Jasmine Abrams was full of expectations in her first World Athletics Championships, but her appearance ended in disappointment last evening at Hayward Field at the spanking new stadium in Eugene, Oregon.
She crashed out of the women’s 100 metres heats placing seventh in a surprising 11.55 seconds which was not enough for her to advance to the semi-finals.
“I had a good start, did my drive phase well enough, but I can’t figure out what happened afterwards,” she explained.
“I’ll have to get back to my coach and see where it all went wrong and take it from there,” Abrams added. The former national 60 metres champion Jeremy Bascom is her new coach.
A mere three weeks ago Abrams crowned herself in glory by setting the new national record in the event by clocking 11.07s at the Trinidad and Tobago National Championships. The performance qualified her for the maiden appearance at a major Global competition.
“Here I was hoping to make it through the rounds to the semi-finals at least as I was all set to take it to the next level,” Abrams added.
The heat was won by American national champion Aleia Hobbs in an easy 11.04s and although Abrams had never faced the American prior, she said it was comfortable for her at the starting line, as she had competed with the likes of world rated Trinidadian Michelle Lee-Aye and Murielle Ahoure who were also in the race.
Abrams will now spend the rest of the championships rooting for younger sister Aliyah Abrams who makes her first appearance today in the women’s 400 metres.
Aliya arrived at the meet on top of a personal best display of a fifth place at the World Indoor Championships in Serbia earlier this year. It was after she reached the semi-finals at the Tokyo Olympics last year.
“She is the one everyone knows and who has been qualifying for the major meets and is a pleasant experience having your sister competing with you at the same meet and I have high hopes in her doing well here,” Jasmine said of her sibling.
“I was hoping she would run first to get me motivated but I will have to get used to doing things better if I have to go first.”
The sisters are following in the footsteps of their mother and grandmother who were both competitors.
“My mother was born in Guyana and came to America and competed at College,” she said adding that her sister started competing much earlier than her.
“I began in my sophomore year in High School while she was at it since eight years old. I was the camera person while she raced and later on my dad got me involved competitively and here I am today,” added Jasmine Abrams.
Born in Brooklyn, New York Jasmine said it is an honor to represent Guyana and make the family proud as it was a way to keep the family name going in the sport following the exploits of her mother Claudia Abrams.
As she doesn’t do the 200 metres, Jasmine expects to compete next at the Commonwealth Games then give it a go as well at the Islamic Games.
