Local-based Guyanese athletes will wing out for Santo Domingo this afternoon to compete at the XIV Pan American Games, scheduled to get underway on Friday in the Dominican Republic.

Those leaving this afternoon are William Langford, Shondell King and Rayon O’Neil and they will be joined in Santo Domingo by United States-based athletes Aliann Pompey and Marian Burnett and England-based Julian McWatt.

Langford, King and McWatt will represent Guyana at weight lifting while O’Neil will be Guyana’s lone boxing hope. Pompey, who won a Commonwealth Games 400-metre gold medal last year and Burnett, will participate in track events.

Also expected in Santo Domingo is swimmer Onan Thom who participated in the just-concluded World Swimming Championships in Barcelona, Spain. It is not clear if Thom, who did not medal at the world championships, but who registered a personal best time, has returned to Guyana as yet.

When Stabroek Sports tried to reach Guyana Swimming Association president Juman Yassin, and the association’s secretary Charles Corbin, to find out if Thom had returned from the world championships, we were informed that both Yassin and Corbin are already in Santo Domingo.

The officials accompanying the local contingent are: Corbin Chef de Mission, Neville Denny (athletics) Dion Nurse (weightlifting) and Terrence Poole (boxing).

Up to press time, a Guyana Olympic Association member told Stabroek Sport the official accompanying Thom had not been named. Thom was accompanied to Spain by Stephanie Fraser.

Pompey, who missed the just-concluded Central American and Caribbean Track and Field Championships in Grenada, will pin her hopes on winning Guyana’s first Pan American athletic gold medal since James Wren Gilkes won gold for Guyana at the 1975 Games. Pompey will contest the women’s 400-Metres. Gilkes had won a 200-Metre gold medal.

According to a source, Pompey who was campaigning in Europe at the time of the CAC Meet, missed out on the CAC Games because of flight problems.

Burnett, who is just off a successful European tour will contest the women’s 800-metres.

O’Neil, who is Guyana’s national amateur middleweight (75kg) champion will do battle in the same division.

Should Thom attend the Games, he will contest the 100 and 200-metre freestyle, breaststroke and backstroke events.

Originally, the Guyana Olympic Association had submitted the names of over 20 athletes and officials to the Pan American Games organisers, but because some of those who were identified did not reach the qualifying standard, their names were deleted. Among those track athletes who were identified but did not make the qualifying standard are: Michelle Vaughn, Andre Blackman and Tai Payne.

Heptathlon athlete Nyota Peters reached the qualifying standard, but for reasons unknown to Stabroek Sport, she will not be a part of the XIV Pan American Games.