Coach of the Police Progressive Youth Club, Linden Wilson, says that the overall performance of his club at the AAG’s development meet last Sunday was “fairly OK” and he is pleased with the sprint events. However, he adds that he wouldn’t judge his athletes since they are now coming out of their off season.
In a telephone interview with Stabroek Sport, Wilson explained, “I’m applying some workout systems so as to not allow them to peak too early but I’m looking at their performances at the developmental meets to see how best to modify their programmes for the upcoming season.”
Stabroek Sport also caught up with Coach Julian from the Running Brave Athletics Club who says that his athletes are right where he wants them to be at this time, especially since it’s a
long season and he will have better output from them in the heat of the season.
This newspaper also questioned Julian about his young sprint sensation Ashley Tasher. “My expectations for her are high but her immediate goals are to make the Inter-Guiana’s team and also to meet the qualifying time for the upcoming Carifta Games which will be held in Jamaica in April,” Julian said.
Meanwhile, in a telephone interview with Stabroek Sport, current senior 100, 200 and 400 meters champion and 2007 Sportswoman of the Year, Alisha Fortune said that “basically I’m satisfied with my 200 metres performance because I’m just doing foundation work with no speed work and compared to my performance last year my performance on Sunday, my time, was way better than last year.”
Stabroek Sport also asked Fortune about her false starts and she explained that “whether you have competition or not every athlete has a certain level of nervousness and that caused my false starts.”
Fortune went on to say “if you notice I normally get a quick start and that is so because of my race plan, my race plan is to always get out quickly and because of this at times I might false start but it’s not that I do it purposely. I know people might criticize me for it and say that I don’t have competition and I should not false start and it’s not that I don’t have competition and go out there and get sloppy but it’s just the way I plan my race and I might be guilty of false starting at times but every athlete makes mistakes and people won’t know what it is unless they have actually competed.”
And talking about her plan for this year, she said “I’m looking to get to the World Games and other international meets but it basically depends on sponsorship and on the AAG because for some reason for the last three years I have not been selected by the AAG to represent my country, they just don’t give me a chance and after a while of being accustomed to not having competition home you would find that my performances drop.”
Fortune, however, emphasized that she loves the sport and is addicted to it although there is nothing much in it when the senior level is reached.
Stabroek Sport also spoke with 100 metres Joint Services record holder Quince Clarke from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF). Asked about his first 400 metres run Clarke said, “It was the most difficult race to run, which I don’t normally train for but I just went out to get a feel for it.” And regarding his goals for the year he told Stabroek Sport, “I just want to improve my times and see how far I can make it in athletics.”
In the meantime, the AAG’s long season which finishes in May is scheduled to continue on Sunday, February 13 with another developmental meet which will be hosted by the GDF at their Camp Ayanganna Sports Ground