Sprint Queens

Both Ahye and Baptiste were in the 100-metre final at the Beijing IAAF World Championships last year and finished in fifth and sixth positions respectively in the premier women sprint race won by Jamaica’s reigning Olympics champion ShellyAnn Fraser- Pryce, who will be defending her quadrennial crown at the 31st Olympiad.

Pryce clocked 10.76 secs and outsprinted Dutchwoman Dafne Schippers (10.81), American Torie Bowie (10.86), fellow Jamaican Veronica Campbell-Brown (10.91), Ahye (10.98) and Baptiste in that order.

Baptiste was sixth at the London Olympics final which was won by Fraser-Pryce who successfully defended the title she earned at the iconic “Bird’s Nest” at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. The Jamaican speedster clocked 10.75 secs and led home American Carmelita Jeter (10.78), Jamaica’s Campbell-Brown (10.81), Americans Tianna Madison (10.85) and Allyson Felix (10.89), TT’s Baptiste (10.94), Ivory Coast’s Murielle Ahure (11.00) and Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare (11.01).

Looking back at those two big races at the London Olympics and 2015 Beijing Worlds, it is clear that most of those top female sprinters are still in the reckoning for Olympics glory and podium finish in Rio.

Fraser-Pryce has been hampered in her preparation due to a toe injury which has kept her out of most of the established races she would have used as a build-up for her explosion on the big stage as she, like her compatriot Usain Bolt, will be seeking a unique golden three-peat of Olympics sprint titles.

The small-statured Jamaican cannot be counted out of the blazing to glory again but she will have to contend with her younger compatriot and newly-crowned Jamaican top sprinter Elaine Thompson who won their senior champs title when she equalled the 10.70 secs set by Fraser-Pryce.

Both Fraser-Pryce and 24-year-old Thompson are members of the MVP club and both are coached by Jamaican Stephen Francis. Thompson’s improvement and experience gained throughout the year will make her a hot favourite to win the Rio 100-metre gold. But medals are by never won by those with the best times prior to competition but by those who execute the best during the heat and battle for supremacy.

Both Jamaicans are expected to be vying for the precious gold medal alongside Netherlands’ Schippers who also has clocked some very fast times during the year.

Based on their times for 2016 season, Trinidadians Ahye, Hackett and Baptiste are expected to qualify for the semi-finals but they will have to produce their best and even more to clinch a berth in the grand final.

Apart from 29-year-old Fraser-Pryce, Thompson and Schippers; Ahure and her Ivory Coast compatriot Josee TaLou plus American newly-crowned 100-metre champion English Gardner (10.74) and her teammates Tianna Bartoletta (10.78) and Bowie (10.78) are the ones highly-favoured to advance to the final based on current form.

Of the three Trinidadians, Ahye has shown the grit and determination to battle from behind especially if she suffers a slow start compared to her much more established rivals. It is that fighting quality that provides optimism that the 24-year-old national champion will make the final and could be one of the outsiders who could create the biggest upset in Rio.

Trinidad and Tobago’s celebrated its historic golden Olympics success at the 1976 Montreal Olympics when Hasely Crawford blasted from the blocks and was never challenged as he raced past the finish line in 10.06 secs to win the gold ahead of Jamaica Don Quarrie and Russian Valery Borzov who had to settle for silver and bronze respectively.

This could be the opportune time for one of our female sprinters to rise to the occasion to produce something extraordinary and achieve such a phenomenal feat. Are Ahye, Baptiste and Hackett ready to throw down the gauntlet to their much more accomplished rivals who are also seeking Olympics fame and glory? We shall soon find out.