By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

QUARTER-milers Steven Gardiner and Printassia Johnson, sprinter Adam Musgrove, triple jumper Kaiwan Culmer and high hurdler Devynne Charlton shared the spotlight over the weekend in various track and field meets around the world.

The athletes headed a list of Bahamian athletes in action as they gear up for the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ National Championships, scheduled for August 1-2 and the North American, Central American and Caribbean Championships in Grand Bahama from August 15-17.

Those meets will lead up to the selection of Team Bahamas for the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan, September 13-21.

Gardiner and Johnson in Memphis

In a much anticipated showdown in the men’s 400 metres at the 2025 Ed Murphey Track Classic in Memphis, Tennessee, on Saturday, all eyes were on Abaco native Steven Gardiner and American Quincy Wilson.

Wilson, the 17-year-old running out of lane five, made up the stagger to pass the 29-year-old Gardiner in lane six coming off the first curve on the back stretch. 

As they headed to the final curve at the 200m, Gardiner eventually stopped as Wilson surged to an impressive win in 44.10 seconds, the fourth fastest time this year, to lower his world under-18 record. No word on Gardiner’s status as he continued to battle the injury bug that has hampered his return to the international circuit since winning the World title in 2019 in Doha, Qatar and the Olympic gold in 2020 in Tokyo.

Printassia Johnson, making her bid as one of the Bahamian female quarter-milers this year, surged ahead of the field in the women’s 400m in 51.52.

Her nearest rival was Jamaica’s Candice McLeod in 51.92. American Kennedy Wade was third in 52.84.

In the women’s 200m Category F, Collinique Farrington had the best showing of a trio of Bahamians with her third place in 22.66; Stephanique Dean was ninth in 23.66 and Cherrish Wright was 11th in 24.70.

Fatouma Conde of Guinea won the event in 22.54 with American Lybne Irby-Jackson getting second in 22.65.

And on the field, Kaiwan Culmer opened the men’s triple jump with a lifetime best leap of 55-02 2/3 or 17.00 metres on his first attempt that enabled him to hold on for fourth place. His previous personal best was 55-1 (16.79m)

He fouled his next three attempts before clearing 54-01 3/4 (16.50m) on his fifth and then fouled his sixth, which appeared to be a big leap.

American Russell Robinson only needed one jump of 56-08 3/4(17.29m) on his second attempt for the win in the final event of the meet.

Adam and Colebrooke in Jacksonville

After posting the fastest qualifying time of 10.28 in the preliminaries, Musgrove had to settle for second in the final in 10.22. Colebrooke, third in the preliminaries in 10.71, finished third in the final in 10.83. 

The duo competed at the 2025 JAC Invitational in Jacksonville, Florida where Haiti’s Darren McQueen, the second fastest qualifier in 10.29, nipped Musgrove to take the title in the final in.10.21.

Musgrove came back and claimed the victory in the 200m in 21.07. Colebrooke did not contest the event.

Charlton clipped hurdles in Monaco

Devynne Charlton got out extremely fast and was in contention for a top spot when she clipped the tenth and final fight of hurdles and finished seventh in 12.69 seconds at the Monaco Diamond League Meet on Friday.

Charlton’s time once again surpassed the qualifying standard of 12.73 seconds for the World Championships when she ran 12.69 for seventh place.

The 30-year-old Charlton ended up trailing Jamaican Olympic bronze medalist Megan Tappin, who clinched the title  in a personal best of 12.34 with Switzerland’s Ditaji Kambundji running a season’s best of 12.43 for second and Netherlands’ Nadine Visser picked up third in 12.56.

Three Americans followed, led by Charlton’s training partner and 2024 Olympic champion Massai Russell in fourth in 12.57, Grace Stark fifth in 12.64 and Alia Armstrong sixth in 12.68.

Before she took a break Charlton ran her season’s best of 12.53 in Stade Charley, Paris, France on June 20 for her first World Qualifier for this year.

It was just shy of her Bahamian national record of 12.44 that she ran at her last appearance at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary on August 22 where she just missed the podium with her fourth place finish.

Charlton, who came off a sixth place finish in her second appearance at the Olympics last year, started the year off as the repeat world indoor champion in the women’s 60m hurdles in Nanjing, China.