Horatio, Smith qualify for World Athletics U20 Championships
Shomar Horatio and Keliza Smith have already secured their spot in the upcoming World Junior Athletics Championships, with much time and opportunities still remaining for local athletes to qualify.
The World Athletics U20 Championships will be held this year in Santiago de Cali, Colombia, from August 1 to 6.
Shomar Horatio and Keliza Smith have already managed to secure their spots through their impressive performances in the ongoing Arrowhead League.
President of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) Aubrey Hutson emphasised that there are many promising local athletes who still have a chance to qualify for the Championships.
Hutson further posited that the league was envisioned to give local athletes chances to qualify for international events of this calibre while competing in Guyana.
"The meet is doing what it's meant to do; bring out our top athletes in their respective events and give them the opportunity to come out and compete in a very relaxed atmosphere."
"All the results they attain here will make them eligible to be ranked in the world. Once we complete a meet, we would send the results to World Athletics and it improves their ranking in the world."
In the first leg of the league, concluded April 30, Smith won the women 200-meter dash while Horatio placed 3rd in the men 100-meter dash.
In the second leg, concluded May 1, Horatio placed first in the men 200-meter dash and Smith won the 100 meter for women.
Earlier this year, Smith also won the U20 girls 100m semifinals dash in 11.55 seconds at the 49th staging of the Carifta Games in Kingston, Jamaica. She also competed in the Junior Pan American games in 2021.
Guyana most recently participated in the Track and Field Championships when the 2021 edition was staged in Nairobi, Kenya. At this event, only Revon Williams qualified to represent the Golden Arrowhead. He finished fifth in Heat Three.
