SPORTS SECTION E
Rio Olympics
Swimming, Page 2
THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 2016
Reflecting on our first Olympic track and field medal By RENALDO DORSETT Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net s the Bahamas prepares to participate in its 10th Olympic Games as an independent nation, led by its 24-member track and field team, we reflect on that moment over two decades ago when the sport played a pivotal role in changing the country’s Olympic profile forever. Wednesday, August 3, marked the 24th anniversary of Frank Rutherford capturing the Bahamas’ first Olympic track and field medal, a bronze in the triple jump at the 1992 games in Barcelona. Rutherford jumped 17.36 metres to finish third behind Americans Mike Conley (18.17m) and Charles Simpkins (17.60m). Since his milestone accomplishment, the Bahamas has medalled in every
A
FRANK RUTHERFORD captured the Bahamas’ first Olympic track and field medal, a bronze in the triple jump at the 1992 games in Barcelona on August 3. Olympic Games ever since. His effort changed the way the Bahamian fanbased viewed excellence in
sport and particularly at the Olympics, to a point where a position on the medal podium is expected from a
small country of just over 300,000. “When you talk about inspirational, pivotal and
historic country building moments - something that affects not just the athletic world but something that affects the athletic competence of a people. “I feel like this was one of those moments,” Rutherford said. “There are moments that shift the way a people of a country think. When people make contributions at a global level, their compatriots can uplift them and it in turn uplifts us all. “That moment for a young country like the Bahamas it represented in some small way what you see the founding fathers envisioned for the Bahamas – the ultimate power, knowledge and understanding that Bahamians could achieve in any field and to see Bahamians walk with that kind of confidence. “That moment reinforced that as one of the pillars in our society and sports was used as the vehicle for that.”
Rutherford was expected to come into the event as a major contender. A former three time NCAA champion, he won the Bahamas its first World Championship medal with a bronze in the 1987 IAAF World Indoor Championships and won a silver medal at the 1992 World Cup in Havana, Cuba. “I had a very outstanding qualification round a few days before the final where I jumped 17.28m on my third jump and by the luck of the draw I was the last jumper in the field. That would make for some incredible drama in the final. When it was time for the final, I felt a state of readiness for the expectations of winning the gold medal and breaking the world record. Everything was lined up to do that and I felt like God had answered every prayer in a perfect sense for me to
SEE PAGE 3
Former sprinter Atkins calls his absence on Walk of Fame ‘shameful’ By RENALDO DORSETT Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net YET another Bahamian sporting icon took to social media to voice his displeasure at a perceived lack of recognition by the Bahamian government. As the local sporting community continued its recent trend of honouring sporting legends with portraits placed on the “Walk of Fame,” former world class sprinter Derrick Atkins called his absence “shameful.” “I who has put the Bahamas on the map in the 100m can’t even get a thank you let alone my pic up. I am the first, not the second, the first Bahamian to run under 10 secs in the 100m, World silver medallist in the 100m, two time Olympian, U-23 Champion in the 100m and 200m, 15 time NAIA All-American and seven time national champion in college,” he posted in a Facebook status up-
date which went viral yesterday, “Y’all should be ashamed of y’all self celebrating somebody who hasn’t done nothing yet typical Bahamian mentality. Y’all forget about those who have pave the way. I guess that’s life for you.” Much of the public backlash toward Atkins was based on the fact that he cited New Orleans Pelicans guard Buddy Hield as someone undeserving of the honour since he is in the infancy of his professional career. Atkins later clarified his remarks and insisted his post was not meant to be a personal attack on Buddy Hield. “This message is to Buddy Hield. Word travel fast. My message isn’t directed towards you, it is to the system that we have in the Bahamas. Much respect to you for making it to the pros and your great college career,” Atkins said. His comments came approximately a week after Waltiea Rolle, the first Bahamian to be drafted
DERRICK ATKINS into the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), took to social media to express her displeasure at a lack of recognition by the Bahamian government. Atkins, 32, is the Bahamian
100m national record holder, and the only Bahamian to run legally under 10 seconds. The highlight of his career came in in 2007 in Osaka, Japan, where he clocked an astonishing 9.91 seconds for the Bahamas’ national record and the silver medal at the IAAF World Championships behind American Tyson Gay and ahead of race favourite, Asafa Powell of Jamaica. A graduate of both CR Walker and Dickinson State University, he represented the Bahamas at both the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. In 2008, Atkins missed a spot in the final at the Beijing Olympics where he ran 10.13 for sixth in his semi-final. In 2012 in London, he ran 10.08s to finish fourth in the semi-finals but did not advance. Atkins officially announced his retirement last June and currently serves as an assistant coach working with the sprints and relays for
the Kennesaw State Owls in Kennesaw, Georgia. He was recently inducted in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Hall of fame for his college career, which includes three team national track and field championships, seven-time individual national champion, 15 National NAIA All-American honours, nine time DAC-10 All Conference honours and Dickinson State University male athlete of the year. His Kennesaw State bio also indicates: “He has indoor and outdoor conference sprint records that are still standing, and he led his team to four Dakota Athletic Conference championshiPS. “Atkins won national titles in the 100 metres in 2003, 2004 and 2005. In addition, he is an eighttime All-American in the sprints and relays. Atkins led Dickinson State to two consecutive national championships in 2004 and 2005 and to a runner-up finish in 2003.”
DEANDRE AYTON AND ‘TEAM HARDEN’ ROUT ‘TEAM CANADA’ 12396 IN ADIDAS NATIONS By RENALDO DORSETT Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net ADD another off-season accolade to the résumé of DeAndre Ayton, playing on the circuit of another shoe and athletic apparel giant. Ayton was a leading member of a star-studded “Team Harden” which included seven ESPN top 20 players and routed the competition at the Adidas Nations Tournament in Garden Grove, California. Ayton finished with 13 points and 14 rebounds in his team’s 123-96 win over “Team Canada” Monday night. He averaged 17.4 points and 11 rebounds per game as his team went undefeated over the course of the four game run. His top game of the tourney was 26 points and 11 boards against “Team Canada” in the semi-final. His team also included No. 2 Wendell Carter Jr, No. 5 Trevon Duval, No. 7 Kevin Knox, No. 9 Gary Trent Jr. No. 12 Hamadu Diallo and No. 16 P.J. Washington. Adidas Nations, over four days, includes more than 80 of the top under 18 players from around the world hosted with the opportunity to hone their skills under the guidance of elite coaches. A mix of skill and devel-
AYTON opment drills and scrimmages took place July 29July 31. The camp culminated on August 1 with third-place and championship games played at Cerritos College and broadcast live on ESPNU. Ayton’s Adidas Nations performance came just after his standout series at the recent Nike EYBL Peach Jam. He averaged 21 points, 13.2 rebounds and 3 blocks per game, while shooting 57.89 per cent from the field. A busy summer for the incoming high school senior also included his Bahamian national team debut with the Centrobasket team that finished seventh in Panama.