The Bahamas women's 4x400 meters (m) relay team is headed to the Olympics.
In a detailed communication to the Bahamas Olympic Committee (BOC) in concert with the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA), the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF) invited The Bahamas to take part in the Summer Olympics in the women's long relay. The communication comes after Russia's suspension for widespread doping was upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland yesterday, and The Bahamas catapulted to number 16 in the rankings. The top 16 teams qualify for the Olympics, which is rapidly approaching, set for August 5-21, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The Bahamas finished with an aggregate time of 6:58.80 in the women's relay, initially missing out on the 16th and final qualifying spot by 39 hundredths of a second. The Netherlands was 16th with an aggregate time of 6:58.41. However, with Russia now being thrown out, The Bahamas moves up to number 16, and the BOC wasted no time in naming the ladies who will be added to the BTC Team Bahamas yesterday. They are Christine Amertil, Lanece Clarke, Carmiesha Cox and Shaquania Dorsett, the same four who posted The Bahamas' second fastest qualifying time over the past one and a half years, 3:30.34. That was done at the Blue Marlin Track and Field Classic on The Bahamas' Independence Day. That four will join Shaunae Miller and Anthonique Strachan as members of The Bahamas women's 4x400m relay pool in Rio de Janeiro. The country's other qualifying time was the national record of 3:28.46 that was ran by the quartet of Lanece Clarke, Christine Amertil, Katrina Seymour and Miller at the Beijing World Championships last year.
"There was great anticipation of the women making it through because of what was going with Russia and we're very grateful to be in this position," said BOC Secretary General Romell "Fish" Knowles yesterday.
"We always knew that there was a 50-50 chance of us making it through. We're glad that it worked out in our favor. Knowing the modus operandi of the IOC (International Olympic Committee) it really didn't come as a major surprise to us. We knew that there was always a possibility. We feel honored."
The naming of the four ladies to the team only expands the largest Bahamian Olympic team ever - moving from 28 to 32 athletes. Knowles said that it is a testament of the hard work of the athletes and coaches, and how we have progressed as a country in sports.
"It's exciting," he said. "It's always good to get medals, but we look past medals at participation. This speaks wonders to the type of talent that we have in the country. It is our intention to continue to introduce new sporting disciplines, and continue to grow the capacity of all Olympic sports."
On the breaking of the news, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is strengthening its call for the entire Russian team to be banned from the Olympics. As far as athletics is concerned, there was still hope for 68 Russian athletes prior to yesterday's ruling from CAS, but they would have had to compete under another banner other than the Russian flag.
The IAAF released a statement yesterday, taking a strong stance on upholding the World Anti-Doping Code and supporting CAS in its decision.
"The IAAF is pleased that the Court of Arbitration for Sport has supported its position. Today's judgement has created a level playing field for athletes. The CAS award upholds the rights of the IAAF to use its rules for the protection of the sport, to protect clean athletes and support the credibility and integrity of competition."
IAAF President Sebastian Coe commented: "While we are thankful that our rules and our power to uphold our rules and the anti-doping code have been supported, this is not a day for triumphant statements. I didn't come into this sport to stop athletes from competing. It is our federation's instinctive desire to include, not exclude. Beyond Rio, the IAAF Taskforce will continue to work with Russia to establish a clean safe environment for its athletes so that its federation and team can return to international recognition and competition."
Be that as it may, the decision certainly benefits The Bahamas. The BOC congratulated the six young ladies yesterday, on their qualification and wished them the very best during the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.
As for the other relay squads, the men and women's 4x100m relay squads didn't finish in the top 20, and the men's 4x400m relay team is safe, based on a top eight finish at the IAAF World Relay Championships right here in The Bahamas in 2015. The men and women's 4x100m relay squads missed a golden opportunity at those world relays.
Team Bahamas (32)
Athletics (28)
Women (12)
Tynia Gaither (100/200m)
Shaunae Miller (100/200/400m/4x400m)
Anthonique Strachan (200m/4x400m)
Sheniqua Ferguson (200m)
Pedrya Seymour (100m hurdles)
Devynne Charlton (100m hurdles)
Adanaca Brown (100m hurdles)
Bianca Stuart (long jump)
Lanece Clarke (4x400m)
Christine Amertil (4x400m)
Carmiesha Cox (4x400m)
Shaquania Dorsett (4x400m)
Men (16)
Adrian Griffith (100m)
Jamial Rolle (100m)
Shavez Hart (100/200m)
Teray Smith (200m)
Demetrius Pinder (200m)
Steven Gardiner (400/4x400m)
Chris Brown (400/4x400m)
Alonzo Russell (400/4x400m)
Michael Mathieu (4x400m)
Stephen Newbold (4x400m)
Jeffery Gibson (400m hurdles)
Donald Thomas (high jump)
Jamal Wilson (high jump)
Trevor Barry (high jump)
Latario Collie (triple jump)
"Superman" Leevan Sands (triple jump)
Swimming (3)
Women (2)
Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace (50/100m free, 100m fly)
Joanna Evans (200/400/800m free)
Man (1)
Dustin Tynes (100m breast)
Rowing (1)
Emily Morley (women's single sculls)
Team officials
Roy Colebrook - Chef de Mission
Derron Donaldson - Asst. Chef de Mission
D'Arcy Rahming - Asst. Chef de Mission
Cora Hepburn - Team Attache
Ralph McKinney - Athletics Team Manager
George Cleare - Head Coach
Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie - Asst. Coach
Rudy Ferguson - Asst. Coach
James Rolle - Asst. Coach
Algernon Cargill - Swim Team Executive
Kathy Dillette - Swim Team Manager
Lionel Moreau - Swimming Coach
Andrew Loveitt - Swimming Coach
Beth Robinson - Rowing Coach
Becky Greene - Rowing Coach
Dr. Rickey Davis - Head Doctor
Jenn Davis - Chiropractor
Cottrice Robinson - Physiotherapist
Second wave of officials
Iram Lewis - Athletics
Clarence Rolle - Athletics
Rosemunde Carey - Athletics
Tyrone Burrows - Athletics
Shaun Miller - Athletics
Robert Butler - Athletics
Dr. Dwight Marshall - Medical
Dr. Philip Claussen - Medical
Dr. Kareen Sherwood Wallace - Medical
Sheldon Longley, Guardian Sports Editor
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