By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

World indoor record holder Devynne Charlton made a special appearance at the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools (BAISS) Track and Field Championships over the weekend to spend a few days at home after achieving a gold-medal finish and world record at the World Indoor Championships on March 3.

Before making her com-mute back to Kentucky to prepare for the out-door season, the 60 metres hurdles national record holder shed some light on her mindset after a brilliant indoor season. With momentum firmly on her side and the Paris Olympic Games - set for July 26 to August 11 - just 135 days away, Charlton is feeling great going into the outdoor season.

“I feel pretty healthy. We are still a long way out. I think about five months so there is definitely some work to do. The goal is just to stay healthy at this point and stick to the things that I have been doing because that is what got me to this point. I know that is what works and I don’t have to do too much different than that,” said the world indoor gold medallist.

Charlton has put the athletics world on notice since the start of 2024. She posted world record times and lowered her own national record twice in less than a month during the indoor season.

The 28-year-old clocked 7.67 seconds at the Millrose Games on February 11 to take down the former record of 7.68 seconds held by Susanna Kallur for 16 years.

Despite her time being matched by American hurdler Tia Jones just five days later, the Bahamian hurdler had the final say at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. A few days after winning the World Indoor Tour title in Gallur, Madrid, the gifted hurdler stepped onto the track at the Commonwealth Arena and cleared five barriers in a world-leading 7.65 seconds to etch her name in the history books as the definitive world record holder in the women’s 60m hurdles event. After a successful indoor season, Charlton is prepared to embrace the added pressure that now exists on her journey to Paris, France.

“It’s a little bit of pressure. I am learning to embrace it. I think these last couple of years I have been flying under the radar as a little bit of an underdog. Just have to embrace that it is a different type of pressure but I think I am ready for it,” she said.

Ahead of the Paris Olympic Games will be the World Athletics Relays May 4-5 in New Providence and Charlton expressed that she would be willing to come home and compete once a team is in place.

The national record holder’s recent stretch in athletics was not only a memorable one but also an inspirational one to other athletes that compete in the hurdles event. The women’s 60mH champion believes it is a great thing to see other athletes follow in her footsteps.

“I think it is great that a lot of other athletes have picked up the hurdles. Back in my day, we didn’t have too many people that did the hurdles and so just to see the kind of effect that I have had and more people taking up to it I think it’s pretty special,” she stated.

Charlton was delighted to be back home over the weekend to be able to enjoy aspects of Bahamian culture that she cannot typically enjoy when overseas.

“It feels good. After a long meet like that all I wanna do is get back home and take a little break, just soak in the culture and just enjoy some things that I don’t necessarily get to have during the season,” she said.

After taking what she dubbed a “mini vacation”, Charlton is back to training in preparation for what is sure to be a competitive and exciting outdoor season.