It might not be gold but overseas-based sprinter’s Kadecia Baird silver medal run at the World Junior Championships yesterday in Barcelona, Spain was the next best thing.
Having the fourth slowest reaction time in the female 400 metres at the World Junior Championships, Baird quickly made up ground to overcome a slow start, separating the two Americans in Ashley Spencer and Erika Rucker (first and third respectively) from having a one, two finish.
Spencer won in a time of 50.50s while her American colleague took bronze with a time of 51.10s
Baird, who ran out of lane four in the final, not only captured Guyana’s first ever World Junior medal but lowered the national junior record for the second time in a month.
Onica Fraser had Guyana’s 400 metres junior record of 54.38s safely in her pocket a month ago before Baird’s phenomenal run of 52.14s at the New Balance outdoor meet a month ago.
Now, Baird has brought her own record down by over a second as she copped the silver medal with a time of 51.04s which also happened to be an Olympic ‘A’ Standard qualifying time. The ‘A’ standard mark for the women’s 400 metres at the Olympics is set at 51.55s.
However, while Baird might have run the qualifying time, the qualifying window for the Olympics closed on July 8th, therefore making her 51.04s irrelevant when looking at her for an Olympic berth.
President of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) Colin Boyce in a telephone interview with Stabroek Sport wasted no time in congratulating the silver medalist.
“Well that was a remarkable performance by her, in fact I have already dispatched a congratulatory note to her and her coach,” Boyce related.
Talking about the medal being a first of its kind for Guyana Boyce also gave his thoughts on the achievement.
“I think it might be a first of its kind not just at world juniors but in fact at any type of the World Series including the seniors and the Olympics and I must express sincere gratitude on behalf of the AAG, myself and corporate Guyana for her success,” Boyce told Stabroek Sport.
Boyce also related future plans for the 17-year-old during the telephone interview with Stabroek Sport.
“Well, she will be our first candidate for next year’s World Championships and by extension the 2016 Olympics. She has a lot of years ahead of her and it is good that she has done this well,” Boyce declared.
The AAG’s president also express how he felt about Baird and her status for this year’s Olympics to Stabroek Sport.
“Well if we could have foreseen that she would be in this type of form we would have accredited her, in fact if both her coaches Shaun Dietz and Nicole Martial could have foreseen such form from her we would have done it.
“It’s a pity she ran this well so late, even with her ‘B’ standard time of 52.14s was too late because we did not accredit her because we did not foresee it and the spot had already been taken by Aliann (Pompey). We wanted her to have a chance to go witness it at least but the plans went out the window when they wanted her to be accompanied by a coach and we were not financially capable for that along with having the full quota of officials,” Boyce told Stabroek Sport.
Boyce also mentioned that with Baird’s performance he hoped that the government will plug more money into athletics.
“Well I hope that with this the government will pump more money into athletics so that we can get these juniors exposed and have her attend more games, it’s a great day for Guyana and we congratulate her,” Boyce stated.
The Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) and by extension the government will have to put measures in place in order to facilitate the growth and development of their top junior talent as she has become the next best hope of track and field Olympic success when Guyana’s Aliann Pompey hands over the torch with her final run at the London Games.
