By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net    

THE road to Tokyo for the 2025 World Championships will get underway for a lot of the local track and field athletes at the ninth edition of the Silver Lightning Track Classic.

Held in memory of the late Thomas A. Robinson, who made it to the final of the men’s 100m in Tokyo at one of his four Olympic Games, the classic will take place on Saturday, May 10.

It will be held in the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium, starting at 9am and, according to meet director Rupert Gardiner, they’re anticipating great expectations.

“When we first presented this idea to Tommy before he passed away, he was very excited about us having the meet,” said Gardiner of Robinson, who died on November 25, 2012, at the age of 75. “The track, both of them, are named after him. He represented the country well and he was a great athlete. So just his name alone makes it a meet to participate in.”

Gardiner, the head coach of Silver Lightning Track Club, said the event will serve as a qualifier for athletes wishing to participate in the World Championships, scheduled for September 13-21 in Tokyo, Japan.

He noted that a number of junior athletes, coming off their stellar performances at the CARIFTA Games in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad & Tobago over the Easter holiday weekend, will also be competing as they also have a number of international meets to participate in later this year.

“We have dubbed it the Road to Tokyo because it will allow those senior athletes wishing to make the team to get some competition in, while the junior athletes will get to compete against their older peers to improve on their performances,” Gardiner said.

According to Gardiner, plans call for some athletes from the United States to come to the Bahamas to compete as they look for alternative sites for meets.

But Gardiner also noted that sprinter Camille Rutherford is expected to be one of the highlight performers for the Bahamas as she competes in an invitational 100 metres. 

Hopefully, veteran international sprinter Anthonique Strachan, who has competed at both the Olympics and World Championships, will accept the invitation to come from Jamaica where she is training to compete as well.  

Gardiner further indicated that Golden Knight Timothy Munnings, who just recently won the Masters World Indoor Championship title with a record breaking performance, will be competing as he attempts to lower his own world outdoor 400m title in the invitational 400m.

It is also hoped that Olympic quarter-miler Wendell Miller, who is also training with Strachan in Jamaica, will be able to return home to compete in the 400m. 

With World Athletes introducing the mixed 4 x 100m relay to its growing list of events offered during their international competition, Gardiner said athletes can expect to get a test run of the relay during the meet.

Competition is expected to be staged in all age groups from the youth to the open categories and awards will be presented to the first three finishers in each event.

Interested athletes have until Tuesday, May 7th at 6 pm to register. All registration forms with the fee of $15 must be turned in to Betty Christie.

Patrons attending the meet will be charged an entry fee of $15 for the VIP stand, $10 for general admission and $5 for children under the age of 12.