By Neto Baptiste
High jump athlete, Priscilla Loomis, is confident she will achieve the Olympic standard following a second-place finish at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix at the Reggie Lewis Center on the campus of Roxbury Community College in the USA on Saturday.
The Antiguan recorded a height of 1.89 meters in her season opener and was bettered only by Amina Smith of the US who also registered a jump of 1.89 meters but had less failed attempts than Loomis.
Neither athlete achieved the Olympic standard of 1.96 meters needed to qualify for this year’s Tokyo Olympic.
Loomis is however confident that once she remains injury free, she will hit the mark.
“I can’t keep focused on 1.95 or 1.96, I just have to make sure that I compete and be ready when the bar gets to the higher heights so I am not so focused on that; I have to get the Olympic qualifier and then every time I don’t get it then it’s like a failure. I am just going to make sure that I go out and compete at my best and never letting negativity and any kind of competition be a hindrance to me and as long as I stay positive and focused then I know I will get the Olympic standard and that it will be a great feeling,” she said.
The athlete, who won silver at the 2019 Pan American Games held in Lima, Peru, said the performance was acceptable for a season opener.
“It was a really good opener that matched my opener from last season so honestly I am really happy with it. I’ve learnt to enjoy being healthy, enjoy competing and so as long as I am placing then it’s a good day,” Loomis said.
It was also s good weekend for Ramadin Alexander in the 400 meters, as the Antiguan, who is now a freshman at Kingsborough College in New York, clocked 49.96 seconds to win silver at the Ramapo Season Opener.