The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

With the track and field season completed over the weekend at the Diamond League Final, World Athletics has released its latest rankings for male and female athletes with only a few Bahamians cracking the top 100 standings.

The list was undertaken to create a global ranking system where athletes score points based on a combination of result and place depending on the level of the competition in which the result is achieved. The ranking is then based on their average score over a certain number of competitions in a defined period of time. 

The basis for the ranking method has been developed with Elite Ltd (All-Athletics) whose founder, Dr Bojidar Spiriev, developed a first set of rankings already back in 1979. 

The calculation mechanism, as well as the different categories of competitions and the placing scores awarded for each category, can be found under the tab World Ranking Rules. 

Devynne Charlton, the world indoor 60 metre champion and record holder, clinched the top spot by any Bahamian with fourth in the 100m hurdles with 1,424 points. 

She led two other Bahamians at the Olympic Games in Paris, France, in August. Charisma Taylor is at number 24th with 1,273 and Denisha Cartwright 38th with 1,237. 

Puerto Rico’s Jasmine Camacho-Quinn sits on top of the standings with 1,458. American Masai Russell is second with 1,431 and Cyréna Samba-Mayela of France third with 1,428.

There are no women listed in the top 100 in the 100m, but collegian Camille Rutherford took the top spot for Bahamians at No.103 with a score of 1,179. 

St Lucia’s Julien Alfred, who had a breakout season with a pair of medals in the sprints at the Olympics, heads the list with 1,456, followed closely by American Sha’Carri Richardson with 1,441.

Taylor, coming off her double appearance at the Olympics in both the hurdles and the triple jump, is listed at No.18 in the hop, skip and jump event with 1,206. 

Dominica’s Thea LaFond, the World indoor and Olympic champion, sits on top of the standings with 1,417.

Cartwright, who ended her collegiate career with another dominating performance at the NCAA Division II Championships, is the top Bahamian female ranked in the 200m at 1,139.

Americans Gabby Thomas and Brittany Brown head the list with 1,439 and 1,419 respectively with Alfred sitting in third with 1,400.

NCAA two-time champion Rhema Otabor, coming off her qualifying round appearance in her debut at the Olympics, is 18th with 1,187 in the women’s javelin. 

Haruka Kitaguchi of Japan is No.1 with 1,387. She is the World and Olympic champion.

Another collegian Javonya Valcourt, who made the Olympics as a member of the mixed gender 4 x 400m relay team, emerged with a top 100 ranking in the women’s 400m at No.92 with 1,163. 

Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic is the leader of the pack with 1,489.

And collegian Anthaya Charlton came through in the women’s long jump with 52nd place with 1,166.

American Tara Davis-Woodhall, the World and Olympic champion, is No.1 with 1,438.

On the men’s side, despite not competing in the Olympics, Steven Gardiner had the highest finisher by any Bahamian in any event with his 16th place in the 400m with 1,307. Mixed gender relay team-mates Wendell Miller is 66th with 1,198 and Alonzo Russell is 90th with 1,176.

Great Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith took the top spot with 1,474.

In the men’s 100, Olympic competitors Wanya McCoy is 38th with 1,239 and Grand Bahamian Terrence Jones is 101 at 1,188.

American Noah Lyles is the leader with 1,483.

Ian Kerr, who surged through the international stage this year to earn a berth at the Olympics, secured the top spot by any Bahamian at 28 with 1,234 in the 200m, followed by McCoy at 30th with 1,229.

Letsile Tebogo from Botswana was out front with 1,507.

Antoine Andrews, one of the top performers this year making it to the semifinals of the men’s 110m hurdles at the Olympics, was 54th with 1,222. 

American Olympic champion Grant Holloway leads with 1,505.

Veteran Donald Thomas, who didn’t clear any heights in the qualifying round of the men’s high jump due to an injury, was ranked at No.14 with 1,243.

Hamish Kerr of New Zealand took the top spot with 1,442 ahead of Olympic and World champion Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar, who was fourth with 1,365.

Although they didn’t make it to the Olympics, three other competitors earned top 100 rankings in their respective events.

In the men’s long jump, Commonwealth Games champion LaQuan Nairn is 57th with 1,167.

Miltiadis Tentoglou of Greece is on top with 1,436.

The men’s triple jump saw Kaiwan Culmer at 44th with 1,161.

Jordan Aljandro Diaz Fortun topped the list with 1,416.

And in the men’s javelin, Keyshawn Strachan, who was off to a promising season before he got injured, was 65th with 1,094.

Neeraj Chopra of India tops the list with 1,419.

No Bahamians participated in the season ending Wanda Diamond League at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, Belgium over the weekend.