Chris Brown, Avard Moncur, Nathanaiel McKinney, Andre Williams, Andretti Bain and Michael Mathieu are the lead quarter milers from a group that is deeper than any other nation in the world with the exception of the United States.
Two consecutive silver medals at the International Association of Athletics Federations World Outdoor Championships solidify the Commonwealth of The Bahamas as the one nation at this time given the best chance of upsetting the USA in Beijing, China, this coming August at the Olympic Games.
The upcoming World Indoor Championships later this month in Valencia, Spain will be an early test for our team although it will not be at its best. Still barring any injury like two years ago in Moscow with McKinney, the gold medal is possible.
The gold medal is possible!
In the not too distant past we used to be able to say that about the country's national 4X100 female sprint squad. In fact during the high flying years of the famed Golden Girls, the gold medal was probable.
Alas, just the men's 1600 team stand out for The Bahamas these days.
Chandra Sturrup and Debbie Ferguson are still capable of rising to any world occasion in the female sprint relay.
With heart and speed, Ferguson on the anchor leg would be a great challenge to any rival, if she gets the baton in decent shape.
The second leg of the relay is the territory of Chandra. In the history of track and field, few have mastered that leg as she has.
Sadly though, once you get past Ferguson and Sturrup, no other female has shown the capacity in the last three years to run competitively with the best in the world. Savatheda Fynes, another of the Golden Girls kind of slipped off the radar since 2002. But in her, there is some hope.
I understand she is now a mother.
Eldeece Clarke once told me that going through pregnancy and giving birth factored heavily in her rise to world prominence, and Chandra as well.
"Going through that makes you believe you could conquer anything. I was more determined and tougher than ever once I had my baby," Clarke told me during an interview several years ago.
So, perhaps, Savatheda will come back. If in fact she does, and someone like Sheniqua Ferguson can move to another level, then maybe the world will see the return of the Golden Girls with a slightly different make-up.
Then, there is the women's 1600 relay prospect.
For five years, The Bahamas has boasted two of the best female quarter milers in the world. In 2004 and 2005, Tonique Williams Darling was indeed the best, as proven by her Olympic and World Championships gold medals in those respective years. Christine Amertil ranked as high as No. 5, but, we could not find two or three others to make up a solid team.
Now, Debbie Ferguson has offered herself for a leg of the 1600 relay. Amertil is certainly there.
But, what about Williams-Darling?
She was not active in 2007.
Has she closed out her career?
So, a possible female 1600 relay team is up in the air.
And what's going on with the Bahamian male sprinters?
Put quite bluntly, nothing much is happening outside of Derrick Atkins.
The reigning World Championships silver medalist in the 100 metres, Atkins is considered one of the three fastest men in the world. If we could come up with four consistent 10.20 seconds sprinters, then with Atkins, we would have a squad capable of mounting meaningful challenges at regional and international meets.
Jamaica is deep in all of the relays.
It would be great if one day we are able to say The Bahamas is as well.
