Aubrey Hutson, President of the Athletic Association of Guyana (AAG), is cautiously optimistic of the performances of the nation’s representatives at the World Athletics Championships.
The unmissable global event which kicks off tomorrow in Eugene, Oregon, USA will see Guyana being represented by sisters, Aliyah and Jasmine Abrams and Emanuel Archibald.
Hutson will be acting in the capacity of Team Manager and he told this publication en route to Eugene yesterday that Aliyah, 25, can be a “dark horse for a medal.”
Abrams, who made the final of the 400m at the World Indoor Championships in Serbia in March, placing fifth, could perhaps earn a medal according to Hutson.
“I would be disappointed if she did not make the final, she made the finals at the Indoor and I think she can be a dark horse for a medal at this championships,” he said.
Aliyah Abrams has a personal best of 51.13s in the quarter-mile event.
When quizzed on Jasmine Abrams who recently broke the national 100m record, the AAG head stated that if she continues her upward trajectory, a place in the stacked final of the blue riband event can be a possibility.
Jasmine Abrams earned her place in Eugene by lowering the national 100m record last month at Trinidad and Tobago’s National Open Championships staged at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port-of-Spain.
The USA born, 28 year-old, clocked in at 11.07s in a second place finish to Ivory Coast’s Murielle Ahoure-Demps (10.95s) to set the new record.
Before that, the previous record of 11.14s was held by Brenessa Thompson who had set that time back in 2016 here at the National Track and Field Centre.
Abrams along with her sister, Aliyah was part of Guyana’s contingent at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
In the case of Archibald, the national 100m champion and Tokyo 2020 Olympian, Hutson stated that he gained a universality spot as no other male local had qualified for the event which brings together the best track and field athletes in the world.
According to Hutson, Archibald, 27, has a golden opportunity once again to showcase that he has the talent to run among the world’s best sprinters.
“He usually steps up to the level of his competition, so he maybe he could break the national record and even run a sub 10.” Archibald recorded his personal best (10.18s) in April in Jamaica.
Archibald is scheduled to get into the blocks tomorrow, Jasmine on Saturday, while Aliyah will commence competing on Sunday.
Stabroek Sport will keep readers updated on the performances of the sprinting trio as events unfold.
