Guyanese exceeded expectations says 4-times Olympian Aliann Pompey

Aug 06, 2021 Sports

By Sean Devers

Kaieteur News – Guyana sent seven athletes to the Tokyo Olympics but when the next Olympics Games is held in Parris in three years time, it will be 44 years since Boxer Mike Parris won a Bronze medal in the 1980 Games in Moscow.

Aliann Pompey

Guyana has participated in 18 Olympics since the first as British Guiana in 1948 and Parris’ Bronze is Guyana’s only medal in the biggest multi-sports event in the World. However, Four-time Olympian Aliann Pompey who travelled to Japan as Athletes Representative said most of Guyana’s newest Olympians’ performances exceeded expectations.
Pompey was speaking from Tokyo on Wednesday night’s Sean Devers Sports Watch on Kaieteur Radio.
“I think the first order of business is to congratulate all of our Athletes on qualifying for the Olympic Games and I want to be deliberate and say qualify for the Olympic Games because it’s not something that’s just given to you. The Athletes have all qualified and earned their spot to be here” stressed Pompey, who won the gold medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games.
The Guyanese, like athletes around the World were robbed of ideal preparation due to the covid-19 global pandemic and had to deal with wearing masks for extended periods, no fans in the stands, staying in a ‘bubble’ and dealing with the mental aspects of competing while adhering to several covid restrictions.
The magnitude of the stress and pressure to perform in these testing conditions was exemplified by the World’s number one Gymnast, American Simone Biles showing the effects of mental fatigue.
“We can all agree that the Olympic Games is the biggest stage in sports hands down and so any Athlete that comes here and performs at their absolute best, their personal best or their season best I think it speaks to their ability to rise to the occasion” continued Pompey who has competed at the World Championships in Athletics eleven times.
“This goes back to their ability to prepare and what sort of investment has been put into their preparation and their ability to get here and do well, especially Chelsea, Aleka and Aliyah. They came out here and exceeded expectations as it were” added Pompey holds the South American indoor record for the 400m.
Born on February 24, 2006, 15-year-old Aleka Persaud is the youngest-ever athlete to represent Guyana at the Olympic Games. Aleka finished second in her heat in the 50m freestyle in a time of 27.76 which was her Personal Best and a Guyana record. She is now set to compete in the Junior Pan Am Games in November in Colombia.
Australian Emma McKeon won her sixth medal at Tokyo Olympics, by winning the Gold in Women’s 50m freestyle in 23.81. Aliyah Abrams, who set a new season-best of 51.44s, is the first Guyanese female since Pompey, to qualify for a 400m semi-final at the Olympic Games.
In the semi-finals she ran her race in a time of 51.46.
Pompey qualified to the semi-finals in London (2012), Beijing (2008) and Athens (2004), but her closest to a spot in the final was in 2008 where her time was 50.93s. Pompey still holds the Guyana 400m record at 50.71s set in August 2009 at the World Championships in Germany.
Guyana’s first Table Tennis Olympian, 24-year-old Chelsea Edghill, got off her maiden appearance at the quadrennial showpiece by defeating Sally Yee of Fiji 4-1 in her preliminary round match but lost to South Korea’s Yubin Shin in round one.
In the preliminary match the Chelsea dominated and won 11-5, 4-11, 11-3, 11-6, 11-8 against Yee who was in her second outing at the Olympic Games. However, in the round of 32, Edghill couldn’t handle the 17-year-old Korean who was lethal in a 4-0 sweep. Shin’s victories were recorded 11-7, 11-8, 11-1, 12-10.
Guyanese sprinter Emanuel Archibald bowed out of the Tokyo Olympic Games in Round One of the Men’s 100m at the Olympic Stadium. Archibald, who qualified with a run of 10.30s in the Preliminary Round, clocked 10.41s in Heat two of Round One.
Italy’s Lamont Jacobs won the 100m final in a time of 9.80s, earning the title ‘World’s Fastest Man’ and is the first Italian to ever win the 100m final. Twenty-two-year-old Guyanese pugilist Keevin Allicock lost by a unanimous decision to number 7 ranked Alexy Cruz in the first round while Jasmine Abrams, the younger sister of Aliyah, failed to pass the 100m preliminary round.
“Aleka had a personal best in her event, Chelsea got past the first round after not winning a game at the Pan Am Games two years ago. She comes to the Olympics and wins here first match while Aliyah qualified for the semi-finals in her event” posited Pompey who has represented Guyana at the Summer Olympics in 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012.
“Keevin, in Boxing, after some controversial judging but although the scores were adjusted he still lost his fight even though he fought quite well. The other athletes did fairly well also. I think there is a lot to take away from here. It’s one of our bigger teams we have sent to the Olympics Games and I think the results overall are good.” explained Pompey, who received her bachelor’s degree from Manhattan College in 1999.
In 1984 in Los Angeles Olympic games, Guyana sent 10 Athletes which is the biggest contingent this County has ever sent.
“Can we improve on the performances? Of course we can. We have asked a lot of our Athletes here and they showed up and did pretty well” concluded Pompey.