Island's athletes heading to Europe
By Derek DeChabert
Bermuda's elite athletes will be looking to take their show on the road as the Bermuda Track and Field Association (BTFA) attempt to get them training and racing in the European circuit.
Athletes such as Aaron Evans, Tre Houston, Tyrone Smith, Aranxta King, Shianne Smith and Jeneko Place will be looked at when the opportunity arises for Bermuda athletes to test their skills abroad.
President Donna Watson, who is putting more of her time into Smith and his pursuit of success in the international arena, believes that the only way local athletes will get better is if they venture into the unknown.
"We have some big plans not only for Tyrone but some of our other elite athletes," said Watson.
"Our ultimate goal for most of them and some others is to get them to train and compete in Europe in preparation for CAC and Commonwealth Games.
"I am already in talks with some coaches in Europe and of course Troy Douglas who is based in Holland to see if we can get some of our athletes over there during the summer leading up to those events.
"There are also several camps that are put on for the Caribbean athletes that we need to start taking advantage of. We are hopeful that we will be able to find the funding to assist these athletes.
Watson is adamant about the fact that Bermuda has some of the best up and coming athletes but lack the necessary tools to enable them to reach their full potential.
To rectify this problem, the Bermuda Track and Field Association will be sending coaches away as well as bringing in coaches to get the coaching level to a higher standard.
These options open the door for athletes to further their respective skills at the highest level.
Smith for one found it difficult to compete at different events across Europe with no home base and coaches to work with.
"For us to have world class athletes we have to do things a bit differently than we have currently been doing.
"For Tyrone it was been difficult last season as it was not easy to get to the European meets so if we can get him based in Europe it should be easier to get him there.
"One of the reasons we are bringing the coach from the UK to conduct the workshop is also to meet with a few of our athletes and parents to discuss some options that we might have for them.
"I am pretty excited about next season and I think Bermuda should start seeing some positive results from track & field."
