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Anthonique Strachan working her way back

Anthonique Strachan in action.

Anthonique Strachan in action.

By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMIAN sprinter Anthonique Strachan has spent the last eight months nursing a season-ending injury to both feet but was finally able to make a return to the track last weekend at the 2025 Queen’s/Grace Jackson Meet at the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica.

Competing at her first outdoor meet since last April, Strachan placed fifth in the senior women’s 60m finals in the C group. She crossed the finish line at 7.36 seconds while running out of lane six.

Strachan, who represented the MVP Track Club, said she used the race as a measuring stick to determine how far she is in her recovery journey. “Honestly, it is good to be able to go out and compete while actually finishing healthy, especially at an outdoor meet because I wasn’t able to see outdoors last year outside of the two meets that I ran in China. It also let me know that I am technically unable to sprint currently because I didn’t sprint at all on Saturday.

“I basically tried to run an entire 60m while the girls out there were sprinting. It just let me know that I need to step up my physio work and look at things for power in my hamstring but I am very happy that I finished the race healthy,” she said.

The 31-year-old sprinter last saw action on the track in the 200m finals at the Yangtze Delta Athletics Diamond Gala at the Suzhou Olympic Sports Centre on April 27, 2024.

While running at the event, she wrapped up sixth with a season’s best time of  23.35 seconds.

Following the event, Strachan announced in May that she would be out for the season with hairline fractures in the shins of both of her feet.

Although she completed the event injury-free over the weekend, she expressed that she is still not 100 per cent back to her old self just yet.

“I am not 100 per cent confident with my legs. I still sporadically feel pain every now and then in my bones and I sort of picked up a hamstring problem trying to make my way back. Coming off the injury I had last year, I started to baby my body a lot and I am kind of sheltering my legs now and when I feel anything I back off a lot. I am grateful that they sent me out there because it let me know where I am at and reassured me that I am not as bad as I think I am,” she said.

Strachan, who had her fair share in run-ins with the injury bug, noted that the recent injury has really tested her, not only physically but also mentally.

“I would say that I am healthy physically, but mentally I am very scared of the pain I felt last year. I was living in my own personal turmoil and I would say that I bent myself in a direction that I didn’t think I could go into. I have experienced a lot of injuries in this sport but I have never experienced anything like I experienced last year. I literally cried for 12  hours a day so it was a lot,” she admitted.

Prior to her injury announcement, the three-time Olympian was gearing up to make her fourth Olympic Games appearance during the summer in Paris, France.

She appeared to be making headway, especially after advancing to her first global final in the women’s 200m event at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

It is not set in stone just yet when she will return to competition on a consistent basis but she is determined to make this season about her.

“2025 is a  me season and it is all about Anthonique. I think a lot of people will be seeing that this year especially, once I get my mind and body on the same accord. Originally, I was thinking about indoors but I am not sure as yet. I have decided to take it in stride and not hamper for a schedule. I will probably wait until about May or June to make a schedule,” she said.

As far as expectations for this year, Strachan is aiming to take down the 100m and 200m national records owned by Chandra Sturrup and Shaunae Miller-Uibo respectively.

“I would love to take both the national records in the 100m and 200m. Our national record in the 100m is 10.84 but I am going to aim for 10.70. The national record for the 200m is 21.74 but my aim is to run 21.50. I don’t have to achieve it this year but I am going to achieve it and that is my aim for everything,” she said.


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