Sprinter Marc Burns qualified for a record sixth World Championships following his selection on the national men’s 4x100m relay team which will compete in Daegu, Korea later this month. Burns got the nod from the NAAA’s selection committee after he finished fourth in the men’s 100m finals at the Sagicor National Track and Field Championships at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on Saturday. The 28-year-old made his debut for T&T at the 2001 Edmonton Games when an 18-year-old and was a member of the local team alongside Ato Boldon, Jacey Harper and Darryl Brown which finished second in 38.58 seconds. The former Belmont Boys/El Dorado Secondary student has been on every World Championship contingent since then and has the distinction of making the finals at the last three edition in 2005, 2007 and 2009.
The triple World Junior medallist came into the Saturday’s race with a modest season’s best of 10.30 seconds recorded in Brazil in May, but the 2005 World Athletic Finals champion, lived up to his reputation of producing when it matters. In the heats he improved his 2011 best to 10.18 and then in the grand finals he raced to 10.09 behind Thompson national record run of 9.85, Keston Bledman (10.06) and Aaron Armstrong (10.07). Burns said he was happy with his run on Saturday given the challenges he faced this season. “It is a plus given season I had. I am proud of myself. I am hoping to get into some meets in Europe to lower my times before going to Daegu.” The Auburn-based sprinter said the performance of the local sprinters will make T&T a formidable relay squad. “We are looking forward to the 4x100 most certainty. After the individual events, everyone would have time to gel and pick off where we left off from Berlin. We are going for the gold”
Despite becoming T&T’s most capped World Championships competitor, Burns said his focus remains on getting a medal in the individual event. The former Carifta double sprint champion has won four sprint relay medal at the global meet (and one at the 2008 Olympics) and was a finalist in three straight World finals from 2005 to 2009. “Making a sixth national team is a great achievement but then again my standard is getting a medal in an individual event which I have not achieved and need to reach it. I set a high bar and when I fall short I am hard on myself.” Burns revealed. Looking back on his first World championship team ten years ago Burns said: “I put my country, family and coaches on the map and make those around me happy. “It’s my own motivation to achieve more, much more”. At the last World Championships in Berlin, Germany in 2009 Burns was seventh in the men’s 100m finals and ran the second leg on T&T men’s 4x100m team which captured the silver medal in 37.62 seconds.
Source: www.guardian.co.tt
By Clayton Clarke