Eldred Henry places 6th in Pan Am Games Shot Put

August 8, 2019 by

Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway
BVI Pan Am Games Media Contact

  • Eldred Henry releases the the 16 lb ball, during his shot put competition at the Lima 2019 Pan Am Games at Estadio Nacional. He had a best effort of 19.82m PHOTOS: Todd VanSickle



  • Ashley Kelly strides to the line in completing the 400m in 54.42 seconds at the Lima 2019 Pan Am Games. PHOTO: Todd VanSickle

LIMA, Peru – Eldred Henry brought the curtains down on the BVI’s track and field participation in the 18th Pan Am Games in Lima, Peru on Wednesday night, with a sixth placed shot put finish, after Ashley Kelly had a non-advancing time in the 400m final.

“I’m not pleased at all. I’m very disappointed,” Henry said after his best effort of 19.82m – his first meet of the season under 20.00m. “I’ll say under the circumstances, I can’t complain. I’m just thankful I was able to complete the meet without reinjuring my finger and move on from there. On a good day, I know I should be more than able to be in the medal mix, but it didn’t happen today. I just couldn’t get into my rhythm at all. That was the biggest issue.”

Henry who opened with an unlooked for 18.51m effort, hyperextended the ring finger on his throwing hand before the Games and was out of commission for a few weeks of training.

“Just couldn’t get into my rhythm at all, that’s my biggest issue right now,” Henry pointed out. “I had to take a couple weeks off throwing because I messed up my hand and finally got it back healthy, but, just getting back into the swing of things – it didn’t come together tonight.”

From his opening throw, Henry said he wasn’t feeling it on his left side. He said when he got a good set up, he feels it off the back side – something he wasn’t feeling last night – although he tried to work it, it wasn’t coming at all.

“In practice, it was touch and go,” he noted. “I would hit it and then, a couple throws later, not hit it again. It was coming, but not as fast as I would have liked it to.”

Ashley Kelly’s 400m
Ashley Kelly had a non-advancing time in her 400m semifinal, finishing in 54.42 seconds.

“I really tried to get out, put myself in the race and really finish the last 150 the way I know I had to, make the final by coming in the top three, things didn’t pan out how I wanted it, but, I’m really grateful of the opportunity to be here,” she said. “I felt good during the race but my footspeed isn’t where I want it to be. I’m still l bit uncomfortable in the race but, it is what it is. I’m happy that I made it through and didn’t give up, that’s what important to me right now.”

Laser Sailing
Thad Lettsome had his best race of the Laser competition in Paracas on Wednesday, finishing 15th in his first race of the day. He was 19th in the second race and had an 18th place finish in his last race. He’s currently ranked 19th overall.

He wraps up the BVI’s participation in the 18th Pan American Games today with two races.

Radio reports on CBN 90.9 FM with Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway are aired 9.00 a.m., 2.00 p.m. and 9.00 p.m., through Sunday, with a 9 a.m. wrap up on Monday.

Filed Under: Ashley Kelly, Athletics, BVI Olympic Committee, Eldred Henry, Lima 2019, Panam Sports, Sailing, Thad Lettsome Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Lettsome sets sail as Malone jumps into Pan Am Games action

August 6, 2019 by

Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway
BVI Pan Am Games Media Contact

Laser Sailor Thad Lettsome heading down wind during the first full day of Pan Am Games racing in Paracas, Peru PHOTO Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway

LIMA Peru – Laser sailor Thad Lettsome finally got the wind in his sail and made his debut in the 18th Pan Am Games sailing competition in Paracas, Peru yesterday, where he had two races, after the first two days of racing and four races were cancelled.

Lettsome, the youngest in the competition at age 17, was 16th in his best race and completed the first series on 37 points. “The start of the first race was great, 10/10, executed the plan perfectly, exactly what I wanted to do, but a few mistakes and a bit of an unlucky shift, put me way in the back and made it hard to come back up,” he explained. “The breeze got really light and shutting off. For the second race, we got back into it, had another great start – I had two good starts today – then I was in mid fleet for the whole race doing quite well in the new breeze. Then I lost probably three boats in the last leg of the race and that’s how I ended up 16th but I was racing quite well up until the end, so it could only get better now.”

Considering missing the first two days of racing, going out on Sunday and spending hours on the water, Coach Alec Anderson said he thought Lettsome did a good job, with his age and experience to stay level headed.

“We did a great job of preparing for that first race and we did a wonderful job and he was right next to the person from Guatemala who ended up winning the race,” Anderson noted. “He had a couple bad breaks. It was a very light and tricky race where one mistake – especially against some of these guys who are the top Laser sailors in the world it costs you a lot – so he paid the price on those small mistakes which we discussed afterwards and let it got.”

Anderson said another good start in the second race, saw him rounding the mark in 12th position which was excellent with this fleet and his second race in the regatta, and lost a few on the final leg of the race. “It was a bad moment for his boat speed but ultimately a good rally,” Anderson stated. “We know where he stands, we know there’s a lot of potential and we know he has the ability to climb up the leader board every day, so that’s the plan.”

Chantel Malone hits Long Jump runway
Long Jumper Chantel Malone will make her 2nd Pan Am Games appearance at 6:30 p.m. BVI time, in the second busiest day for BVI athletes in the Games. Malone finished fourth in 2015.

Tomorrow, Ashley Kelly will make her debut at 4:20 p.m., followed by Eldred Henry at 7 p.m.

Reports through Sunday will be made by Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway on CBN 90.9 FM at 9.00 a.m., 2.00 p.m. and 9.00 p.m., with a 9 a.m. wrap up on Aug 12.

Filed Under: BVI Olympic Committee, Lima 2019, PanAM Games, Sailing Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Ashley Kelly’s season finally coming together ahead of Pan Am Games

August 2, 2019 by

Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway
BVI Pan Am Games Media Contact

British Virgin Islands’ Ashley Kelly competes in the athletics women’s 400m heats during the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games at the Carrara Stadium on the Gold Coast on April 9, 2018. Photo credit: ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images

LIMA Peru – As late as the end of June, Ashley Kelly was the first to admit that she’d been having a rough frustrating season. But she kept at it and even came home to decompress.

Then, in the Adam Sanford NYC invitational on July 13, she ran a 400m season’s best of 53.55 seconds to finish third. The news got even better as shortly after she was notified that she had been invited to Lima, Peru to compete in the 18th Pan Am Games.

Kelly who arrived in Lima on August 1, will face the starter’s gun on August 6 in her specialty.

“To run 53.55, was definitely the breakthrough for my season,” Kelly said. “But, running 53 for me and having that as a breakthrough, then you definitely know the trials I’ve been going through this season. It was definitely a light at the beginning of the tunnel – I say beginning, because I know I have a long way to go, to get to my normal form running 51s and being consistent.”

Kelly said the minor tweaks she made in practice will show her true form in moving forward.

“Having that happen then a few days later hearing that I’m going to the Pan Am Games was definitely like God showing his true self and showing that everything I manifested is still working in my favor, so I have to continue to keep the faith, keep grinding and keep believing in what I’m ordained to do,” Kelly, who’s making her second Pan Am Games explained. “So I’m excited about going to Pan Ams. I’ve had some season’s bests when I was in Europe. I’m continuing to stay focused, keep grinding, keep working on the things on the things my body responds to and expecting a really good showing at Pan Ams.”

The BVI’s 400m record holder said it’s not what has happened in the early part of the season, she just needs that one great performance that can turn around her entire season, something she’s looking forward to.

“If it happens at Pan Ams, then I’ll be grateful,” she said. “But I know that I have a long season to go. Pan Ams is just the icing on the cake and I’m looking forward to representing the BVI once again.”

Additional Pan Am Games reports and interviews with Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway, will be carried on CBN 90.9 FM at 5.00 p.m. through August 5th and then at 9.00 a.m., 2.00 p.m. and 9.00 p.m., from August 6 – 11. There’s a 9 a.m. wrap up on Aug 12.

Filed Under: Athletics, Lima 2019, PanAM Games Tagged With: , ,