The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

AFTER recording a second and third place finish in her previous two meetings in the Velocity Fest Meet series in Jamaica, Bahamian sprinter Anthonique Strachan finally emerged to the top of the podium on Saturday.

Strachan, now training in Jamaica with the Maximising Velocity and Power Track & Field Club (MVP), which was founded by Stephen Francis, Paul Francis, David Noel and Bruce James in September 1999, pulled off her victory in the women’s 200 metres in 22.72 seconds.

It turned out to be the second-fastest time for the 2012 World Under-20 champion since 2015 when she ran 22.69 at a Diamond League meeting in Doha.

The meet saw Jamaican Olympic and world champion Elaine Thompson-Herah clinch her second consecutive victory in the women’s 100m in a wind-aided 10.73, coming off her legal time of 11.19 the previous weekend.

Strachan, the 26-year-old graduate of St Augustine’s College, is coming off a second place finish in 23.05 in the 200m at the Velocity Fest at Jamaica College last weekend behind Jamaica’s Olympic and world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the winner in 22.74.

The weekend before, Fraser-Pryce clocked 11-flat to win the first Velocity Fest 2020 All Comers Meet at the Ashenheim Stadium with Strachan placing third in 11.84.

Fraser-Pryce’s time was the fastest posted so far this year until Bahamian Olympic 400m champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo produced a new mark of 10.98 on Friday at the Back to the Track: Clermont at the National Training Centre in Clermont, Florida.

Miller-Uibo, coming off a second place finish behind American Allyson Felix at the virtual meeting in a rarely ran 150m at the Weltklasse Zurich Virtual Inspirational Games, also turned in the world-leading time of 21.98 in the 200m at the meet on Saturday.

Strachan, who turns 27 on August 22, was named the Rising Star at the IAAF World Gala in 2012 after her stunning victory in the 100 and 200m at the World Under-20 Championships in Barcelona, Spain.

Strachan, who began her professional career in 2013 after she graduated from St Augustine’s College and skipped college, produced a lifetime best of 11.20 at the World U-20 Championship on July 11, 2012 to go along with her 22.32 in the 200m at the BAAA Nationals on June 22, 2013 and 52.42 in the 400m in Monteverde, Florida on June 11, 2016.

She competed at both the Olympic Games and World Championships and also ran on the Bahamas’ victorious mixed 4 x 400m relay team that captured the gold at the third IAAF World Relays that was held at the National Stadium.

The team comprised of Miller-Uibo, Steven Gardiner and Michael Mathieu.

The Velocity Fest Meet series provided an opportunity for Jamaica to start the process of returning to track and field competition in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The meets, however, were void of any fans’ participation in the stands.