By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas is still basking in national glory which was achieved over the weekend at the 2024 BTC World Athletics Relays as the mixed 4x400m relay team advanced from “Paradise to Paris” in front of the home crowd at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.

Hundreds of Bahamian track and field fans and global supporters filled the seats at the venue to watch their national athletes attempt to qualify for the Paris Olympic Games.

The sounds of Junkanoo music flooded the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium as the formidable quartet of 16-year-old Grand Bahama native Shania Adderley along with Olympians Shaunae Miller-Uibo, Steven “Speedy” Gardiner and Alonzo Russell redeemed themselves on day two with a national record-breaking performance of 3:14.86.

Drumeco Archer, president of The Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA), expressed how proud he was of the Bahamian athletes’ performances. “I am so enormously proud of all of our athletes. We continue to demonstrate that when one goes, we have another one that is just on the horizon.

“Shania Adderley was a testament to that experience for us. A 16-year-old, who is still in high school, was able to just best the world and that is remarkable.

“It tells us that our programme continues to grow and the coaches have so much to be proud of and so here it is we are moving into another chapter in track and field and I think that it is a star-studded one for the country,” he said.

Archer added that the excitement surrounding Olympic qualification was not just about the national record-breaking performance but how it made Bahamians at the stadium, and watching at home, feel.

“It isn’t about a record, it isn’t about anything except how you make me feel. I think that what we have been able to achieve is making the Bahamian people feel as though we have a global brand and we have a cast of athletes that can stand up to the world and defend The Bahamas on our chests proudly,” he said.

Veteran quarter-miler and Olympic bronze medallist Russell was the “unsung hero” of the World Relays according to Archer and many others. The Grand Bahama native left it all on the track without a doubt. He competed in four 4x400m relays over the course of two days and helped one of the teams to book a first class ticket to Paris, France.

“I can tell you that I think that Alonzo Russell is the unsung hero. Each time you see Alonzo run, he runs with all of his heart and all of his might and that is what we expect out of our athletes. Alonzo over the two-day period ran four 4x400m events and he put his body on the line just for our country. I want to publicly say how proud I am and how proud the country is to see the valiant effort that he showed. He was first class in his effort and in his obligation to the country,” he said.

Another bright spot for Team Bahamas at the World Relays was the women’s 4x100m relay which was made up of world indoor record holder Devynne Charlton, Charisma Taylor, Camille Rutherford and Printassia Johnson. The team clocked 43.32 seconds on day two, missing out on qualifying for the Olympics.

However, only 14 of the 16 spots that were up for grabs at the World Relays were filled, which leaves the door open for The Bahamas to qualify, possibly with a new set of relay members.

The qualifying period will wrap up on June 30 but the BAAAs president has high hopes for both the men and women’s sprint relay teams as more collegiate athletes are expected to become available to compete.

“We didn’t have the fullest complement of athletes only because many of them are still competing at the collegiate level so many athletes who we believe are world class simply weren’t able to make it out. We believe that we have another opportunity particularly in the men and women’s 4x100m as some of our world-leading sprinters are at the top of the chart in the NCAA Conference. We expect that on their return we would better our chances of qualifying in both of those events,” he said.

A total of 70 countries secured a spot for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games scheduled for July 26 to August 11.