Reid’s Olympics a foundation she can stand on

HAVING GROWN from her first Olympic experience in her first major global senior championship, Alana Reid believes that the foundation has been set for a promising future.

Reid was part of a young Jamaican 4x100-metre women’s relay team that finished fifth in the final on Friday, clocking 42.29 seconds.

Among her teammates were 19-year-old 100m Olympic finalist Tia Clayton, Kemba Nelson, and Shashalee Forbes.

In the absence of five-time world 100-metre champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and world 200-metre champion Shericka Jackson, Reid and Nelson, who were reserves in the relay pool, were called to fill the void.

The United States won the title in 41.78 while Great Britain were second in 41.85, and Germany third in 41.97. Reid said the young core will be better for the experience.

Reid, whose Olympic team call up was unexpected, says the experience has made her better prepared for the World Under-20 Championships in Peru later this month.

“I used this to kind of motivate me, seeing that I have the World Under-20 championships coming up. I came out here and I gave of my best. It is just for me to stay focused, go back to the drawing board and fix the things that need changing,” Reid said.

Reid is also buoyed about the future of women’s sprinting, believing the core she is a part of will deliver in due course.

“It is a young team and it is just for us to stay focused and use this as a learning process. Some of us were on different legs but nevertheless, we came out here and did our best. Even though it didn’t go the way we wanted, we are young and this is a learning experience.”