media_artricles :: 2015

T&T women look to repeat 4x100m medal run

Trinidad and Tobago’s women’s 4x100m team (Kamaria Durant, Michelle –Lee Ahye, Reyare Thomas and Kai Selvon) created history at the inaugural IAAF World Relays in 2014 at the Thomas A Robinson Stadium, Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas winning bronze. The sprint lasses were buoyed at their performances given that the line-up did not include national record holders Kelly-Ann Baptiste (100m) and Semoy Hackett (200m).

The Soca sprinters will be looking to mount the podium once again at this year’s edition, again in the Bahamas. Durant ran the lead off leg in 2014 is looking forward to making the country proud once again. “Last year was historic. I was really proud of myself and the team because it was the first time we ran together and to know that we never won a medal before world-wide so it was awesome.

At that point in time I didn’t have words to explain. I was very elated and we were proud of ourselves. This year we are hoping to medal again of course. We just want to go out there and make our country proud.”

The Simplex sprinter believes she is stronger this year and says her team-mates will give their best. Team manager Dexter Voisin is saddened with the withdrawal with 2011 World Championships bronze medallist Kelly-Ann Baptiste but like Durant is confident the ladies will give their best. “On Monday we got some disappointing news that she will not be able to travel with the team for personal reasons which forced her out of the team.

The 4x100m team without Kelly-Ann won bronze so with her on the team and having a decent (10.98) season opener team would have been strengthened and put us in a better position than last year. There is nothing we can do about that. We just have to go ahead with the team we have and anticipate the girls will go out and do their best as they did last year.”

Lisa Wickham is making her debut at the World Relays. The 20 year-old 2012 World Junior semifinalist is elated on her call-up. Wickham says competing at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland has helped her prepare for the World Relays. “I am really happy for making the team. I thank God for every opportunity that I get to represent Trinidad and Tobago. I would not be as nervous as I was for the Commonwealth Games (in Glasgow, Scotland in 2014). I had that exposure with the so-called big guns so it would not be anything new to me for the World Relays.”

T&T will rely on the speed of Michelle-Lee Ahye who ran the second leg last year. Ahye has been in the best form of her life following her 10.85 clocking in 2014, one of her three sub-eleven runs for the year. The 2011 Pan American junior 100m champion already run 10.97 for the year (3rd fastest time in 2015) in Florida in April and also recorded a windy 10.87 (+3.7) in Texas in March.

The women’s 4x100m event is set for tomorrow (Sunday) with the heats carded for 7:29pm and the finals 9:45pm. T&T will be looking to advance to the finals to gain an automatic qualifying spot to the 2016 Rio Olympics Games.

T&T’s women’s 4x100m team

Name Club Age pb
Kamaria Durant Simplex 24 100m-11.37/+1.4(2014);
200m-23.35/+1.8(2013)
Michelle-Lee Ahye Rebirth 23 100m-10.85/+1.6 (2014);
200m-22.77/-1.1 (2014)
Reyare Thomas Neon Trackers 27 100m-11.30/-0.2 (2012);
200m-23.17/-1.3 (2014)
Kai Selvon Airbon Sonics 23 100m-11.21/+1.8 (2012);
200m-22.85/+0.3 (2012)
Lisa Wickham Concorde 20 100m-11.44 (2013)

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