By: Staff Reporter, SKNVibes.com
...Athletes to try again at second CARIFTA Trials BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - IT was a disappointing day for athletes vying to represent St. Kitts and Nevis at the 2022 CARIFTA Games in Kingston, Jamaica, as no standards were achieved. Athletes fought ‘tooth and nail’ in chilly and windy conditions at the Kim Collins Athletics Stadium, but in the end, unofficially, no standards were achieved on the track, in the pits and in the field. Many of the athletes seemed sluggish and others out of shape for competition as they chased the clock.
This is an area that the President of St. Kitts-Nevis Athletics, Delwayne Delaney, acknowledged. While speaking with SKNVibes News at the Trials yesterday (Mar. 20), he stated that it was indicative of the strict measures that were in place across the Federation that limited much of the early season work needed. “COVID has definitely played a role in terms of the athletes performances. Many of the athletes we saw performing today just recently restarted in full on preparation, because they missed out on the very important off season training at the end of 2021,” noted the President. Many of the junior athletes used their various scholastic meets as an opportunity to train and prepare themselves for the new season. But following the spike in COVID-19 cases during the Christmas/Carnival period, many restrictions were reimposed to combat the fourth wave of the pandemic across St. Kitts-Nevis. But despite that though, many athletes saw this as a warm-up and loosening of the muscles as they will use the second trials slated for this weekend to again achieve the qualifying standards. “To date, I am not sure of any qualifiers because I am not in receipt of any official results, but I have seen some daily good performances. And based on the flash times, we would have some one or two persons who would have qualified just by the naked eye,” noted Delaney. Despite the uncertainty, there are a number of meets, including the second trials, where athletes will be able to attain the standards and also serve as preparation for the Games. “This is not the end all for these athletes. Hopefully, from this meet they will be able to improve on their skills and their time, and also to improve on their performances,” the President added. The President is hopeful that the Federation’s contingent would be a bunder squad heading to Kingston, where they would go up against the mighty Jamaicans who have all been producing sterling times for the year thus far. Athletes who are within the age categories and are based overseas have shown interest in competing, and according to the athletics boss, they are being considered and would have to show that they could meet the fitness, training regime and the qualifying standard in order to be considered for selection to the team. The final list of athletes making the trip to Jamaica could come as early as next weekend following the staging of the second trials. This is the first Meet in two years after COVID-19 brought a halt to regional travel and the staging of large events.
https://www.sknvibes.com/news/newsdetails.cfm/118568

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