-‘immeasurable’ support helped
Guyana’s Commonwealth Games (CWG) female 400m bronze medallist, Aliann Pompey says that it was the large throng of supporters that impelled her towards her praiseworthy performance last Friday in what was likely her swansong at the Games.
Running out of lane five, Pompey headlined Guyana’s performance at the nineteenth CWG by stitching up Guyana’s first medal. The three-time Olympian told Stabroek Sport via email that she has everyone on the CWG Guyana team to thank as well as many others for their “immeasurable” support. “I had a lot of support this time around. We had the biggest team I’ve ever seen at a CWG. There was a lot of screaming on the track that night. I don’t think anyone from our delegation missed it. There were also calls and emails of support coming in”, she said.
“All-round it was a lot of positive vibes. And stepping on the track with that sort of backing boosts your confidence immeasurably. I don’t think it was something I did on my own. I think it was a huge team effort and they all had a part in winning that medal. I’m just lucky enough to be the one that gets to take it home,” Pompey said.
She clocked a personal season’s best of 51.65 seconds in the race, making a stunning return to the races medal podium since having won the gold eight years ago in Manchester, England, at the 17th hosting of the quadrennial event. That year Pompey walked away as the only medal holder on the Guyana team.
Speaking of her race, Pompey relayed that upon sizing up the competition, particularly her archrival and eventual winner, Botswana’s Amantle Montsho; she knew that the race was going to be a challenge. Montsho won the CWG 400m in a Games’ record time of 50.10 seconds.
“I knew the race was going to be fast, with Montsho coming off of a season’s best performance just weeks ago. I knew she had the record in her reach and would go for it. She was placed directly in front of me in the finals, so I made a note to stay within myself. I didn’t want to take out with her and not have any steam for the end of the race”, said Pompey
The world ranked quarter miler (400m) related that she is very satisfied with her achievement at the event as it now leads her to wrap up her year having accomplished the two athletic targets that she had set out for the year. In her e-mail, Pompey shared that for this year she had aspired to make it into the finals of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Indoor Championships and to medal at the CWG. “It’s been a long, fun, tough year, with ups and down, but at the end of this season I find it hard to say that I’d change anything. I had two goals this year: make the IAAF World Champ Indoor finals, and medal at the CWG. I did both and I’m satisfied with the way things worked out.” Pompey conveyed.
She had realized her first goal when she took part in the IAAF Championships, held at the Aspire Dome in Doha, Qatar, in March of this year and made it all the way to the finals of the women’s 400m event, after easing past the trying preliminary two rounds. For the race, Pompey had come in fifth, running 52.75 seconds, a 1.71 seconds time behind the first place finisher, America’s Debbie Dunn. At that event, Pompey had also finished immediately behind Montsho.
With her latest goal accomplished, Pompey said that she is not certain of her future participation at the Games. However, with the next CWG four years away, she outlined her intention to take things one year at a time, with the 2012 Olympic Games being her next target for making it big at a high level. And in between that, Pompey says, she is looking forward to the World Championships and Pan American Games next year.
Earlier in the week, Pompey on her blog wrote that she was “no longer that fresh faced young lady with her life ahead of her” and announced that Delhi may be her last CWG.
Asked if she just might be considering the end of her athletic career, the 32-year-old responded saying that though she doesn’t see a definitive end in sight, presuming that she was winding down her days as an athlete would be a safe assumption. Pompey also related that her hopes of one day competing once more on Guyana’s soil, keeps her athletic aspirations alive.
“I don’t know if it is my last CWG, but I think that is a safe assumption [that I’m weaning off of my athletic days]. A lot can happen in four years, and I think I’m going to aim for 2012 and take life as it comes. As long as I have the physical capability to be competitive and give a good showing on an international level, then I will do so if the situation permits. I still want to be able to compete at home, and that, motivates me as well”, she said.
