Freedom Striders enjoy 15-medal success

BARBADOS’ oldest track and field club, Freedom Striders returned home on Tuesday night with 15 medals after a very successful tour to the United States.The 31-member group captured eight gold, four silver and three bronze medals at the United Age Group Track Coaches Association 2010 Youth Invitational Track and Field Meet at Widener University, Philadelphia, as well as the Russell E Blunt East Coast Invitational at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.Coach, Michael ‘Abu’ Worrell lauded his athletes as well as the support staff and parents who played a great role in helping the athletes to excel in trying conditions.“Every day in North Carolina the temperature was over 100 degrees and it reached 115 on Sundays. Our athletes had never encountered such conditions even when it is hot in the Caribbean we have trade winds to cool us some what,” Worrell stated.“The parents saw the commitments from the athletes who did not wilt under the conditions and the parents helped to wipe down the runners after their events which was commendable and which helped us to be competitive and successful against athletes who were more familiar with such conditions.“The overall success of the tour in exposing our athletes to that higher level of competition and with many of our athletes making use of the opportunities it was encouraging for us to make the tour an annual event,” he said.Cindy Forde was the outstanding athlete on tour, winning gold in the 800 and 1500 in North Carolina while capturing silver in Philadelphia in the 400, 800 and 1500.    Another top performer was young Ramarco Thompson, who broke a meet high jump record (1.76m) and won gold in the 200 and 400 in Philadelphia before returning to the Caribbean prematurely to take part in the CUT Games.Worrell was so pleased with the interest of the international coaches in his athletes (who are too young to take up offers of scholarships) that Freedom Striders plan to return in 2011 and forego next year’s Hampden Games which they have attended for the past 20 years.