The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

ALTHOUGH they are still waiting on the final approval of the remaining members of the team, the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations has released the names of 21 athletes for the IAAF World Championships.

With the team scheduled to travel on Monday to London, England, for the championships, set for August 3-13, team manager Maybeline Miller said they are hoping that by today, they will have the entire team list completed.

Eight athletes have automatically qualified by meeting the standard set by the IAAF, one was invited to compete and the other named will be making up the four relay teams that the Bahamas will compete in.

The automatic qualifiers are Shaunae Miller-Uibo (women's 200/400m); Anthonique Strachan, Ty'Nia Gaither and Jenae Abrose (women's 200m, although only three will be allowed to compete); Devynne Charlton (women's 100m hurdles); Teray Smith (men's 200m); Steven Gardiner (men's 400m) and Donald Thomas (men's high jump).

Although she didn't make the standard, Bianca Stuart was invited by the IAAF to compete in the long jump, based on her position she was in on the performance list for the year.

Added for relay duties are Carmiesha Cox and Keianna Albury (women's 4 x 100m); Shaquania Dorsett, Lanece Clarke, Christine Amertil and Doneisha Anderson (women's 4 x400m relay) and Michael Mathieu, Alonzo Russell, Kendrick Thompson, Ramon Miller and Ojay Ferguson (men's 4 x 400m relay).

Also, the IAAF confirmed to the BAAA late on Wednesday that Tamara Myers has also been added to the list for the women's triple jump.

Still waiting to be approved is the competitors for the pool for the men's 4 x 100m.

According to Miller, there is the possibility that a few more athletes might be added to the team to compete in an individual event, but that is up to the discretion of the IAAF, who will make the final decision.

"We are looking at about 26-30 athletes going to London," Miller said. "I think the numbers will increase. We are just waiting for the IAAF to confirm the rest of the athletes. But everything is looking good. We feel the numbers will increase by tomorrow."

The management for the team include Carl Oliver, co-manager; Sharon Gardiner, assistant manager; Dianne Woodside-Johnson, head coach; Rupert Gardiner, relay coordinator and Ronald Cartwright, Everette Fraser and Jason Edwards, assistant coaches.

The team doctor is Keir Miller. He will be joined by Eugenia Patton and Bernique Hanna as members of the medical team.

While the athletes will be competing for the prestige of being one of the best in the world in their various disciplines as gold, silver or bronze medallists, they will also compete for more than $7 million in cash prizes.

Individual gold medallists will collect US$60,000, $30,000 for second, $20,000 for third, $15,000 for fourth, $10,000 for fifth, $6,000 for sixth, $5,000 for seventh and $4,000 for eighth place.

Relay members will split US$80,000 for first, $40,000 for second, $20,000 for third, $16,000 for fourth, $12,000 for fifth, $8,000 for sixth, $6,000 for seventh and $4,000 for eighth place.

Additionally, any individual athletes (or relay teams) achieving a new world record in the championships will be awarded a bonus US$ 100,000.

Since the championships got started in 1983, the Bahamas has earned a total of 20 medals, inclusive of six gold, seven silver and seven bronze. The women have won three gold, four silver and three bronze, while the men have collected three gold, three silver and four bronze.

Only three Bahamians named to the team so far have won medals in the past. Miller-Uibo, who will attempt the 200/400m sprint double, won the silver in the 400m at the last championships in Beijing, China in 2015. Thomas, entered in the men's high jump, won the gold in Osaka, Japan in 2007, the same year that Mathieu got second leg behind Avard Moncur and ahead of Andrae Williams and Chris 'Fireman' Brown for the men's 4 x 400m relay team of that had to settle for the silver.

Incidentally, Brown, who has not won an individual medal but was a part of the four relay teams that medal, was hoping to make this his final appearance at the Worlds, but he has not been selected to the team as yet. It's not known if he will go as a part of the relay team again.

However, Oliver, who is a co-manager of the team, is going back to the championships after being on both the gold and bronze medal teams in 2001 in Edmonton, Canada and 2003 in Saint-Denis, Paris, France with Brown.