Despite personal best, Wade eliminated in Sydney

On Thursday evening as most Belizeans were well into their independence celebrations, halfway around the world the nation was making its debut in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Emma Wade, one of only two athletes representing Belize, was entered in the one hundred metres and Channel Five broadcast the event live. She runs in lane 5, that’s the 5th from the inside of the track, and she is easily identified by her ponytail.

Unfortunately Wade finished 7th out of 8 competitors in the heat. A view from the overhead camera offers a better view of the race, as called by Caribbean Commentators Lance Whittaker and Hubert Lawrence.

(Clip of the race)

One bright spot in an otherwise disappointing result was that Wade’s time of 12.25 seconds is a tenth of a second faster than her personal best. World champion Marion Jones has run the hundred as fast as 10.65 seconds. Belize’s other Olympic hope, Jayson Jones, will run his 200 metres heat on Tuesday evening and we hope to bring that live as well.