It's now official that Anthonique Strachan is having the best season of her life - at least time wise.
The Bahamian female track star blazed to a new personal best in the women's 100 meters (m) at the Bislett Games Wanda Diamond League Meet at the Bislett Stadium in Oslo, Norway, on Thursday, finishing in 10.92 seconds. She finished second to Marie-Josée Ta Lou, of the Ivory Coast, who was close to top form, running a new meet record and world leading time of 10.75 seconds.
Strachan, 29, clocked the stunning personal best for second and Jamaican World Champion in the 200m, Shericka Jackson, had to settle for third, in 10.98 seconds, edging Great Britain athletes Dina Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita who ran an identical time as Jackson, putting five ladies under 11 seconds in the race.
"I felt comfortable out there. I just wanted to get a good start and go from there," said Strachan from Oslo last night. "I really don't go in there with any expectations but when I saw the time, I was like 'Oh I PBed (ran a personal best) so that was nice'. I train hard so it was a good feeling to get the time. I tried to get it last season. I'm just glad I came through now."
Strachan said she owes tremendous credit to her coach Stephen Francis at Maximising Velocity and Power (MVP) Track Club in Kingston, Jamaica. Given her continued progression, it appears that Chandra Sturrup's national record of 10.84 seconds is within reach.
"I'm going after it. I want to run the exact time and then I want to break it and extend it further along," she said. "My coach (Francis) has known to produce a lot of 10.7 runners so I'm optimistic. A lot of what happened last season and this season is because of him. He has brought me along and I believe he will take me further."
Strachan is blazing a new trail this season. She is now the fourth fastest Bahamian female of all-time in the women's 100m, passing
Eldece Clarke, Pauline Davis-Thompson and Shaunae Miller-Uibo on the top performance list. Now she trails just Sturrup (10.84), Savatheda Fynes (10.91) and Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie (10.91).
Last season, she ran under 11 seconds twice and now she has done it again this year, and has plans to go even faster.
Strachan is not known for her start, but was able to maintain pace with the other ladies in the race in the early stages on Thursday and her top end speed brought her through. Ta Lou was the clear leader at the 50-meter mark. The two-time world championships medalist in that event sprung out of the blocks from the crack of the gun and never looked back. She proved to be on another level, taking down Marion Jones' 35-year-old meet record of 10.82 seconds.
Strachan surged ahead of the other runners in the latter part of the race and powered through for the new personal best time behind Ta Lou who maintained her form throughout and ran away with the victory. Strachan was impressive in finishing second. This was the first time she beat her club teammate Jackson in a 100m race. She has defeated her before in the 200m, but not the 100m.
Strachan is clearly getting faster as she continues to breeze through what has been her most impressive season to date as it relates to time. Just a few weeks ago, she clocked a personal best time in the 200m, running 22.15 seconds at the Rabat Diamond League Meet, in Rabat, Morocco.
On World Athletics' top performance list for 2023, Strachan is now tied for eighth with Jamaican junior sensation Alana Reid in the women's 100m. She is sixth in the 200m.
Strachan will be home to contest the short sprints at the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) Junior and Senior National Championships, set for July 5-7 at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium.
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