United States-based Guyanese athletes Aliann Pompey and Marian Burnett kept the Golden Arrowhead aloft on the European circuit on Sunday by placing first and third respectively in separate meets.
According to an informed source, Pompey won the women’s 400-metre event at the Kusocinski Memorial Meet in Warsaw, Poland while the IAAF website reported that Burnett placed third in the 800-metre event at an EAA Meet in Dortmund, Germany.
While Stabroek Sport was unable to get Pompey’s time for the event, it has been reported that the 2002 Commonwealth Games women’s 400-metre gold medalist has set a new Guyana record for the distance. The previous record was 51.96 seconds set by Pompey herself at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England.
Burnett’s time for the 800-metre on Sunday was two minutes 02.46 seconds (2:02.46). The event was won by Russia’s Natalia Khrushelyova (2:01.44) from Germany’s Claudia Gesell (2:01.99).
According to the IAAF rankings, Pompey is currently ranked 20th in the top 100 list for women over 400 metres.
Mexico’s Ana Gabriela Guevara heads the rankings while Jamaica’s Lorraine Graham-Fenton is second.
Both Pompey and Burnett are currently campaigning in Europe leading up to the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Track and Field Championships and the Pan American Games two meets which Guyana will be participating in.
However, Pompey could miss out on representing Guyana at the CAC Meet unless sponsorship is secured for her to travel from Europe to Grenada.
According to Pompey, she was informed by an official of the Amateur Athletic Association of Guyana (AAA), that the association is strapped for cash, and unless funds are made available, she would not be a part of Guyana’s team at the Meet.
Pompey along with Burnett, Alec Henry (US based), Michelle Vaughn, Nyota Peters, Andre Blackman, Tai Payne and Clyde Gibson were shortlisted by the Council of the AAA to represent Guyana at the CAC Meet slated for July 4 to 6 in Grenada.
The Pan American Games is billed for Santo Domingo during the month of August.
Vaughn, Peters, Blackman, Payne and Gibson were also shortlisted for the South American Seniors which is scheduled to commence on Friday in Venezuela.