UNITED STATES-based sprint hurdler Shane Brathwaite will carry this country’s best hopes of a medal at the 21st Commonwealth Games slated for the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, from April 4-15.
At the last Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, in 2014, Brathwaite, who turned 28 last month, secured a bronze in the men’s 110 hurdles, and hopes are high he can get another podium placing.
Vice-president of the Athletics Association of Barbados (AAB), Noel Lynch, told the DAILY NATION, he was confident that the eight-member track and field team, will make an impact if they maintain their level of performance.
“The team is loaded with people that have Olympics and World Championship experience. Sada Williams is the only person outside of that group and the only reason she didn’t go to the Rio Olympics is because of injury.
No predictions
“I wouldn’t want to make any predictions, but this is a solid team which is more than able if they produce their best to be in the finals of any of these events,” said Lynch, the gold medal winner of the 100-metre dash at the 1974 Carifta Games in Jamaica.
Lynch felt the timing of the Games would be uncharted territory as it was early in the track and field season and some athletes may not have peaked.
“It is very early in the season and one should note that there are some countries with good athletes who have opted out such as Canada’s world-class sprinter Andre DeGrasse. There are a number of Jamaicans, who are missing out, and that tells you that we are in uncharted territory.
“In our system, those who come out of the US college system, don’t run outdoors this early. We don’t have Mario Burke because he is just coming outdoors for the first time and he can’t leave his school commitments to go to the Commonwealth Games,” he added.
Expecting much
Lynch says he is expecting much from the sprint relay squad which comprises Brathwaite, Ramon Gittens, Stephen Headley, Nicholas Deshong and Burkheart Ellis.
Gittens and Headley will also race in the 100 metres while Deshong and Ellis will line up in the 200 metres.
United States-based Tia-Adana Belle will seek a medal in the 400 hurdles while 20-year-old Sada Williams races in the 200 metres, in which she holds the national record. Williams, the baby of the team, won gold in the 200 and 400 at the 2016 Carifta Games in Grenada.
Olympian Kierre Beckles, 27, will compete in the 100 hurdles and will be seeking another sub-13 second clocking.
The full team is Shane Brathwaite, Sada Williams, Kierre Beckles, Tia Adana Belle, Burkheart Ellis, Nicholas Deshong, Stephen Headley and Ramon Gittens.
Track and field athletes have secured five of the 12 medals Barbados earned at the Commonwealth Games, dating back to the 1960s, when high jumper Anton Norris collected bronze medals in 1962 and 1966. The other medallists are being 400 metres hurdler Andrea Blackett (gold), sprinter Obadele Thompson (bronze) and Brathwaite (bronze).
Weightlifter Blair Blenman (1958) and Blackett (1998) are the only Barbadians to strike gold at the Commonwealth Games.
The netball contingent will also be seeking to improve on their ranking, but are certain to find it tough. They have been grouped in A with heavyweights Australia, Jamaica and South Africa. That pool also includes formidable Fiji and Northern Ireland.
The Bajan Gems will play their opening match against world No. 1 Australia next week (April 6) at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre. Australia, known as The Diamonds, are the World Cup queens and defending champions.
SQUAD: Shonette Azore, Latonia Blackman, Vanessa Bobb, Damisha Croney, Rieah Holder, Teresa Howell, Rhe-Ann Niles, Nikita Piggott, Tonisha Rock-Yaw, Shonte Seale, Sabreena Smith and Shonica Wharton.
Cameron Burke is the chef de mission, while Gail Archer is assistant chef de mission.