This Week in NACAC: NACAC athletes shine at Paris Diamond League

EDITORIAL

The NACAC Council will convene at 7.00pm om Tuesday 21 June, via Zoom, a method that has become particularly useful since the onset of COVID in 2020. Of course, the meetings were much more frequent when members were not so heavily engaged in face-to-face activities necessitated by the reintroduction of the full calendar of national, regional and international competitions.

Tuesday’s meeting will receive updates from the NACAC President, Mike Sands, who is the official NACAC Area Representative and World Athletics Council Member.

Sands is expected to bring to the NACAC Council an update on matters of interest and importance at the level of World Athletics.

The World Athletics Outdoor Championships, scheduled for Eugene, Oregon, will also feature, including NACAC’s presence and any activities in which the Area will be involved.

One of the issues that NACAC members have consistently raised at our Information Sessions and last year’s Congress, is that of the tracks that were agreed to be offered to World Athletics for its needy members, but which, unfortunately, none of the NACAC member federations has benefitted from to date.

The NACAC Open Championships which will be held on Grand Bahama, hosted by the BAAA, will also be one among the topics addressed by President Sands when he makes his opening remarks at our meeting on Tuesday.

The meeting will also hear updates from the Chairpersons of the several Commissions and Working Groups that have been established.

NACAC’s leadership believes that the organisation has experienced significant advances over the past several months, despite the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to President Sands, “We have not only shown great resilience. We have held our place as the leading Area in global athletics and our performances in Eugene will attest to this and set the stage for the future.”

“As World Athletics takes its World Plan forward, NACAC will continue to be at the vanguard of change in all aspects of our sport” Sands concluded.

NACAC athletes shine at Paris Diamond League

Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce remains on track to make her presence felt in the sprints at the upcoming World Athletics Outdoor Championships in Oregon, next month.

At the Paris Diamond League on Saturday 18 June, the Jamaican speedster won the 100m in 10.67, which equalled her world-leading time. Her achievement also set a new meet record, erasing the 10.72 set by fellow Jamaican, Elaine Thompson-Herah of 10.72, set last year.

Other NACAC Athletes

Other NACAC athletes made it to the podium.

Shaunae Miller Uibo of The Bahamas won the women’s 400m (50.10) while her compatriot Steve Gardiner took top honours in the men’s division of the 400m, winning in a time of 44.21. Lidio Andres Feliz of the Dominican Republic was second in 44.92.

Cuba copped first and second, respectively, in the men’s triple jump, Jordan Diaz Fortun won (17.66m), with Andy Diaz’s behind him with a personal best of 17.65m.

Valarie Allman of the USA won the Women’s Discus with a throw of 68.68m, while her compatriot, Devon Allen, produced a 13.16 performance to win the 110mH.

Alexander Ogando of the Dominican Republic produced a Dominican national record of 20.03 . Canada’s Olympic Champions Andre De Grasse, finished fourth in a season’s best of 20.38.

The Bahamas’, Devynne Charlton, finished second in the 100mH in a time of 12.63.

Around NACAC

Nicaragua

It was an elated President of the Nicaraguan Athletics Federation, Xiomara Larios, who expressed her gratitude to the member federations of CADICA for their participation in the Central American U18 and U20 Athletics Championships during the period, 17 – 19 June 2022.

Seven (7) CADICA member federations registered a total of 203 athletes (92 women and 111 men) for the Championships.

1. Guatemala: 9 women and 10
2. Belize: 4 women and 7
3. El Salvador: 10 women and 12
4. Honduras: 7 women and 12 men. 5.Nicaragua: 19 women and 24 men
5. Panama: 4 women and 7 men. 7.Costa Rica: 17 women and 19 men

The Costa Rican team emerged the most success at the Championships with a total of 83 medals, 29 of which were gold. El Salvador amassed 30 medals, 16 of which were gold, while Guatemala also got 30 medals, 14 of which were gold.

NACAC President, Mike Sands, originally scheduled to attend the Championships but had to withdraw after testing positive for Covid, congratulated President Larios and her team for the excellent leadership shown in bidding for and organising the Central American Championships. “It was only a few months ago, in December 2021, President Larios stepped forward and hosted the NACAC Age Group Championships in fine style, in the midst of Covid and amid many challenges. Now, we can all join in celebrating the success of Nicaragua’s growing leadership in hosting Area and sub-regional events,” Sands observed.

“These are challenging economic times and to have one of our member federations readily come forward, eager to host our events is testimony to the commitment of President Larios and the Nicaraguan government and people to NACAC and our sport, athletics,” Sands stated. 

NACAC’s team read for Trainers’ Seminar

Mention has previously been made in our Weekly Bulletin, about the involvement of the leadership of the NACAC Working Group on Gender Equality, in a Training of Trainers’ Programme being coordinated by World Athletics and organized by the European Athletics Association (EAA).

The seminar will be held in Warsaw, Poland, during the period, 28 September – 2 October 2022. Prior to the forementioned face-to-face Seminar, participants will be expected to complete an e- learning module between 1 August and the start of the first webinar.

Two pre-seminar webinars will be held on 20 September and 22 September during the period, 5-8 pm CET.

Championships loom across NACAC next weekend

The NACAC leadership is extremely excited that during the coming weekend, several of our member federations will be hosting their respective annual National Championships, the event that would serve as their final trials for selection to national representative teams to the World Athletics Outdoor Championships next month.

The USA Trials are set for 23–26 June at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon. This will be the tenth time that the U.S. Championships meet will be held in TrackTown USA.

The Promotion reads, The meet will also serve as the qualifying event for the 2022 World Athletics Championships Oregon22, set for July 15–24. This is your chance to see who will represent Team USA at the first world championships on U.S. soil”.

Athletics Canada will commence their National Championships on 22 June and will conclude on 26 June. Many are anxious to see the level of preparation of Canada’s Olympic 200m Champion, Andre DeGrasse. The meet will be held at Langley, BC, Canada.

Jamaica will host its Championships at the country’s National Stadium, 24 – 26 June and all of Jamaica will be focused on the 100m and 200m women, respectively. Given the performances of the women sprinters at last year’s Olympics, the men would have to step up appreciably to match the attention they will receive.

Trinidad and Tobago and the Bahamas will both host their respective Championships, 24 – 25 June while Barbados has opted for 24 – 26 June.

All of NACAC waits with bated breath on the results.