Sprinters Atkins And Sturrup Run World Champions A-Standard

By Gerrino Saunders

For The BAAA

Competing at the Georgia Invitational, IAAF World 100 meter silver medallist and Bahamas National 100m record holder Derrick Atkins hit the A-standard once again for the men’s 200m winning in a personal best time of 20.35 seconds.

His time was slightly off the National record of 20.21 set by Dominic Demeritte, but signs are that Atkins may attain the new National 200m record before the end of the season if he selects to continue running the half lap over the next two months.  Only he can answer that question because as the August World Championships get closer he may concentrate solely on the 100m.  

However, there is no denying his 200m improvements from week-to-week are promising and present him, his coaches and The Bahamas athletic federation with a tough or possibly easy decision to make, particularly if he is healthy going into the Worlds.

His first 200m this year at the Florida Relays produced a 20.83 clocking that dropped to a second place 20.59 seconds clocking at the Brutus Hamilton Invitational in Berkley, California; and now last weeks 20.35 clocking.  If Atkins continues to get closer to dipping under the 20-seconds barrier he may seriously consider challenging the 200m at the Worlds.    

Meanwhile, at the North Carolina Elite track meet on Saturday, National 100 meter record holder Chandra Sturrup continued her march to the World Championships and is showing good form, although she would like to see her times begin to drop into the 11.1’s or 11.0’s in the coming weeks.  However, it is still early in the season.  Her personal best in the 100m is 10.84 seconds.

Sturrup won the women’s 100 meters in a season’s best and turned in an ‘A’ qualification mark for the World Championships in 11.28 seconds. University of South Carolina’s Kya Brookins who has a personal best of 11.20 was second in 11.47 seconds.

Meanwhile, Sturrup who is still looking to add a little more speed endurance to her 100m so she can finish strong over the last 15-10 metres, also contested the women’s 200 meters and finished second in 23.72 seconds behind Cynethia Rooks who won in 23.42 seconds.