Although the Athletics Association of Barbados has a contingency plan it is also keeping a watchful eye on the work being done to lay a new track at the National Stadium.
President Esther Maynard told SUNSPORT the body would be primarily using the grounds at Harrison College and The Lester Vaughan
School for the first two or three months of the 2013 season.
“We have come up with a plan, but it hinges on the location. It depends on how soon we can get back to the [National] Stadium,” she said.
Maynard visited the Waterford facility at the end of last week and was satisfied with the progress. She said the timeframe would become clearer once the asphalt had been laid, as that required six weeks to cure before the track itself was laid.
“At that time of the year, grass, once it is well prepared, is good for the athletes as opposed to trying to work on a harder surface. The fact that they will be running on grass in January and February is not a problem.”
Work has also started on the University of the West Indies track at the Lazaretto and Maynard said the association had applied to use it for major competition, but would have to wait until next month to have a better idea of what was happening there as well.
The long-time sports administrator is preparing to face the track and field electorate next Thursday when the annual general meeting is held at 6 p.m. at the offices of the Barbados Olympic Association.
Looking back at 2012, Maynard said it was “reasonably successful” culminating with Ryan Brathwaite finishing fifth in the 110 metres hurdles final at the London Olympic Games.
The CARIFTA Games team, she said, was young and returned with 17 medals, two each of gold and silver.
The Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Juniors team had the best returns, with 21 athletes winning 18 medals, six of each kind. Akela Jones set two new youth records in the high jump and long jump and Shakera Hall did the same in the 100 metres hurdles.
The World Juniors team was not as successful, although there were three semi-finalists.
Overall, there were seven new junior national records set by Sadé-Mariah Greenidge (100m hurdles); Akela Jones (long jump); Leah Bannister (discus); Anthonio Mascoll (800m); Tristan Whitehall (discus, shot put) and Janeil Craigg in the javelin, becoming the first junior to throw in excess of 70 metres.
Craigg and Nicoliai Bovelle also became the first Barbadians to qualify for the javelin at World Juniors standard.
Among the seniors, Shane Brathwaite and Greggmar Swift won gold and bronze in the men’s 110m hurdles at the North America Central America and Caribbean Under-23 championships in the 100 metres hurdles before heading to the Olympic Games and Kierre Beckles also won a silver medal in the women’s event.
Maynard said some administrative strides were made, setting up a new coaching structure as mandated by the parent body, the IAAF.
Dr June Caddle was appointed coaching director, Alwyn Babb was named chief coach and Raymond Rudder the youth coach.
Adrian Thorne and Don Small were put in charge of sprints and jumps, respectively, Wendy Barrow-Smith, the throws and Michael Seaman, the middle distance races.
Babb became a Level 5 coach in sprints and hurdles, while Nikkisha Maynard and Desirée Crichlow became Level 1 lecturers in the Coaching Education and Certification System, joining Elroy Agard, who also received training in the Intense Coaches Education Certification Programme.
Rodney Blackman also became a race walking judge. Coaching courses were held in periodization, speed dynamics, weight training and the pole vault.
Should she be successful in gaining another term next week, Maynard and her team will be planning for the CARIFTA Games in The Bahamas; Pan Am Juniors in Peru; World Youth in Ukraine and the CAC Age Group Championships in Curaçao.
The seniors can look forward to the CAC Senior Championships in Trinidad and Tobago as well as the IAAF World Championships in Moscow from August 10 to 14.
