Debbie Ferguson Photo: Getty Images

The Bahamas first participated in Track and Field in the Olympic Games in Melbourne where Thomas Robinson as an eighteen year old ran both 100 and 200m.

He placed fourth in the 100m and 200m heats with times of 11.06sec and 21.76sec respectively.

Since then Bahamian athletes have participated in the following events:  

Men  

100m

200m

400m

110m Hurdles

400m Hurdles

4x100m Relay

4x400m Relay

High Jump

Long Jump

Triple Jump

And

Discus Throw  

Women  

100m

200m

400m

4x100m

Long Jump

And

Javelin Throw  

Medalists

The Bahamas has won medals in the following events:  

1992- Barcelona, Triple Jump, Frank Rutherford, Bronze

1996- Atlanta, Women’s 4x100m Relay, Silver

          Eldece Clarke, Savetheda Fynes, Chandra Sturrup

          Debbie Ferguson, and Pauline Davis

2000 Sydney- Women’s 4x100m Relay, Gold

        Eldece Clarke-Lewis, Savetheda Fynes, Chandra Sturrup

    Debbie Ferguson, and Pauline Davis-Thompson  

  200m Pauline Davis-Thompson, Gold

   Men’s 4x400m Relay, Bronze

  Avard Moncur, Troy McIntosh, Carl Oliver, Chris Brown and Tim Munnings  

Athens 2004  

400m-Tonique Williams-Darling, Gold

200m- Debbie Ferguson-Mckenzie, Bronze  

Beijing 2008  

4x400m Relay- Silver, Ramon Miller, Michael Mathieu, Andretti Bain, Andrae Williams, and Chris Brown

Triple Jump- Leevan Sands, Bronze  

London Hopefuls  

The Bahamas has qualifiers in these events so far:  

Men  

200m Michael Mathieu

400m- Demetrius Pinder

          Chris Brown

         Ramon Miller

High Jump- Donald Thomas

                 Trevor Barry

Long Jump- Raymond Higgs

Triple Jump- Leevan Sands

Leevan Sands Photo: Getty Images

Women

100m- Debbie Ferguson—Mckenzie

           Sheniqua Ferguson

200m- Debbie Ferguson-Mckenzie

          Anthonique Strachan

          Sheniqua Ferguson

         And

         Nivea Smith

400m- Shaunae Miller

Long Jump- Bianca Stuart  

Relays  

The organizers will allow the top sixteen relay teams in each of the 4x100m and 4x400m to participate in London.

Whichever teams are in the top sixteen on the closing of the qualifying period on the 8^th of July 2012 will be entered.

The BAAA has decided to appoint relay coordinators in order to assist the teams in qualifying this year. They have also budgeted a significant amount of money for this initiative.

This budget can only come from contributions of the corporate community, the Government, and the public.  

Our Prospects  

When we look at the historical performances of Bahamians in the Games, we see that we have won medals in the women’s  200m(2), 400m, and 4x100m relay (2), and for the men in the Triple Jump(2) and 4x400m relay(2).

Based upon last year’s performances the medals can come in those same events and the High Jump.

We anticipate though that medals can be won in events that we never did before.

Six members who have qualified already, Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie, Chris Brown, Michael Mathieu, Ramon Miller, Leevan Sands, Donald Thomas have participated in previous Olympic Games.

Ferguson-McKenzie and Sands have won individual medals in past Games, and Ferguson-McKenzie, Chris Brown, Michael Mathieu, and Ramon Miller have all won medals in relays.

Sands and Ferguson-Mckenzie have also won individual medals in World Championships. Ferguson-Mckenzie won the Gold in 2001 in Edmonton, and the Bronze in 2009 in Berlin.

Sands won the Bronze in Paris in 2003.

The question is preparation. This means physical and mental.

The association has started to engage in the psychological preparation of our athletes.

All of this requires financial support.

Since 1992 in Barcelona the Bahamas has won medals in every Olympic Games. It should be no different in London.

The question should be the events, the amount and the colours.

The support of the Bahamian people is definitely needed and welcome.

We ask you to follow the exploits of our Bahamian athletes around the world prior to the Games and not to miss the Olympic Trials, in the new Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium on June 23^rd and 24^th 2012. This promises to be more exciting and more competitive than the thrilling 2008 Olympic Trials.