President of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) Aubrey Hutson feels the lack of experience and technical support impacted the performances of the Guyana team at the World Athletics Championships here in Eugene, Oregon.
Guyana’s three-person team ended its participation Wednesday night without much success with only Aliyah Abrams advancing past the first round of the heats.
Sprinter Emanuel Archibald progressed from the qualifying competition for wild card entrants but was unable to get past the first round of the men’s 100 metres while Jasmine Abrams was also eliminated in the women’s 100m equivalent.
Hutson believes the competitors needed more help recovering between rounds in the days between their competition.
“Ever so often we go to international competition we see our athletes doing well in the heats and just can’t repeat the performance in the finals or in the semi-finals in this case,” he pointed out referring to Aliyah Abrams.
Her performance deteriorated after she clocked 51.55 seconds for a second place finish in the first round heat of the women’s 400 metres on Sunday.
She failed to advance to the final after only managing 51.79s for sixth place in her next race in the semi-finals run, three days later.
“We need physios on board, chiropractors on board, massage therapists, the type of support personnel you see the other international athletes have, which is needed to get the recovery needed between the rounds,” Hutson declared.
Hutson said in Aliyah Abram’s case she faded in the latter stages of her semifinal instead of getting stronger.
“She said she felt good going into the race but after 250-300 metres she didn’t seem to know what was happening, she was trying to go but nothing was happening. It could’ve been a problem of speed or endurance, but I think it was endurance,” he said.
The team, which will depart Eugene today was handled by a solitary coach in Jeremy Bascom.
Hutson acknowledged that Guyana’s senior athletes need financial support to pay for such support personnel where they can be allocated a specific sum per month
He said the AAG has proposed such assistance with Government and the Minister of Sports is quite aware of what is needed, and they are awaiting a response. He added that approaches have been made to previous governments as well.
However, Hutson pointed out that some measure of financial assistance currently is being had from the government for this year’s Junior CARIFTA Games competitors.
He, however, stressed the need for a clear sports policy to be enacted whereby an athlete will know specifically if they achieve a particular standard, they will be entitled to this type of support.
On funding from World Athletics, the ruling body, Hutson explained the AAG receives such for administrative purposes and the staging of competitions and it is difficult to fund the seniors directly from his association.
The high number of athletes dropping out of the sport after relocating to the
United States on scholarships or to reside, is troubling Hutson stressed, adding that suitability of the institution for the athlete could be a contributory factor.
“If the athlete goes to a school that specializes in jumps but he or she is sprinter, then problems can arise.”
Overall though, Hutson feels that the absence of the financial and other mechanisms for their continued success is a bigger problem.
He acknowledged though that the AAG could do a better job of monitoring its overseas athletes to lend whatever help that can be provided.
