media_artricles :: 2015

COMING OF AGE

T&T women strike bronze in 4x1 relay

IT has been a long road, and a rough one too, for Kelly-Ann Baptiste. But the pain was eased at the Bird's Nest Stadium here in Beijing, China, yesterday when she teamed up with Michelle-Lee Ahye, Reyare Thomas and Semoy Hackett for women's 4x100 metres bronze at the 2015 IAAF World Championships.

There was a bonus too, the Trinidad and Tobago quartet getting round the track in a national record time of 42.03 seconds.

VIDEO :: Watch the 4x100m Women receive their medals

Jamaica struck gold, Veronica Campbell-Brown, Natasha Morrison, Elaine Thompson and 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce combining for a 41.07 Championship record run. United States finished second in 41.68.

VIDEO :: Watch the race as it happened

The T&T women have had a history of problems in the sprint relay. At the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games, they were undone by baton bungles. Baptiste was there on both occasions, the first time as a 17-year-old newbie. Here in Beijing, she is the senior pro.

Baptiste led her team into battle, running the leadoff leg and handing the baton to Ahye. Thomas performed third leg duties, and Hackett anchored, the powerful sprinter staving off a spirited challenge from Great Britain's Desiree Henry.

In the early session yesterday, Baptiste, Ahye, Thomas and 17-year-old Khalifa St Fort combined for second spot in heat two in 42.24 seconds—a new national record. Less than nine hours later, the mark was re-set.

More important, though, was the top-three finish, for never before had the country's relay women earned precious metal at a World Championships or Olympic Games.

In a shade over 42 seconds, T&T had come of age.

“Standing here,” Baptiste told the Sunday Express, “I'm remembering all I used to be on teams with--Fana (Ashby), Wanda (Hutson), Monique (Cabral), Ayanna Hutchinson and all those people, so it just feels good to know how far we've come from as a team, and it's just great to actually fulfil what we know we were capable of a long time ago.”

A Carnival-style dance from Ahye when she and her teammates were introduced ahead of the championship race proved to be an early—but not premature—celebration.

“We went out there, held our own,” said the second leg runner. “We got a bronze, made history once again. We're very excited. I was just screaming my lungs out. I still couldn't believe that we got a medal.”

Thomas told the Sunday Express that sprint relay bronze made up for the disappointment, seven years ago, of not making the T&T team for the Beijing Olympics. She is now looking forward to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

“I think we could achieve another medal-winning team and go under 42 seconds for the Olympics.”

Hackett said yesterday's World Championship bronze was the result of a total team effort.

“The main thing about our success is that we trust each other and put out 100 per cent. The baton exchanges were much smoother and we bonded in an effort to bring Trinidad and Tobago home a bronze medal.”

St Fort also made a significant contribution with her solid anchor leg run in the qualifying round.

“I'm so happy I was able to go out there and represent my country well,” said the talented teen. “And I'm happy I was able to come out here with such a great group of girls and perform well. My teammates are really helpful, really reassuring.”

Baptiste said quadruple Olympic medallist Ato Boldon played a big role as coach in the team's success here in Beijing.

“We know he's been there, done that before, whether it's with relays or individual events, and to have him show confidence in us was a great deal of help. He never had doubts at any point in time.”

And there's absolutely no doubt that T&T, now the ninth fastest nation in history in the women's sprint relay, will be a force to reckon with at Rio 2016 and beyond.

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