Facing some of the world’s best 100-metre sprinters didn’t faze Emanuel Archibald, who, however, completed a satisfying day’s work on Day One of the World Athletics Championships yesterday in Eugene, United States
“It was good for me and it shows what could happen when you exposed among the best,” said Archibald after a steep improvement in the heats after making it from the qualifying rounds earlier in the day.
“The experience was very good considering that my main focus and preparation was the Commonwealth Games (upcoming), the University of the West Indies student added.
Although he didn’t blaze his way into the men’s 100 metres semi-finals, Guyana’s number one male sprinter clocked 10.24 seconds to erase seven tenths of a second from his earlier performance in the day, for a seventh place finish in Heat 2.
It was two hundredths of a second of his personal best of 10.22s America’s Fred Kerley, breezed into the next round recording a stunning 9.79s to win the heat.
Three hours prior Archibald dominated the field in his qualifying race for competitors not in the top bracket rankings.
The Guyanese shot out of the blocks well ahead of the field and romped to a comfortable 10.31s time triumph to record the best time of the qualifying round races..
It was the Linden born athlete’s second similar performance at a major after also reaching that stage of the contest at the Tokyo Olympics last year.
However, the powerfully built sprinter/long jumper is bullish about his future in athletics and is not ruling out the prospect of going professional.
“Surely I will give it a shot if I can do 10 second flat,” he explained.
Based in Jamaica at the Mona Campus of UWI, Archibald said he would love to have a go with the world renowned Jamaican coach Stephen Francis at MVP club but explained it requires a steep monetary investment.
“It’s like 1000 dollars (US) per month and I don’t have that kind of money that is unless I get a sponsor.”
Francis is best known for propelling Olympic stars Elaine Thompson, Shelly Ann Fraser-Price and the fastest man never to win men’s Olympics title Asafa Powell among others into stardom.
Next up for Archibald is the long jump where he’s aiming to surpass his 100 metres performance by leaping past his personal best of 8.12 metres.
Guyana’s three member team at the first ever World Championships to be staged in the United States also comprises the Abrams sisters with Jasmine set to make her entry in the women’s 100 metres heats today
Her older sister, the improving Aliyah will later get into the fray later in the week In the women’s 400m heats and will be aiming to justify the optimism of team manager and Athletics Association of Guyana, President Aubrey Hutson, who boldly proclaimed her a dark horse for a medal.
Abrams showed good form by placing fifth in the World Indoor 400m final in March in Belgrade after making the semifinals at the Tokyo Olympics last year.
