Malone wraps up IAAF World Champs

August 28, 2015 by

By BVIAA

Chantel Malone sails through the air en route to a best leap of 6.46m Photo: Dean "The Sportsman" Greenaway

Chantel Malone sails through the air en route to a best leap of 6.46m Photo: Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway

BEIJING, China: Chantel Malone of the British Virgin Islands finished 10th in Group B and 21st overall of the 34 Long Jumpers in the qualifying rounds of the 15th IAAF World Championships in Beijing, China yesterday, to wrap up Virgin Islands athletes competition. She did not qualify for tonight’s final.

Malone had a best leap of 6.46m on the second of three attempts and finished three places ahead the USA’s Britney Reese, who won the last two editions of the event in South Korea and Russia respectively.

“It felt pretty good on the run through but the first jump was a little flat,” she recapped of her 6.22m measurement. “I tried to bring the speed in the second jump and I think the speed helped with the 6.46 and I just tried to keep that momentum going, but I dropped my foot on the last jump.”

Malone said there was no difference between her last two outings where she established a personal best of 6.69m at the North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) Championships, after a 6.62 mark in the Pan Am Games.

“There were just some things that didn’t come together today that happened in the last meet,” she explained. “It’s not a matter of there being a difference. Today, I was a little flat and it didn’t end up the way I wanted it to.”

Malone was happy with her season in which she improved her three-year old BVI National Record of 6.65m to 6.69. She said the she started off a little slow but caught herself. “You always have to be happy for being able to do what you do, so I’m pleased,” she said. “This has been a good experience. I think this is one of the first years I didn’t come in hurt or anything like that and I was really excited and ready to compete. And I still was, but it didn’t happen in the jump. I didn’t get the mark I expected, but I still had a good time competing. I liked the accommodations and the atmosphere of the place.”

With the 2015 season behind, Malone said her goal is now to make it to the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. “Whatever that entails,” she said. “It’s every athlete’s dream to go to the Olympics. That’s the ultimate goal for me really.”

 

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Tahesia Harrigan-Scott places 5th in prelims at IAAF World Champs

August 24, 2015 by

By BVIAA

Tahesia Harrigan-Scott, right, Guam's Regine Tugade, Ukraine's Olesya Povkh and Trinidad and Tobago's Semoy Hackett competing in the Women's 100m Heat 5 in Beijing, China. Photo: Dean "The Sportsman" Greenaway

Tahesia Harrigan-Scott, right, Guam’s Regine Tugade, Ukraine’s Olesya Povkh and Trinidad and Tobago’s Semoy Hackett competing in the Women’s 100m Heat 5 in Beijing, China. Photo: Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway

BEIJING, China – Putting a series of early season issues behind that affected her performances, Tahesia Harrigan-Scott of the British Virgin Islands came into the 15th IAAF World Track and Field Championships here in Beijing, China, riding a wave of unmatched performances in her career, an indication that she was ready.

During the recent Pan Am Games and the North American, Central American and Caribbean Championships in Canada and Costa Rica, all her 100m preliminary round races had been run well under 11.22 seconds. And, all her performances were 11.28 or better.

Returning to the iconic Beijing Bird’s Nest National Stadium where she competed during the 2008 Olympic Games and had subsequent runs since, the BVI’s 100 and 200m standard bearer was eyeing a spot in tonight’s 100m semifinals.

However, she wasn’t on her game and placed an unlooked for non-advancing fifth in her heat in 11.47 seconds.

“I lost it from my first step out the blocks because my body collapsed,” Harrigan-Scott disappointedly reflected afterwards. “I felt like I was fighting my entire drive phase trying to get my body in the right position and stay in the race and it just went downhill from there.”

Harrigan-Scott said her performance indicators coming in were good and showing promises of things to come. “I was in no way shape or form expecting the results I produced today,” she stated after qualifying for her sixth straight championships but turned in her worst result of them all. “Practices and race preparations felt good but it just didn’t come together today. I’m nowhere 11.47 shape. Negative wind or not, practices were going well and indicated that I should have ran a personal best.”

Her focus now turns to Rio 2016 for the Olympic Games as she has already put down a qualifying mark. She said she doesn’t have to alter any of her training plans leading up to her third successive Olympic Games. “I will do the same things I have been doing to get me here,” she pointed out. “Wouldn’t change anything. I dropped the ball at this meet.”

Next up is the U.S. Virgin Islands’ Eddie Lovett who will see action in the 110m Hurdles prelims during Wednesday morning’s session. Teammate Laverne Jones’ Ferrette will compete in the 200m prelims later in the evening.

Chantel Malone will take to the Long Jump pit on Thursday morning.

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