By Dean Greenaway - Aug 15, 2003
BVI sprinter Keita Cline advanced to the semifinal rounds of the Pam American Games 200 meters before being eliminated last Thursday. Competing in only his fifth race in 2003 as his season got off to a late start because of injury, Cline made the semis after running 21.25 seconds. In the semis, he placed fourth in the second of three heats but did not advance after running 21.29 seconds, just ahead of the U. S. Virgin Islands' Adrian Durant who was fifth in 21.49 seconds.
In his assessment, Cline said he considered the prelims as 'an average race.' "But nonetheless, to come back in the semis and run just a little slower, and to have run that time a couple weeks ago in the Bahamas, tells me that where I'm at, with a few more races and another level of training if I had the time, would have taken me to the next level." Based on his level of conditioning, Cline said it was could be expected but not what he wanted. "I felt better in the second race and was really happy that I made it to the semis because that was the overall goal, with the aim of dropping my time," he explained. "There were a few things I could have executed. I probably could have executed my transition into the straightaway a little better, but I wasn't thinking execute and transition. I was thinking run," he pointed out.
Cline, the only athlete to compete at the games after Discus Thrower Eric Mathias pulled himself off the team citing fatigue from a long season, started the competition in the Long Jump last Wednesday. He fouled his first two jumps before settling for an unlooked for 6.24 meter jump. "I just put myself in a bad position with two fouls," Cline said before running the 200 meters the following morning.
Cline said his 2003 campaign has been a tough one, since he did not have enough competition because his season got off to a late start. "I did not start training until the end of February, then my coach moved and I was training on my own," he noted. "All those combined makes for a shaky start to the season to say the least."
Cline will run the 200 meters at the World Championships in Paris, which runs from August 23-30. He's already looking forward to next year and the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. The Olympian says support for the athletes is crucial.
"If we receive the support I heard of from last year when Dion won the CAC Games 100 meters, and I know the NDP is a sports friendly government, that coupled with the collaboration with the BVI Tourist Board and other factors that express that support, I think it will be a good position for the whole track and field faction to put up some good numbers and some good results throughout next year and into the Olympics."
29 November 1974 179 cm 74 kg
Age: 29 years
60 m
Indoor Alltime WL WAT CACYL CACAT
2000 6.81i 1 Minneapolis MN 5 Feb
2001 6.80i 1 Gold Minneapolis MN 27 Jan
2002 6.76i 5r2 Classic Ames IA 9 Feb
100 m
Outdoor Alltime WL WAT CACYL CACAT
2000 10.50 2 NC Bridgetown 25 Jun
2001 10.44 -0.3 1 Colon Ponce 14 Jul
2002 10.54 0.4 3r1 PP Inv Claremont CA 19 Apr
200 m
Outdoor Alltime WL WAT CACYL CACAT
1995 20.7hh 1 St. Johns MI 9 Jul
1999 21.69 0.1 6h5 WC Sevilla 24 Aug
2000 20.97 Bridgetown 25 Jun
2001 20.88A -1.5 3 CAC Ciudad de Guatemala 21 Jul
2002 20.83 3.5 3r1 PP Inv Claremont CA 19 Apr
2002 21.01 -0.2 3r4 MSR Walnut CA 21 Apr
2003 21.24 2 NC Bridgetown 22 Jun
Indoor Alltime WL WAT CACYL CACAT
2000 21.89i 1 Minneapolis MN 5 Feb
2001 21.67i 3r1 Classic Ames IA 9 Feb OT
2002 21.20i 1r4 Classic Ames IA 8 Feb OT
2002 21.62i 2 Snowshoe Minneapolis MN 15 Feb
2004 21.75i 5r3 Ames IA 6 Mar OT
400 m
Indoor Alltime WL WAT CACYL CACAT
2001 48.47i NR 1r3 Gold Minneapolis MN 27 Jan
Long jump
Outdoor Alltime WL WAT CACYL CACAT
1994 7.81 Norman OK 16 Apr
1995 8.12 w 2 Austin TX 8 Apr
1996 7.97 0.6 1 Kingston 11 May
1997 7.51 4.2 1 Minneapolis MN 10 May
1998 7.62 0.1 q CWG Kuala Lumpur 19 Sep
2003 7.41 2 NC Bridgetown 21 Jun
Indoor Alltime WL WAT CACYL CACAT
1996 7.99i NR 1 Ames IA 10 Feb
2004 7.47i 6 Ames IA 6 Mar
In 2004:
200 m
21.75i SB 5r3 Ames IA 6 Mar
OT
Long jump
7.36i 1 Classic Minneapolis MN 24 Jan
7.47i SB 6 Ames IA 6 Mar
In Major Championships:
100 m
2001 10.46A 1.3 3h4 CAC Ciudad de Guatemala 20 Jul
2001 10.45 5 CAC Ciudad de Guatemala 20 Jul
200 m
1999 21.69 0.1 6h5 WC Sevilla 24 Aug
2000 21.42 0.2 7h4 OG Sydney 27 Sep
2001 21.02A 0.0 2h1 CAC Ciudad de Guatemala 20 Jul
2001 20.98A 0.6 3s1 CAC Ciudad de Guatemala 21 Jul
2001 20.88A -1.5 3 CAC Ciudad de Guatemala 21 Jul
2001 DQ h3 WC Edmonton 7 Aug
2003 21.25 1.0 4h4 PAG Santo Domingo 7 Aug
2003 21.29 0.9 4s2 PAG Santo Domingo 7 Aug
2003 21.31 0.5 6h7 WC Saint-Denis 27 Aug
Long Jump
1998 7.62 0.1 q CWG Kuala Lumpur 19 Sep
