This Week in NACAC: NACAC athletes display early preparation for WA Outdoor Champs 2022

NACAC athletes display early preparation for WA Outdoor Champs 2022

NACAC, already the dominant Area in the World Athletics Family, are already showing early form as the outdoor track and field season takes shape.

Importantly, with NACAC fielding more than 35 World Athletics Continental Tour (WACT) and Area Permit One Day Meets in its inaugural Circuit this year, the athletes are encouraged to compete at home, at once allowing more of them access to more competitions and prize monies at different levels but also to allow athletics fans in the Area more opportunities to see them perform, live.

For many of the younger athletes on the pathway to elite status, the NACAC Circuit is a most welcome feature that enables them to avoid the expense of having to travel to Europe to content with the challenges of the rest of the world to find events in which to compete.

For NACAC, the Circuit could only grow as more Meet Organisers seek to join the already long list of one-day competitions.

According to NACAC President, Mike Sands, “the NACAC Circuit will significantly boost the NACAC Brand. We have the best athletes and we exhibit this at the several World Championships as well as the Olympics. The results of last year’s Summer Olympics speak for themselves, endorsing what we have worked so very hard to achieve”.

The proud leader of the sport in the Area insisted, “our overall developmental; programme is expanding. We are among the leaders in the World Athletics Kids Athletics pilot programme and feel confident that this, in addition to our several educational pathways for athletes, coaches, technical officials and gender leadership, a very rich legacy will emerge”.

Puerto Rico International Athletics Classic 2022 – achieving new heights

Elaine Thompson-Herah, Hanse Parchment, Steven Gardiner, Ryan Crouser, Athing Mu and Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, were Olympic champions of the Summer Olympics of 2021 that headlined the athletes that competed in Puerto Rico on Friday 12 May, giving a most significant boost to the annual event.

Multiple Olympic champion, Elaine Thompson-Herah, of Jamaica, did not only headline the elite athletes attending this year’s Puerto Rico International Athletics Classic 2022 at Ponce last week, but delivered a sparkling 10.93 in the 100m, establishing a track record on the resurfaced world’s only track in a baseball arena.

Eager to lay claim to the World Championship title at this year’s competition in Oregon in July, Thompson-Herah, eased herself into the heats with a 11.22 performance, allowing her opponents to believe she was operating well below her best. In the finals however she turned up the heat, leaving Trinidad and Tobago’s Michelle-Lee Ahye in second, and the USA’s Shania Collins in third.

Another Jamaican Tokyo Olympics champion, Hansle Parchment won the 110mH (13.15), ahead of USA’s Devon Allen and Jamal Britt.

The Bahamas’ Steven Gardiner ran the 300m in a winning time of 31.52, leaving the 400m honours to Kirana James of Grenada, who won in 44.70

The women’s 400mH saw Janieve Russell (54.09) lead a Jamaican sweep of the top three places with Shiann Salmon (54.64) seconds and Rushell Clayton (54.90) respectively.

Trayvon Bromell of the USA, a major disappointment at last year’s Olympics after having set a good tone at the Inaugural NACAC New Life Invitational in Miramar, propelled himself past the finish line in the 100m, equalling the meet record of 9.92 seconds, ahead of Brando Carnes (10.02) and Kyree King (10.11), also of the USA.

Home favourite, Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, was defeated in the 100mH. USA’s Alaysha Johnson won in a meet equalling record of 12.52, with Jasmine Camacho-Quinn and Danielle Williams, third.

Anderson Peters is back

Defending World Athletics Outdoor Javelin Champion, Anderson Peters, threw down the gauntlet to fellow athletes by winning the event in his final throw at the fist of this year’s Diamond League competition held in Doha, Qatar, on Friday 13 May.

Peters who has been plagued by injury following his success in 2019, showed a return to form in his first major event for the year, winning with a throw of 93.07m. His nearest rivals were Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic (90.88m) and Germany’s Julian Weber (86.09m)m respectively. The USA’s Noah Lyles, produced a 9.72, 100m run to take top honours, ahead of countryman, Fred Kerley (9.75) and Trinidad and Tobago’s Jereem Richards (20.15). Three Canadians, led by Andre DeGrasse, occupied the following three places in the event.

In the Women’s 100m, the USA’s Gabrielle Thomas (21.98) headed the field ahead of Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson (22.07) and Britain’s, Dina Asha-Smith (22.37), respectively.

NACAC athletes occupied the top five positions in the Women’s 400m led by Marileidy Paulino (51.20) of the Dominican Republic, Stephanie-Ann McPherson (51.69) of Jamaica, Shaunae Miller-Uibo (51.84) of The Bahamas, Barbados’ Sada Williams (52.09) and Candice McLeod (52.37) of Jamaica.

The USA’s Kendra Harrison took the 100mH in a time of 12,43, with Jamaica’s Btriany Anderson of Jamaica (12.44) in third, followed by Devynne Charlton of The Bahamas (12.61).

Jamaica’s Shaneika Ricketts leapt a distance of 14.82m to win the Women’s Triple Jump, Dominica’s Thea LaFond was third with a jump of 14.46m and Ana Jose Lucia Tima of the Dominican Republic in fourth (14.44).

The USA swept the Women’s Shot Put. Ealey Chase (19.51m) won with Maggie Ewen (19.32m) and Jessica Ramsey (18.99m)in second and third respectively.

Ross-Williams sets Felix Sanchez Meet alight

The 4^th edition of the annual Felix Sanchez Invitational, a NACAC Area Permit Meet, held in his native, Dominican Republic on Saturday 14 May, saw the USA’s Tiffany Ross-Williams produce a world season’s best of 54.34 in the Women’s 400mH. Her performance was easily the most outstanding of the competition held in Santo Domingo and came on the same day that her compatriot, Sandra Glover, had posted the then world’s best for the event of 54.70, while competing in Atlanta, USA.

Michael Blackwood (45.37), ahead of Trinidad and Tobago’s World Junior champion Re of Jamaica, headed Trinidad and Tobago’s Renny Quow (45.62), and the USA’s Otis Harris (45.78). Perhaps the single most watched event was the performance of veteran, Felix Sanchez, who ran the final leg of the Dominican Republic’s 4 x 400m relay team that finished third.

NACAC Combined Events successes for Atherley and Mullings

“The NACAC Brand keeps reaching new heights”. These were the words of NACAC President, Mike Sands, following the conclusion of the NACAC Combined Events Championships earlier today.

Sands expressed sincere congratulations to the USA’s, Michelle Atherley, and Bahamian, Ken Mullings, the latest pair of NACAC Area Champions. “They exemplify what is best about being an athlete in the NACAC Area – commitment, determination to succeed and pride in country and NACAC”, Sands stated.

Atherley amassed a total of 6029 points to claim the NACAC Combined Championships title, ahead of Canadians, Nicole Ostertag and Rostam Turner.

NACAC Gender Leadership Working Group for further training

The leadership of the NACAC Gender Leadership Working Group, will join their counterpart sin Europe for a Train the Trainers Course over the next several months.

The Working Group, under the Chair, Donna Raynor of Bermuda, has received the approval of NACAC to participate in the first such course to be conducted by World Athletics

First part of training is 1 August – 15 September during which time there will be two (2) eLearning modules to be completed by the participants.

Then there will be two (2) webinars, 20 and 22 September, respectively.

Finally, the participants will journey to Warsaw, Poland, where they will join their European counterparts for three full and two half days of training, face-to-face.

The NACAC Gender Leadership team attending the training include Donna Raynor

(BER), Cydonie Mothersill (CAY), Edith Skippings (TKS), Gloria Ramos (ESA), and, Sherone Simpson (JAM).

Around NACAC

El Salvador

Continuing its competition programme over the weekend, the Salvadoran Athletics Federation held its U18 and U20 National Championships/Open Tournament at the facilities of the athletic track of the University of El Salvador (UES) and at the Armed Forces Transmission Support Command (CATFA) in San Salvador, the nation’s capital city.

The Championships featured a total of 142 athletes from 18 clubs and national teams, including athletes from the senior category and also from the El Salvador Paralympic Committee (COPESA). Three (3) new national records were set in the U20 category. Nancy Sandoval (14.05) in the 100mH; Michelle Velasco (3.90m) in the Pole Vault ; and, Cesar Peraza (3:54.11) in the 1500m.

The winning clubs were the following:

The Athletics Beans Club won the women’s U18 category while U18 ACSA Santa Ana won the women’s U20 title. On the men’s side, Athletics Beans took the U18 honours while Bethany captured the U20 Male and overall Championships titles.

Bahamas

Work has already begun in earnest on the island of Grand Bahama, where the BAAA will host the NACAC Open Championships, 19 – 21 August 2022.

During the past week the leadership of the Local Organisation Committee was agreed and the rest of the members will be finalised during this week.

The report from Michael Tovar, the representative of Mondo, has been submitted and is receiving the full attention of the LOC and the government.

NACAC member federations have already been informed of the dates and location of the NACAC Championships.

The NACAC leadership is hopeful that with The Bahamas also scheduled to host the 50^th anniversary edition of the Carifta Games next year, the hosting of the NACAC Open, a mere few months later, will serve as a major test of the nation’s eager support for track and field.

The international reputation of athletes of The Bahamas is expected to serve as a major attraction to athletes from across the NACAC Ara to compete in Grand Bahama, in the presence of eager fans and loyal supporters of the sport.