She was for a long time the golden girl of Guyana’s athletics. A face that was easily recognizable not only at the Commonwealth Games where she distinguished herself by winning gold and silver medals in the 400m but also at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) showpiece event the Summer Olympic games where she represented Guyana on a number of occasions.
Later she was to become a household name in Guyana and the standard bearer for this country’s athletes.
She is none other than Aliann Pompey.
Pompey has a storied career in track and field ever since she burst onto the world stage by winning a gold medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England.
Since then her list of achievements has been long and colourful. She added a silver medal to the 2002 gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India, won a bronze medal at the 2003 Pan Am Games, a silver medal at the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games and holds the South American indoor record over the distance.
Pompey has represented Guyana at six outdoors and four indoors World Championships. In 2010 she made the final of the 400m at the World Championships and narrowly lost out on a medal placing a creditable fifth from a strong field. She also participated at four Summer Olympic Games, 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 before she retired from the sport. Thankfully, she still continues to be of service to the land of her birth and was the manager of the Guyana team to the just concluded Commonwealth Games in Scotland.
Although the team failed to win a medal Pompey was enthusiastic about the performances of some of the younger members of the team and
