The Tribune

New national record is set in the process

By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

A new national record that was powered by a stunning second leg from 16-year-old rookie Shania Adderley helped to propel The Bahamas mixed 4 x 400 metre team to the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Taking advantage of their chance to redeem their fourth-place finish in their heats on day one of the BTC World Relays Bahamas 2024 at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium on Saturday night, Team Bahamas changed the line-up and it paid off big dividends.

Steven Gardiner ran an opening split of 45.08 and passed the baton to Adderley for her split of 53.12 to keep the Bahamas in contention. Alonzo Russell clocked 45.07 to put the baton in Shaunae Miller-Uibo’s hand first and she electrified the crowd as she maintained her position in 49.54.

Their time combined - three minutes and 12.81 seconds - to propel The Bahamas to another victory, shattering the national record of 3:14.42 that was set by the quartet of Miller-Uibo, Gardiner, Anthonique Strachan and Michael Mathieu in 2017 when the last World Relays was held here.

“It was very exciting. I was happy that I got this experience to run again with this team,” said Adderley, the 16-year-old 12th grader at Tabernacle Baptist Academy. “I just wanted to prove that age doesn’t matter once God has your back.”

Admitting that she was nervous when she came back out, especially with the change in the line- up from her debut on the anchor on Saturday, Adderley said she just relied on God to pull her through.

Russell, the 32-year-old fellow Grand Bahamian who also got to run on the mixed relay team for the first time, joined Adderley in thanking God for the victory and securing their berth to the Olympics.

“I just told Shania to give me something to work with. and she gave me the lead, so all I had to go with it,” he stressed. “Thank God we got the victory and we qualify.

“We just have to continue to work hard and get ready for Paris now.”

Gardiner, 28, said when the coaches presented them with the change in the line-up, they went with it. He noted that he didn’t have a problem popping off because Miller-Uibo was there to bring it home.

“We had Alonzo on third and Shania on second. She’s a junior, but she’s now considered a season,” Gardiner stressed. “She was so amazing. She had an experience that most of the younger kids would die for.

“We gave her a chance and she came through. We couldn’t ask for more. She’s now a part of the senior national team national record. It’s been a minute since we had a relay team at the Olympics. Here we are. We’re going to Paris.”

And just as thrilled about the performance was Miller-Uibo.

“I am so proud of our performance,” she summed up. “Our junior athlete, Shania, ran so well. She got me all excited about running my leg. She came in and she did what she had to do.”

Miller-Uibo, 30, said they had an awesome team with a national record tagged alongside their name and now they get a chance to go to Paris and look forward to making their presence felt.

Unlike the mixed relay team, both the men and women 4 x 100 and the men’s 4 x 400m teams missed their opportunities to earn their berth in Paris as they failed to finish in the top two in their respective heats in their second time around on Sunday.

The Bahamas was joined by Jamaica, the other qualifier in their heat. Also qualifying last night were Great Britain, Germany, Switzerland and Ukraine.

The first eight to qualify on Saturday were the United States, Netherlands, Ireland, Belgium, Poland, Nigeria, the Dominican Republic and France.

Women’s 4 x 100m relay

The team of Devynne Charlton, Printassia Johnson, Charisma Taylor and Camille Rutherford ran 43.32 that was only good enough for fourth place in their heat and ninth place overall.

“I thought it was pretty solid. It’s only the second time that we ran as a team, but we could have used some more time together, but that is what comes with the territory,” said Charl- ton, 28. “We just have to go back to the drawing board and lower our time to see if we can get into the top 16.”

Rutherford, 21, admitted that there is some work to do.

“We have a lot of cleaning up to do, but I think we ran pretty well,” she pointed out.

The 24-year-old Taylor, who like Charlton has already qualified for an individual event for the Olympics, said although their time wasn’t the best, she tried her best to run as fast as she could.

“Although I wasn’t feeling that well, as athletes we have to shake it off,” she stated. “I think we went out there and did our best.”

And Johnson, 24, said despite not getting one of the two top spots, they should have a chance to get a spot before the deadline on June 30. She’s hoping that they will get a chance to run again.

Nigeria and Switzerland earned the two qualifying spots in the Bahamas’ heat.

Men’s 4 x 100m relay

Samson Colebrooke, Samalie Farrington, Carlos Brown Jr and Ian Kerr lowered their season’s best to 39.21, but it was only good enough for fifth place in their heat for 15th place overall.

Colebrooke, the veteran member of the team at 26, said he was delighted to team up with so many young guys.

“We went out there and ran as professionals. These guys are professionals,” he insisted.

“We worked hard. We came out here and did our best. We’re happy with what we did.”

Farrington, 20, said he couldn’t ask for anything more.

“It was great. I got it from Samson and I just wanted to execute and do my job on the back stretch to get it to Carlos,” said Farrington, a newcomer to the team this year.

Brown, coming off his final year of eligibility at CARIFTA, said he just wanted to do his job.

“I really don’t run third, but running third at home before this big crowd has been really good,” Brown said. “I just wanted to execute and get the baton and execute on my leg and pass it on.”

Kerr, the oldest member of the team at 28, said dropping the time proves that the team is improving.

“It shows that the country is putting the interest in us going to these meets and to see that we improve,” Kerr said. “To come out here and improve again in the same lane after last night (Saturday), is good.”

The Republic of South Africa and Australia clinched the two spots in the heats with the Bahamas.