By Neto Baptiste
National sprinter, Daniel Bailey, said his premier goal is to first qualify for the World Athletics Indoor Championships slated for March 19-21 in China.
The athlete, who announced his return to competition earlier this year after he had left the international scene back in 2018, said performances at next year’s World Indoors will provide the insight needed as he looks towards the Tokyo Olympics slated for July 23 to August 8.
“To be honest, I have to focus on one thing at a time and the World Indoors is the first thing I am going to focus on so whatever I do, I have to set myself up indoors because whatever I do indoors will determine what I do outdoors. That is my focus and why I am trying to prepare myself as much as possible to go out indoors, perform and put down a good time and if I put down the time that I think I should put down then I should be good for outdoors,” he said.
Bailey won the bronze medal in the 60 metres at the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships when he clocked 6.57 seconds, becoming Antigua and Barbuda’s first ever medallist in the event.
The 100 meters national record holder at 9.91, Bailey said preparations for next year’s games are progressing well.
“I basically just started my speed work about a week ago, to be honest, and I actually just started weight training as well this week because I had been asking my coach all along when were we going to start strength work because we were just running. I lost 13 pounds so we started the gym this week and the speed work last week, so if you ask me everything is going pretty good,” the athlete said.
“We are training on grass, we are hitting the times right because my aim is to always finish the programme and hit the times and if I could finish the programme and hit the times then I am good,” he added.
Baily represented Antigua and Barbuda at the 2004 Summer Olympics, the 2006 Commonwealth Games, the 2008 Summer Olympics, the 2012 Summer Olympics and the 2014 Commonwealth Games.