Eighteen-year-old middle distance campaigner Devaun Barrington is tired of silver and bronze medals. Barrington has reached his threshold in settling for mediocre performances and has vowed to make a change in these his final months as a junior competitor.
This resolve by the reigning national junior 800m champion began earlier this year and he has had a relatively successful track season. However, one of the most important events to Barrington, the Guyana Teachers’ Union Athletics Championship is quickly approaching. The event will be held at the Guyana National Stadium Providence, the venue where Barrington made his Nationals debut six years ago.
Barrington has already dominated at North Georgetown District 11 Inter School and Inter Zone competition as a representative of Princeton Academy and is poised to compete at his final GTU Nationals in a few weeks’ time.
While Barrington’s confidence is sky-high after his performances earlier this year, he has a chip on his shoulders from disappointments at previous Nationals’ and his overall junior career. Barrington, who trains at Running Brave Track Club, has won six individual medals at Nationals during his brief junior athletic career. While many may consider that a successful campaign, Barrington is dissatisfied by the fact that he has never stood atop a podium at Nationals, never won a medal of the golden variety.
In 2006, he bagged silver in the 800m and 1500 in his debut year, while CARIFTA and South American Junior medallist Ricardo Martin stole the show. In 2007, Barrington walked away with two bronze medals after placing third in the 3000m and 1500m. Trevon George came out of nowhere in 2010 and stole the 1500 and 800m, leaving Barrington with a pair of silver medals once again. This yearBarrington will have four chances to bag a coveted gold medal as he will be competing in the 10km road race, the 5000m, the 1500m and the 800m.
Earlier this year, Barrington won the 1500m and 800m at the Junior CARIFTA Games trials, and then followed up his success by winning that national junior 800m title and finishing as the runner up in 1500m. Close to two months ago, Barrington also won the 1500m at the South AmericanUnder 23 trials for a shot on the team to compete a South American U23 Championships in Brazil last month.
Despite winning, Barrington was not selected to compete at that meet which was his final chance to compete at an international event as a junior competitor. Just as was the case after he won at CARIFTA trials, Barrington found himself as an event winner who just did not impress selectors enough to make the team. The 18-year old who has personal records (PR) of 4:17 seconds (1500m) and 1:59s (800m) acknowledged that he has to reduce the PRs in order to be selected to represent Guyana. For this reason, Barrington said that he refuses to continue to concentrate on just winning, as he realises the importance of time.
“I think I don’t push myself when there isn’t competition in my race. When they isn’t much competition I just focus on winning and that’s mainly why I never make a CARIFTA team or anything like that,” Barrington said.
“If I had pushed myself little more I think I would have come within the time that they were looking for (at South American U23 Trials), Barrington added.
Barrington wants to focus more on his endurance training as he enters first year as a senior competitor, as well as working on his strength so that he can hold his own against seniors. Just about two weeks ago, Barrington defeated his training partner Cleveland Thomas to win the Super Mile in the National Park. Thomas incidentally, was able to sweep the distance events in his final Nationals in 2005 so Barrington has the right mentorship. Looking ahead to his senior career, Barrington wants to make the ALBA Games team next year, but for now, it’s all about finishing what he started as a junior; becoming a champion at GTU Nationals.
