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Abrams sisters looking forward to compete at AP Invitational
– Sisters keeping sights on Paris Olympics qualification
By Rawle Toney
Kaieteur Sports – The Abrams sisters, Jasmine and Aliyah, are aiming to compete together at the Olympics once again, having previously represented Guyana together at the Tokyo Olympics. In Japan, they became the first siblings to represent Guyana at the same Olympics
Jasmine (L) and Aliyah Abrams sharing a light moment on the side-lines of the AAG Senior Championships. (Hosea Glen photos).
They will have another chance to achieve the qualifying standard time in their respective events on Saturday at the Aliann Pompey Invitational, facing a tough field.
Both sisters hold national records: Jasmine with 11.07 seconds in the 100m and Aliyah with 50.20 seconds in the 400m.
After winning the 400m National title last weekend at the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) Senior Championships, Aliyah told Kaieteur News that she’s “hoping to put together a good race this upcoming weekend against solid competition and that we can push each other all the way to the line.”
Although Abrams’ record-breaking performance was remarkable, she will need to replicate or improve it during the Olympic qualification period (July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024) to secure her spot at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France.
The Olympic qualifying time for the women’s 400m event is 50.95 seconds, while Abrams’ season best currently stands at 51.93 seconds.
She will compete against Colombia’s Baloño Melany, Onuorah Chinenye of Thailand, and fellow Guyanese athletes Tianna Springer, Deshana Skeete, and Keneisha Phillips.
“The opportunity is there for me to run fast so it’s up to me to run a good race plan so that I’m within the qualification standard,” Abrams said, who was a direct qualifier for the Tokyo Olympics.
Aliyah Abrams
Jasmine Abrams
Meanwhile, in the AP Invitational Women’s 100m, Jasmine will compete against a strong field, including 2018 Commonwealth Games champion Michelle-Lee Ahye from Trinidad and Tobago and Iran’s Women’s 100m record holder, Hamideh Esmaeilnejad.
Also competing are Trinidad and Tobago’s Reyare Thomas, CARIFTA Games 100m champion Athaleyha Hinckson, and fellow Guyanese athletes Keliza Smith, Shantae George, and Juvonna Cornette.
For Michelle-Lee Ahye, who missed the Tokyo Olympics following a two-year ban for failing to notify doping testers of her whereabouts, the goal will be to run under the 11.07 seconds set by World Athletics.
While their head-to-head battles might suggest a rivalry between Ahye and Jasmine Abrams in the 100m, Jasmine insists there is none.
At the Pan Am Games last November in Santiago, Chile, the Guyanese athlete clocked 11.52 seconds to finish second in the finals, just behind Cuba’s Yunisleidy Garcia, who ran 11.36 seconds. The Trinidadian finished third, running 11.53 seconds.
“There’s actually no rivalry between Michelle and I. Competing against each other motivates me to give my best, so I’m hoping that same energy carries over to this weekend,” Jasmine said.
Jasmine, entering the AP Invitational with a season’s best time of 11.11 seconds, also told Kaieteur News, “for me being at home and both of us aiming to qualify for the Olympics, I’m optimistic that her presence in the race will help me achieve the qualifying standard, and can only hope for the same thing for her.”
The event’s organiser, Aliann Pompey, expressed her excitement for the 100m showdown, adding that the line-up for other disciplines will be announced in due course.
With the AP Invitational being part of the World Athletics Continental Tour, Pompey noted that the June 30 deadline for Olympic qualification adds an extra layer of excitement for both participating athletes and fans.
She is encouraging fans to turn out in large numbers at the National Track and Field Centre in Edinburgh.
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