BUDAPEST, Hungary - 'Superman' Leevan Sands had a stellar career. He's one of The Bahamas' most decorated athletes of all-time.
The Bahamian hop, skip and jump athlete was a fierce competitor who has won a medal at just about every level, and every competition, in a career that spanned about two decades. On top of that, he is arguably The Bahamas' most resilient athlete of all-time, coming back from a devastating patella tendon injury that he suffered at the 2012 Olympics in London, England.
It's safe to say the Bahamian legend knows a thing or two about triple jumping and he loves working with others, particularly those who share the same interests and desires as himself. Therefore, it really came as no surprise when Sands went into coaching, and now, he has one of The Bahamas' most promising athletes under his wing.
When Charisma Taylor came on the scene about 10 years ago, excelling in various aspects of track and field, particularly the hurdles and the jumps, one could tell instantly that she was destined for greatness.
She was a young phenomena, much better than her peers, and had an intense work ethic and desire to compete and excel in athletics that continues to this day.
At 23, she is one of the youngest members of The Bahamas' team at the 19th World Athletics Championships at the National Athletics Stadium in Budapest, Hungary, this week. She is also one of the most versatile, experiencing success in the women's 100 meters (m) hurdles and the long and triple jumps, indoors and outdoors, this year. It's in the latter in which she qualified for the world championships, but she was close to the mark in the others as well.
Following her tenure with the Tennessee Vols this season, Taylor sought out Sands who is an assistant at Florida State University (FSU), with responsibility for the jumps. In just two years at FSU, Sands has helped transform their program, producing National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Championships medalists and All-Americans, indoors and outdoors.
Currently, he's training about a dozen collegiate athletes and nearly half of a dozen professional athletes with his Sands Pro Athletics brand.
Sands said he was drawn to Taylor because of her unbelievable talent, her determination to succeed and her intense work ethic – really reminding him of a young Leevan Sands.
"She has been training remotely with me before nationals, and after the NCAAs, she really made the move. We're still learning each other but I could say she is one of those jumpers I was always interested in. Her name says it all," said Sands. "She has that fire and she has that charisma. She actually reminds me of myself. She's enjoying this experience and she has a lot of confidence. This is her first major meet but she's not caught up in the hype at all. From being around her, you would think that she has been here all along. She's very composed and focused on what she needs to do, but at the same time, enjoying the experience."
Sands and Taylor staged their final workout session yesterday. She will compete in the qualifying rounds of the women's triple jump at 7:10 p.m. this evening in Budapest, 1:10 p.m. back in The Bahamas. Taylor will be the sixth jumper in Group B. Just the top 12, or an automatic qualifying distance of 14.30m (46' 11"), will qualify for Friday's final.
Taylor has a personal best national record of 14.88m (48' 10") indoors and a personal best distance of 13.99m (45' 10-3/4") outdoors.
"Today (yesterday), I just wanted to get her on the runway one last time. Our goal is for her to get into the final and then we'll take it from there," said Sands. "She's confident and ready, and I'm feeding off her confidence. I believe in her. She is very determined and very committed. She told me she had a dream about her jump and that she made it to the final and I said that's a good thing. It's good to visualize what you want to achieve. I believe she will do well."
Sands is the jumps coach for Team Bahamas at the world championships, and has taken particular interest in his athlete Taylor. As mentioned, during the season, she competes in the long jump and women's 100m hurdles as well, and wants to continue in those events so as to spread her wings and maximize her success.
Taylor isn't the only athlete in action for The Bahamas today. At 11:55 a.m., 5:55 a.m. back in The Bahamas, Rhema Otabor will compete in the qualifying rounds of the women's javelin. She will be the eighth thrower in Group B. Just the top 12, or an automatic qualifying distance of 61.50m (201' 9"), will qualify for Friday's final. Otabor has a personal best heave of 59.75m (196'), done at the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) Junior and Senior National Championships in July.
Also competing today for The Bahamas will be LaQuan Nairn in the qualifying rounds of the men's long jump. That will take place at 11:15 a.m., 5:15 a.m. back in The Bahamas. He will be the third jumper in Group B. Just the top 12, or an automatic qualifying distance of 8.15m (26' 9"), will qualify for Thursday's final. Nairn has a personal best leap of 8.22m (26' 11-3/4").
Anthonique Strachan will compete in the heats of the women's 200m at 11:20 a.m. today, 5:20 a.m. back in The Bahamas. Strachan will run out of lane nine in the first of six heats. The first three finishers in each heat and the next six fastest times will qualify for the semifinals on Thursday.
Finally for The Bahamas today, Devynne Charlton will run in the semifinals of the women's 100m hurdles. After setting a national record of 12.44 seconds in the heats, beating her previous national mark of 12.46 seconds, everyone is waiting with great anticipation to see what Charlton will do in the semis and going forward, possibly in the final. Charlton will run out of lane six in the first of three semifinal heats today. That will take place at 8:45 p.m., 2:45 p.m. back in The Bahamas. Just the top two finishers and the next two fastest times will qualify for the final.
More than 2,000 athletes from more than 200 countries are competing in the world championships in Budapest.
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