rolle said. “That’s just me and anybody whom I coach. I just believe that if you can’t attain the qualifying standard that year that the event is on, it doesn’t make any sense to compete.

“But the plan is for her to run at least five races before Rio. She should have one meet before the trials, the trials and take about three competitions after the trials and go into Rio well rested.”

As for school, Strachan has taken this semester of atSouthern Union Community College where she is studying computer science. She said the plan is concentrate on her return to competition.

“I want to give track and field my undivided attention,” she said. “I will starting again in the fall, so I will start my classes when I am in Rio competing at the Olympics.”