BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - YOUNG Kittitian star sprinter Antoine Adams recently concluded a tour of Brazil which brought him many successes as he prepares for the 2013 IAAF World Championships later this year.
In an exclusive interview with SKNVibes, Adams spoke about the highs and lows of his first official athletics tour.
“The Brazilian tour was my first official athletics tour. It was quite an experience. Apart from the many hours of travelling, I really had fun. I can see myself going back next year.”
He gave a synopsis of his performance in the Portuguese-speaking South American country.
“The first meet in Belém, Brazil I had a false start which was really devastating because it was an IAAF WORLD CHALLENGE and I really wanted to make a good mark there. These things do happen though. I had no time to dwell on it as I had to get myself together and be ready to run again a few days later in Uberlandia.
“As a sprinter, when you false start it can mess with you mentally for the next race. And that is exactly what happened to me! To avoid a false start again, I tried to play it safe and sat back in the blocks. It was probably one of the worst reactions of my career so far and I was way in last place, but I was determined to redeem myself so I had to find an extra gear. I executed and ran back to place second.”
Adams then spoke about his success in São Paulo, Brazil’s largest city.
“A few days later my last stop was in São Paulo. I told myself I wanted to leave Brazil with a win and a good time. I did get the win, which I am grateful for, but I was not happy with the time. The race was into a negative 1.3 wind so it affected my time a bit, which in the end was 10.25 seconds.”
Despite the disappointment, Adams took some positives from the tour.
“My coach says however that I am on 10.16 seconds pace right now, so I can work with that. I will continue working hard in putting everything together and pray that everything falls into place.
“This Brazilian tour was an experience; won the 100m today. I am happy to finish healthy and injury free. Thank you Lord for your blessings. “
