Bahamian speed queen Shaunae Miller-Uibo, who has won all of the global titles in athletics, and husband Olympian Maicel Uibo shocked the world on Saturday, announcing that they are expecting their first child. Miller-Uibo posted it on Instagram as the couple celebrated their sixth-year wedding anniversary in Exuma.
'New Year, New Blessing," Miller-Uibo posted along with pictures of her baby bump. "We can't wait to meet our little bundle of joy. Happy 6th Anniversary," she exclaimed.
With that news, it's pretty much confirmed that the defending World Athletics Outdoor Championships women's 400 meters (m) champion will not be defending her title at this year's edition that will be held in Budapest, Hungary, in August. In fact, it's likely she won't be in action at all.
As for the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, there is a possibility that she will be back on the track by that time. Miller-Uibo is coming off a brilliant year on the track with the highlight being able to capture the world outdoor title in a time of 49.11 seconds. She also captured the world indoor title, winning in a time of 50.31 seconds.
The Bahamian national record in the 200 and 400m closed her 2022 season with a gold medal run in the 400m at the 2022 North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) Championships at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex in Freeport, Grand Bahama, in August. Miller-Uibo clocked 49.40 seconds in that race.
Bahamian professional track and field athletes Devynne Charlton and Steven Gardiner were in action this past weekend with Charlton winning her race and Gardiner returning to action for the first time since June 2022 to finish third in his race.
Charlton was in action at the 2023 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix where she clocked a season's best of 7.87 seconds to cross the finish line first in the 60m hurdles. Running at the meet in Boston, Massachusetts, on Saturday, she was able to hold off American Sharika Nelvis and Australian Celeste Mucci who finished second and third, respectively.
The Bahamian Olympian had a great start as she got out of the blocks quickly and was the first one over the first hurdle. She maintained a steady pace and powered her way to victory.
Charlton's time was six one-hundredths of a second off her personal best and national record time of 7.81 seconds that she clocked to win a silver medal at the World Athletics Indoor Championships last year.
Nelvis, a world indoors and outdoors championships finalist last year, clocked 7.93 seconds for second. Mucci powered her way to a personal best time of 7.95 seconds.
Gardiner was on the track at the South Carolina Invitational inside the Carolina Indoor Track & Field Complex in Columbia, South Carolina, on Friday. Running in the men's 300m, Gardiner clocked 33.03 seconds out of lane five in heat three.
Winning the event was American Michael Cherry in 32.66 seconds. Great Britain's Matthew Hudson-Smith finished with the second fastest time when he crossed the finish line in 32.72 seconds.
The last time Gardiner was in action was on June 24 at the Bahamas Association of Athletics Association (BAAA) National Track and Field Championships. He easily won the men's 400m in a time of 45.22 seconds. Less than a month later, he announced that he would miss the rest of the season with a UTE (ultrashort echo time) tendon inflammation, thereby not defending his world championships 400m title.
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