It has been eight years since The Bahamas men’s 4x400 meter relay team competed at the International Association of Athletic Federations World Track and Field Championship in Edmonton, Canada, and at that time they were proud but still somewhat disappointed to finish second behind the United States.
During the championships in 2001, the team of Avard Moncur, Chris Brown, Troy McIntosh, Tim Munnings and alternate Carl Oliver were presented with the silver, medals but even they felt something wasn’t right.
Following the admittance of doping by American Antonio Pettigrew, the IAAF stripped the entire USA team of their medals and moved The Bahamas into the gold medal position.
During a special ceremony on Saturday June 27that the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium The Bahamas Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, and the then Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations president, Desmond Bannister, officially presented the gold medals to the athletes at the end of the National Championships.
Along with the gold medals, the athletes also received a monetary gift from The Bahamas Government.
All four of the athletes present at the ceremony expressed their extreme pleasure and pride in finally winning the gold medals. Jamaica was bumped up to the silver medal position.
McIntosh, the now retired former Bahamas National Record holder in the men’s 400 meters, said it has been a “long time coming” but he is satisfied that they have finally received the medals.
He described it as a “dream come true,” and a “nail in the coffin” to his career because he finally won a gold medal at the World Championships after having won a medal at just about every major competition.
Asked if he had any ill feelings because the Americans may have stolen their thunder, he said no and replied, “What god has for you no man can take away, and even though it took this long for us to get our medals it feels great and it shows that what you do in the dark will always be seen in the light.”
In an interview with a local newspaper prior to the presentations, Munnings said that The Bahamian team had always suspected the Americans “were doing something,” and that its hard to say but the results may have very well been different if everyone was competing on a ;level field.
The USA team (Leonard Byrd, Pettigrew, Derrick Brew, Angelo Taylor) crossed the line first in 2:57.54; The Bahamas was second in 2:58.19 and Jamaica (Brandon Simpson, Chris Williams, Gregory Haughton, Danny McFarlane) third in 2:58. 39.
Brown said, “I’m glad we finally got the gold because I owe my teammates and my country a gold medal after the mistake I made at the Olympics, and although this is not an Olympic gold, World Championship gold is not bad at all.”
He also said because the 2001 team was awarded with the gold, it further motivates today’s quarter-milers showing them that they too can win gold if everyone plays fair.
McIntosh believes this was the year for The Bahamian mile relay to dethrone the Americans, but said that may now be even tougher because Andre Williams and Latoy Williams who have the two fastest times among The Bahamians both suffered an injury prior to the National Championships.
Also finally getting her hands on a World Gold medal was Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie who finished second behind Marion Jones in the 200m at the 2001 championships. At the same ceremony Ferguson-McKenzie was awarded with the actual gold medal that Jones had in her possession. Jones was forced to return the medal after she admitted to using steroids.
Left Photo above
L-R: Chris Brown, Tim Munnings, Troy McIntosh and Avard Moncur presented with 2001 World Championships 4x400 relay gold after USA was stripped.
Right Photo above
Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie shows off her well deserved gold medal from the 2001 World Championships after Marion Jones was stripped of it for doping.
Bahamas 4x4 & Ferguson-McKenzie Finally Get Gold Medals From 2001’ World’s
By Gerrino Saunders
Sports Writer