The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

ALL four teams representing the Bahamas on Saturday at the BTC World Relays Bahamas 2024 missed out on the count of eight teams in each discipline on day one to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games.

The four teams - mixed 4 x 400, women and men's 4 x 100 and men's 4 x 400m relays - will have another chance as the final day of the meet take place on Sunday night at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.

They will need to be one of the top two finishers in order to book their ticket to Paris in August. If they fail to emerge as one of the top 14 teams to advance, they will have to go through the final process of the final two best times posted during the qualifying period from December 31, 2022 to June 30, 2024.

The first eight teams who qualified on Saturday, will be back on Sunday to compete in the final for prize money and Olympic lane seedings. The other teams will be battling for the two two spots in three sets of heats in each discipline to earn their trip to Paris.

Before a large crowd of spectators and the thymic sound of junkanoo to cheer on the more than 800 athletes from over 50 countries in competition, Team Bahamas gave their all, but fell short in their respective preliminary races.

Mixed 4 x 400m Relay

Returning two of the four competitors that won The Bahamas' only gold medal at the last World Relays held here in 2017, World and Olympic champions Shaunae Miller-Uibo and Steven Gardiner teamed up with Grand Bahamians Alonzo Russell and Shania Adderley, a junior athlete, in the mixed relay.

The Netherlands took the top spot in 3:12.16 for a short-lived championship record and the Dominican Republic got second in 3:14.39 as they both clinched their qualifying spots for the Olympics.

The United States of America, in winning the second heat, surged to the top of the chart in 3:11.52 to erase the Netherlands' previous championship record in the first heat.

The Bahamas will be back in the first of the three heats in lane three at 7:05pm on Sunday to try and clinch a spot in the mixed 4 x 400m relay.

From Paradise to France, those who already booked their tickets after day one in the mixed relays in order of their finish on Saturday are the United States, Netherlands, Ireland, Belgium, Poland, Nigeria, Dominican Republic and France.

Women's 4 x 100m

With a mixture of hurdlers and sprinters, the team of Devynne Charlton, Printassia Johnson, Charisma Taylor and Camille Rutherford ran a season's beast of 43.17 for fourth as well in the fourth heat for 15th place overall in Saturday's preliminaries.

Great Britain, in 42.33. and the Netherlands in 42.88, both season best performances, took the top to qualifying spots in the heat, but it was the United States, who took the overall top qualifying spot in winning heat in 42.21.

Team Bahamas will be back at 7:56pm on Sunday in lane one in the last of three heats to try and secure their berth in the women's 4 x 100m relay.

Women's 4 x 100m relay teams already booked for France after day one are the United States, Great Britain, Germany, Poland, Australia, Netherlands, Canada and France.

Men's 4 x 100m relay

Samson Colebrooke, Ian Kerr, Samalie Farrington and Carlos Brown Jr, who had an opportunity to run together in a few meets coming into the championships, clocked a season's best of 39.27 for sixth place in their preliminaries on Saturday.

They were in the first of four heats for 24th place overall out of a field of 32 teams. The two qualifying spots out of their heat went to the United States in a world leading time of 37.49 and Italy in a season's best of 38.14.

Team Bahamas will have another chance to qualify at 8:22pm on Sunday in one lane of the last of three heats.

Already qualified for Paris in order are the United States, Japan, Canada, Italy, China, France, Great Britain and Jamaica.

Men's 4 x 400m relay

With just one returning member from a global meet, Alonzo Russell was joined by newcomers Wendall Miller, Zion Shepherd and Shakeem Hall-Smith in the men's 4 x 400m relay as they posted a season's best of 3:07.45 for sixth place and 24th overall.

They were in the third of four heats, which saw Italy (3:01.68) and Great Britain (3:02.10) captured the top two qualifying spots. Surpringly, Botswana had the fastest qualifying time overall in winning heat four (2:59.73), while the United States got disqualified in heat one.

Team Bahamas will get a chance for redemption at 9:08pm on Sunday in the first of three heats, running out of lane four.

Teams already qualified in order in the men's 4 x 400m are Botswana, Republic of South Africa, Belgium, Japan, Great Britain, Italy, Nigeria and Great Britain.

Prime Minister Philip 'Brave' Davis opened the meet on Saturday during a ceremony that also featured Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg, World Athletics president Lord Sebastian Coe, NACAC president Mike Sands, BAAA's president Drumeco Archer and Danny Johnson, also from the LOC.

Photo Gallery

World Relays 2024 opening

Photos: Dante Carrer

Rev Dr William Thompson, Pastor of the Faith United Baptist Church, gave the blessings on the championships.