Barbados’ World Relays’ silver medallists will be looking to come out on top when they go “Down Under” next year.
National 100 metres champion Mario Burke believes winning the Barbados Olympic Association’s coveted Senior Male Athlete of the Year Award will serve as a stimulus for the men’s 4×100 metres team at next April’s Commonwealth Games in Australia.
Barbados surprised the global athletics fraternity when the quartet of Burke, Ramon Gittens, Nicholas Deshong and Burkheart Ellis defied the odds to win a silver medal in the 4×100 metres final at the high-profile World Relays in The Bahamas last April.
They finished second in 39.18 seconds, behind runaway winning United States’ (38.43) quartet of Leshon Collins, Mike Rodgers, Ronnie Baker and Justin Gatlin after overtaking bronze medallists China on the final leg, anchored by Ellis.
Speaking on behalf of the group, which also included reserve Jaquone Hoyte, at the BOA’s Awards Ceremony at the Hilton Barbados Resort on Wednesday night, Burke told SATURDAY SPORT the relay group has already set some targets to achieve.
“Next year, we have big goals, both individually and as a relay team,” said Burke, a bronze medallist at last year’s IAAF World Under-20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland.
“The Commonwealth Games is the first stop for us. There is also World Indoors and there is CAC [Central American and Caribbean] Games and Pan Am Games as well, so we are looking forward to doing well at these meets,” added Burke.
Burke qualified for the Commonwealth Games in the 100 metres when he won the senior national title in June with a personal best time of 10.15 seconds.
The 20-year-old Burke, a 2015 CARIFTA Games double sprint gold medallist, said none of the relay quartet can rest on their laurels as Barbados have a cadre of sprinters, including experienced sprint hurdler Shane Brathwaite, who will be competing for places on the relay team.
“It is going to be competitive. It is going to be tough to see who is actually going to run,” said United States-based Burke, who has the legendary Carl Lewis as one of his coaches at the University of Houston.
Meanwhile, Brathwaite, who along with surfer Chelsea Tuach and tennis player Darian King received special senior athletes recognition, said he is aiming to clear more hurdles in the New Year starting with the World Indoor Championships in Birmingham, England.
“We are preparing for that. I will be working on my start a little bit at the beginning part of my race. The ending was a pretty good part this year. It was able to get me to the final at World Championships.”
Brathwaite, who was sixth in 13.32 seconds in that race, said he will also be looking for success at the Commonwealth Games in Australia after earning a bronze medal at the Glasgow Games in 2014 when he clocked 13.49 seconds.
He also has his sights set on a number of other meets on the international circuit.
“Every year I want to run faster than the previous year, so anything sub 13.2, I would be pleased with,” he said. “I will just put in the hard work and hope for the best,” noted Brathwaite.
Brathwaite, a product of the Frederick Smith School, said he is delighted the relay team members were recognised.
While he wasn’t a member of the quartet which won the silver medal, Brathwaite featured in the team which clocked 39.19 seconds at the World Championships, but were 14th overall and failed to reach the final.
“I am a part of these guys. I’ve been working with these guys for years. I am always proud when Barbados does well on the world stage. This year, I’ve been working on some speed work and this past season, I ran 20.5 [seconds] in the 200 metres, so I will be working on trying to be a part of the team again and hopefully, we can get some more medals,” he said. (EZS)
