Issue 20 All pages final

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FEATURE

Ryan, swimmers Stefano Mitchell, Jadon Wuilliez, Ethan Stubbs-Green and Olivia Fuller, runners Darion Skerritt, Joella Lloyd and Kalique St Jean, and cyclists Jyme Bridges and Conor Delanbanque. While Greene, who had been slated to reach the finals in the 100m, admits to some disappointment to not making it past the semis, he’s philosophical about it. “That’s just sport,” he says. “It doesn’t always go the way you want but it wasn’t due to lack of preparation. “It was such a great experience going out on the track and the way the crowd reacted. At this level, most of us are professionals so to make the semi-finals was nothing short of incredible.” For many athletes, events like the Commonwealth Games also afford the opportunity to visit a new city and catch up with friends from the sporting circuit. Also racing was fellow sprinter Dina Asher-Smith, the fastest British woman on record and a close pal of Greene. He adds: “I’m really grateful to have been able to compete in Birmingham and I’m looking forward to competing there again one day. “The whole trip was absolutely amazing. The people in Birmingham were so friendly and welcoming, especially when we told them we were there for the Games.” Swimmer Mitchell created a new national record in the men’s 100m freestyle after recording a time of 51.42 seconds to win his heat. Cheering him on from the stands were the Antigua and Barbuda runners. There was elation as Mitchell finished first and the TV cameras whipped round to capture his teammates brandishing the national flag. His feat was all the more impressive as the Games came weeks after Mitchell graduated from the University of Plymouth with a 2:1 in business management. “The last year at university interfered a lot with training so I only had six weeks to get ready for the Games. My performance was good but not the best,” he says.

COMMONWEALTH GAMES: NATION’S ATHLETES TALK MAKING HISTORY, THE INTOXICATING STADIUM ATMOSPHERE – AND HOW ELEVENTH-HOUR POSITIVE COVID TESTS ALMOST DERAILED SUCCESS GOING THE DISTANCE FOR ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA A sk any national athlete what it feels like to represent their country on a major international stage and they

and a gruelling regimen of early nights and a strict diet, the prospect of missing out was galling. “I could not believe it; I had just had a negative test because I was coming from the World Athletics Championships so when I got a positive result I was shocked. We did another test and that was positive too,” Greene says. “We had to be isolated but Birmingham did a really good job of covering all bases, keeping us calm and making sure we could stay on form and still practice as much as possible.” Mercifully, he tested negative in time to compete. Triple jumper Taeco O’Garro and boxer Kagra Ryan had also returned positive tests upon arrival. While O’Garro was able to compete, Ryan’s event was sadly too soon and she was unable to participate in her first Commonwealth Games. The rest of the team included fellow boxer – and Kagra’s brother – Alston

ceremony to becoming the first large multi-sport event in history to award more medals to women than men, the Games were certainly not short of highlights for those watching. For sprinter Cejhae Greene, walking into the arena to race in the 100m is an experience he will never forget. “As we entered the stadium, the crowd went ballistic,” he recalls. “There was just this huge roar. The cheering, the smoke, the lights and the atmosphere were incredible.” As a professional athlete, Greene is well accustomed to large-scale international meets. But the ambience in Birmingham, he says, surpassed even Rio during the 2016 Summer Olympics. And he almost didn’t make it. Greene was one of three of the Antigua and Barbuda team to test positive for Covid upon arrival at the Games. After months of torturous training

will likely tell you it’s exhilarating. For those from a small state like Antigua and Barbuda with limited access to the world class facilities and funding opportunities their counterparts from larger nations take for granted it means even more. In summer 2022, 13 sportsmen and women from the twin islands got the chance to travel to Birmingham in England to compete in the 2022 Commonwealth Games - and fly the ‘golden sun’ flag 4,000 miles from home. Despite claiming no medals, the team recorded several triumphs in the form of new national records and new personal bests, while some made it as far as the semi-finals. From the colossal mechanical bull that played a starring role in the opening

one aspect that set the Games apart from other major events, like the 2020 Summer Olympics in which she also participated, was the large number of athletes from the Caribbean. “It gave it a different feel,” she says. “It was a great melting pot.” That was an image reflected on the streets of Birmingham too. “When we did go into the city there were Caribbean vibes; you could hear it when people were talking,” she smiles. “I loved the vibes in Birmingham; you could really tell they are into their track. The stadium was full at 8am and that makes you compete even harder.” Lloyd says she was “really proud” to reach the semi-finals after what had been a “long season”. Like Greene, she also competed in the World Athletics Championships in the US shortly before heading to England. And there’s little sign of that intensity abating just yet. Lloyd is now in the throes of rigorous pre-season training from her Tennessee base where she is at university. She also has high hopes for her compatriots at future sporting events. “I just really hope more of our athletes get the chance to compete,” she adds. “We have a lot of talent in Antigua and Barbuda and I hope we can take an even bigger team next time.” n By Gemma Handy

Mitchell finished 17th overall in the 50m and 27th in the 100m. Like Greene, he testifies to the event’s intoxicating atmosphere. “It was 110 percent the whole time. The crowd was totally sold out at the pool, and also the opening ceremony which was amazing. The mechanical bull was incredible to see in person. “I also got the opportunity to be a flag bearer which was a great honour.” For sprinter Cejhae Greene, walking into the arena to race in the 100m is an experience he will never forget. Boxer Alston Ryan put in an impressive performance too, winning his two fights convincingly before narrowly missing out on a bronze medal. And Wuilliez made history by becoming the first Antiguan and Barbudan swimmer to advance to the semi-finals of an international swim meet. Sprinter Darion Skerritt also reached the semi-finals in the 200m in his first ever Commonwealth Games, while simultaneously recording a new personal best. And O’Garro finished 11th overall in the triple jump. Lloyd, who holds the national record in both the 100m and 200m sprints, says

Joella Lloyd

Cejhae Greene

Stefano Mitchell

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