‘Big engine in a small car’
Anthonique Strachan sees the lighter side of World Championships injury nightmare
Published:Wednesday | July 20, 2022 | 12:13 AMOrane Buchanan/Staff Reporter
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BAHAMIAN SPRINTER Anthonique Strachan was having a breakout season, her best in almost a decade, until disappointment struck during the heats of the women’s 200 metres at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, on Monday. Strachan,...
BAHAMIAN SPRINTER Anthonique Strachan was having a breakout season, her best in almost a decade, until disappointment struck during the heats of the women’s 200 metres at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, on Monday.
Strachan, running from the outside lane pulled up midway through her race. The pain sent flashbacks to an athlete who has had her fair share of injuries.
While speaking with The Gleaner, Strachan explained what happened.
“It just felt like something kicked me in my quad, like, I don’t know how to explain it, but it just felt like I got hit in my quad,” she said.
The 28-year-old Strachan, who trains locally with the MVP Track Club, in the aftermath of her disappointment, said she still is trying to get over the fact that the injury occurred during her much-preferred 200m event.
“This one is like a shell-shocker for me, but I definitely will get over it. Like, the less pain I feel, the more I’ll tell myself that I’m OK, but now I can’t lie to myself and say that I’m OK, because my leg is in a lot of pain. Right now, I’m a lot more emotionally hurt than probably physically hurt. I just really thought that this year was going to be different. I actually put more effort in to getting myself stronger and better,” Strachan said.
Strachan, who twice went under 11 seconds in the 100m this season, explained that she feels more distraught not fulfilling her true potential in the 200m, rather than anything that happened in the shorter sprint.
“Like I said, I don’t have a lot of confidence in the 100m, but I was like, my 100s are looking better, and when I did the 10.99, I said alright, I’m a sprinter now, so I could finally look forward to something. I actually tried harder, tried to improve my start, my reaction time and focus on my weaknesses. Before, I never really focused on my weaknesses a lot, but it shows that I was trying and even now with this happening, I don’t think it will be the end of my 2022 season,” she added.
Despite, a disappointing end to her 2022 World Championships, Strachan still found humour from the recent injury.
“I made a joke with my training partners yesterday, like after everything happened, I said, I guessed that’s what you get when you try to put a big engine in a small car.”