Coach Stewart putting Guyana’s Archibald in the fast lane

In recent years, Swept Track Club coach Okeile Stewart has become renowned for his work with hurdlers. Two world under-20 records for Roshawn Clarke, a personal best in the 2022 World Championships final by Jaheel Hyde and a 2019 World bronze for Rushell Clayton stand as testimony of his prowess in the 400-metre hurdles. However, Stewart has always been a purveyor of sprinting and he’s at it again.

With Stewart guiding his steps, Emanuel Archibald made Pan-American Games history for Guyana on October 31. Known until now for his long jumping, Archibald rode a rocket start to bronze in the Pan-American Games 100-metre final and won Guyana’s first men’s sprint medal since 1979.

At the World Championships in August, he set a lifetime best of 10.13 in the semi-finals and Stewart kept him focused throughout the long wait for Santiago.

“It was quite challenging, but I had a coach that kept me motivated and kept telling me just keep focused and execute when the day comes,” he said later.

Drawn in lane one, he left the blocks swiftly and led at the 75-metre mark.

“I didn’t see anyone so at the end I thought I won but I did not,” he said of an effort that placed him third in 10.31 seconds behind Jose Gonzalez of the Dominican Republic (10.30) and Brazilian Felipe Bardi, 10.31.

Despite the tight finish, Archibald thought he could have improved his start.

“The first 35 metres, I needed to just hold my drive phase. It would have helped me to finish far better,” he recounted.

Nitpicking aside, he’s the first Guyanese man to win a Pan Am sprint medal since legendary James Gilkes won the 200m gold in 1975 and the silver in 1979.

It isn’t Stewart’s first rendezvous with sprinting. In 2012, a Swept quartet of Ainsley Waugh, Dexter Lee, Keniel Lee and Sheldon Mitchell surprised the mighty MVP Track Club in the 4x100m relay at the Western Relays, 38.84 to 38.97 seconds. It was a sensational win over an MVP aggregation including top class sprinters Asafa Powell, Michael Frater and Nesta Carter.

Two years earlier, Swept’s Oral Thompson won the national title over 400m.

Now, Stewart is fine-tuning Archibald’s speed. The new Guyanese hero has spent most of his time here at the University of the West Indies under the supervision of jumps expert Kerry-Lee Ricketts and 2023 was his first season with Swept.

Now 29, he did a 100m/long jump double at the Commonwealth Games last year, reaching the long jump final, and he has a benchmark of 8.12m from his time with coach Ricketts. However, he hasn’t decided which event will be his focus in 2024.

“No decision has been made as yet,” reported the man who does his sprint work alongside 2023 national 100m finalist Tyquendo Tracey.

“I believe he can do very well in the long jump. We hope to explore that coming this season,” the coach offered.