Bascom prepped for maiden run on World stage

Jeremy Bascom and his coach preparing for today’s 400m preliminary rounds at the London Olympic Games.

Guyana’s most recent record holder is ready to swoosh to another big mark. When Jeremy Bascom plants on the start line in today’s heats in the Olympics’ athletics segment, it’s hard to imagine his gaze down the 100m track doesn’t carry his thoughts back to an earlier time this summer.

The day was July 6 when he delivered a feat that changed his life forever. It was a national record-equalling flash in Nebraska at the US National Club Championships that tied the record of 10.19s set by James ‘Wren’ Gilkes, and stood for 34 years – older that the New York-based Bascom, himself.

“Well actually it’s a great accomplishment for me to be able to tie that record on that day,” the Linden-born, Georgetown-nurtured sprinter offered in an interview with Stabroek Sports the day he left New York for London.

“It was actually a bonus for me because I was just going there to perform to the best