Carrie Russell happy with standing of non-traditional Champs teams
Published:Sunday | April 2, 2023 | 10:31 AMOrane Buchanan - Staff Reporter
WITH her high-school days long gone, former St Thomas Technical standout, 2006 World Junior bronze medallist in the 4x100-m relays-turned-bobsledder, Carrie Russell, believes the highlight of the ongoing ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships is the sight of non-traditional schools being well represented.
“I’m enjoying the championships on a wide scale, where I’m seeing more schools that aren’t usually dominating now out competing, such as Cornwall College, Maggoty High, Ferncourt High, Steer Town Academy, and that is something that I like to see because I’m from that zone where people weren’t expecting me to come to the championships and medal,” said Russell.
Russell, who represented St Thomas Technical High School in the sprints throughout high school, said she did her best to represent the parish of St Thomas and is proud of her achievements at that level. According to Russell, her first taste of the championships was an eye-opener.
“I represented well because I gave them five medals in total over my high-school career. I remember my very first championships where Usain Bolt broke the 200m and 400m records. I got knocked out in my semi-finals (100m) and I went home and said ‘when I return, I will medal’, and I did so.
“When I returned, I got double bronze in Class Four, then, in Class Three, I won double silver, and in my second year of Class Two, I won gold, while I only did one year in Class One then I went to college. Trust me, the atmosphere from the fans when you’re coming out is a very nice feeling.”
STEADY GROWTH
Russell was also quick to point out the steady growth of Hydel at the championships and lauded the coaching tactics of Corey Bennett, head coach.
She also believes small details such as the proper training programme for an athlete and coping with athletes that are injury-prone are paramount for proper development.
“For me, seeing where our sprinting is shows how much we have evolved and where we are going. Also, what is important is the structure of these athletes’ bodies, so you as a coach can prepare the right coaching programme for their development.
“Also, athletes who are prone to injuries, it is important to work around that, which has to be implemented at an early stage. You can see where Hydel is currently at. This isn’t a programme that was built overnight, so Corey Bennett is really doing something.”