Sprinter Ackeem Forde has been drafted into the nine-member Barbados team for the IAAF World Championships later this month, but the team to the Pan American Junior Championships has been hit by several withdrawals.
Forde, 26, has been named as an option for the men’s 4×100 metres relay team, replacing the injured Nicholas Deshong who ran the lead-off leg when the quartet qualified at the Central American and Caribbean Senior Championships last month.
Forde, who was fourth at the National Championships in the 100 metres, joins the top three already in the team for the August 10 to 18 meet in Moscow.
The other relay members are national 100 metres champion Ramon Gittens, runner-up Andrew Hinds, Shane Brathwaite and Levi Cadogan who has also been named in the side for Pan Am Juniors which will take place from August 23 to 25 in Medellin, Colombia.
Former World champion Ryan Brathwaite and Olympian Greggmar Swift will compete in the men’s 110-metre hurdles.
Despite running a faster time this year, Shane Brathwaite lost the head-to-head battle with Swift at the National Championships. Only one “B” qualifier can compete at Worlds, so Swift got the nod.
Gittens and Hinds will compete in the 100 metres, while women’s national 400 metres champion Sade Sealy and national 100 metres hurdles champion Kierre Beckles round out the group.
Hinds, Beckles, Cadogan, Swift and Sealy have been home for the past few weeks and coach Alwyn Babb said they would be putting in the final training sessions ahead of Monday’s departure.
Babb said Swift was not named as a relay alternate because he had to return to university.
Ryan, Shane, Gittens and Forde are in the United States with their various coaches.
Meanwhile, the Pan Am team has been hit by at least six withdrawals, and only eight athletes have been picked.
Those who will be attending are World Youth silver medallist Tia-Adana Belle who will compete in the 400m hurdles along with Dario Scantlebury and Kion Joseph, who won bronze two years ago.
Anderson Devonish will compete in the 400 metres, while Charles Greaves (long jump); Janeil Craigg (javelin) and Tristan Whitehall (discus and shot put) will be in the field events.
Cadogan will join the team after leaving Moscow.
Those athletes who will not be able to attend either through injury, school commitments or other reasons are Akela Jones, Sonia Gaskin, Shavonne Husbands, Ariel Jackson, Shakera Hall and Tramaine Maloney.
Armstrong said he and manager Dr June Caddle have also arranged two mini meets in the coming weeks so the athletes would get some competition prior to departure.
The teams
World championships: Sade Sealy (400), Kierre Beckles (100m hurdles), Ryan Brathwaite (110m hurdles), Greggmar Swift (110m hurdles), Ramon Gittens (100m, 4x100m), Andrew Hinds (100m, 4×100), Levi Cadogan (4×100), Ackeem Forde (4×100), Shane Brathwaite (4×100); Catherine Jordan (manager); Alwyn Babb (head coach); Dr Rene Best and Chalise Jordan (medical)
Pan Am Juniors: Tia-Adana Belle (400m hurdles), Anderson Devonish (400), Dario Scantlebury (400m hurdles), Tristan Whitehall (discus, shot put), Charles Greaves (long jump), Janeil Craigg (javelin), Kion Joseph (400m hurdles), Levi Cadogan (100, 200); Dr June Caddle (manager), Ramon Armstrong (head coach), Chalise Jordan (medical).
