Guyana’s number one female athlete, Aliann Pompey, could do no better that sixth place, when she contested the women’s 400-metre event at the Spitzen Leichtathletik Luzem meeting in Switzerland on Wednesday.
Speaking to Stabroek Sport by telephone yesterday, Pompey who returned 52.56 seconds, said she is at a loss for words as to what really happened on Wednesday.
“I have no idea what happened...I’m baffled for words....I was not tired, I did not have a long flight...I’m at a loss.” Pompey stated.
The Guyana 2003 Sports Woman of the Year explained that she was in lane seven and led from the start until the 250-metre mark when she glanced over and saw the athlete in lane six “coming up on me”.
Pompey who has been selected to represent Guyana at the Central American and Caribbean Track and Field Meet in Grenada next month said she hoped Wednesday’s performance in Switzer-land is her only bad race this season.
Asked whether she has received any news from the Amateur Athletic Association of Guyana (AAA) about her going to Grenada for the CAC meet, Pompey said she has not checked her e-mail in a few days so she does not know if the AAA wrote her. She however said “CAC is just a few days away and if I don’t get to go to Grenada, I will just go to the Prague (Czech Republic) for a meet on Sunday.”
Stabroek Sport however contacted a representative from the AAA who said that arrangements are being made to have Pompey in Grenada for the CAC meet.
The official said several persons, including Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Gail Teixeira, have offered to assist in getting Pompey from England where she is currently based to Grenada in time for the meet.
Wednesday’s 400-metre race in Switzerland was dominated by athletes from Russia who occupied the first three positions, they are; Svetlana Pospelova (50.70), Kapachinskaya (50-74) and Olesya Zykina (51.02).
Nigeria’s Bisi Afolabi finished fourth in 51.26 seconds, while USA’s Demetria Washington was fifth in 51.72 seconds.
Pompey finished ahead of Great Britain’s Catherine Murphy (53.59) and Switzerland’s Martina Naef (54.41).