Athletics Barbados will send a 4-member Team to the 2019 IAAF World Championship in Doha, Qatar schedule from September 27 to October 6. The team of Mario Burke, Shane Braithwaite, Sada Williams and Tia-Adana Belle will represent island of less than 300,000 people. Despite the small contingent, the team consists of athletes who have competed at the highest level. Super Mario Burke is a senior at the University of Houston and is a fixture at the NCAA sprint finals for the past few years. Mario finished in 6th place in the 100m in a time of 10.06 seconds behind champion Divine Oduduru (9.86 seconds) at the 2019 NCAA Championship. Super Mario is a member of the sub-10 seconds club having posted a personal best 9.98 (+1.3mps) in the 100m in Austin, Texas in early June 2019. Mario does have the pedigree to make it to the 100m final in Doha. Super Mario has a lifetime best of 20.08 seconds in the 200m and is set to give a good account of himself in Doha.
Shane Braithwaite
Shane Braithwaite is set to compete in the men’s 110m hurdles. With a lifetime best 13.21 seconds in the men’s 110m which he ran back in 2015, Shane could also make to the finals. However it would take a gallant effort from him to win this event going up against the likes of McLeod, Ortega, Roberts and Holloway. Shane will set to replicate the feat set by Ryan Braithwaite (no relation), who remains the only Barbados world champion in the 110m hurdles, a feat Ryan achieved at the 2009 Berlin World Championships. Incidentally Ryan is also the Barbados national recorder in the men’s 110m hurdles with a time 13.14 seconds.
Williams and Belle
Sada Williams, the 21-year-old 200m and 400m specialist will be in Doha. Williams ran a personal best 51.48 seconds in the 400m back in June 2019 and is the national record-holder in the 200m (22.61 seconds). Williams has a great chance to make it deep into the Championships, with proper execution, round management and exceeding her lifetime best in the 400m.
The versatile Tia-Adana Belle established a personal best of 52.91 seconds in the 400m earlier this year (March 2019). Tia-Adana will have to put together excellent races to advance throughout the rounds.
O'Neil A Reid is the author of "Banned for Life, the Steve Mullings Story"
Picture courtsey of Joe Swift Photography