Star sprinters Ezekiel Newton and Tianna Springer continue to grab the headlines for all the positive reasons.
The pair was among a quartet of standout athletes who made hay in the brilliant sunshine this past weekend at the National Track and Field Centre, dominating their rivals to punch their tickets to the World U-20 Championships in Lima, Peru, next year.
Newton, Springer, Athalyeha Hinckson, and Che Wickham all surpassed the qualifying standards in their respective races for the prestigious biennial meet when the Athletic Association of Guyana (AAG) staged its National Youth and Junior Championships at the newly resurfaced Edinburgh edifice.
As customary, Newton was the fastest man on the track, blazing to 10.39s in the blue riband 100m final, leading Wickham (10.47s) and Joshua Raymond (10.74s) onto the podium. Both Newton and Wickham ran faster than the qualifying standard of 10.55s.
Newton returned to clinch the double, winning the 200-metre event in 21.41 seconds, a shade above the qualifying standard of 21.35 seconds.
While Newton was above the mark for the half-lap event, both Springer and Hinckson went below in the women’s version. Running an eye-popping sub-24 for the second time in her already decorated career, the prodigious Springer recorded a personal best of 23.53s, leading Hinckson (24.27s), who also ran a personal best, and Nalecia Glen (24.81s) across the tape.
The runs by the pair of 16-year-olds, Springer and Hinckson, were superior to the qualifying mark of 24.35s.
With just the clock as her competition, Springer also won the 400m event in 55.97s, which was above the qualifying standard set at 55.40s. Remarkably, she also qualified in her least favourite event, the 100m.
Springer (11.70s) placed second to Hinckson (11.66s) in the marquee event, which has a qualifying time of 11.78s. The AAG’s calendar of events for 2023 closed with the staging of the event last weekend.
Notes: The World U-20 Championships will be staged in the Peruvian capital from August 26–31. Athletes will have until three weeks before the competition to meet or surpass the qualification standards.
Only athletes aged 16, 17, 18, or 19 on December 31, 2024 (born in 2008, 2007, 2006, or 2005) may compete. An U18 athlete will only be allowed to compete in a maximum of 3 track events (including relays), of which only 2 can be over 200m (whether an individual event or relay leg). A maximum of two athletes from any one member can compete in each event.
All performances must be achieved during an official competition organised or authorised by World Athletics, its Area Associations, or its Member Federations, conducted in conformity with World Athletics Rules, and for which an application has been submitted in advance through the Global Calendar Platform. (Emmerson Campbell)
