Linda Mc Dowall places third in T&T half marathon

Vincentian Linda Mc Dowall placed third in last Sunday’s women’s segment of the UWI SPEC Half Marathon run in Trinidad and Tobago.

Mc Dowall, who was 39th overall, clocked 1 hour 27 minutes 28 seconds.

However, Mc Dowall’s participation was shrouded in some controversy, prior to her departure last Friday, for the twin-island republic.

Reports are that Mc Dowall was denied a ticket to travel to the event by Team Athletics SVG, the governing body for track and field here in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

SEARCHLIGHT understands that Team Athletics SVG’s decision was based on a ruling made earlier this year, that persons who did not compete at the National Championships would not be eligible to represent the country in the upcoming season.

This was confirmed by technical director of Team Athletics SVG Chester Morgan.

“Only persons who are exempted from this ruling, are the overseas-based athletes,” Morgan reasoned

Mc Dowall was one those athletes who skipped the National Championships which were held May 4 and 5, at the Arnos Vale Playing Field.

But Morgan noted that while Mc Dowall did not participate in the championships, this country’s top male road runner Junior Ashton did.

“Stone (Junior Ashton) competed in the 5000m at the national championships; Pamenos (Ballantyne), also competed in that race,” Morgan recalled.

With Team Athletics SVG holding its ground, Mc Dowall’s predicament was sorted by her club IT-DAT Academy, which reports say purchased the ticket for her travel for the half marathon.

Head of the IT-DAT Academy Michael Ollivierre, who is also vice-president of Team SVG, revealed that he is aware of the stipulations with the mandatory participation.

“Yes, I am aware of the ruling… It is a common practice the world over, but in the case of Linda (Mc Dowall), during this year she was not preparing for the track, only for road racing, and prior to the National Championships, Team Athletics SVG did not host a road event neither,” Ollivierre related.

Ollivierre assured SEARCHLIGHT that come 2020, once Mc Dowall is in the country, at Team Athletics SVG’s staging of the National Championships “she will compete”.

Meanwhile, St Vincent and the Grenadines’ other representative in the event Junior Ashton was fifth in the men’s event of last Sunday’s UWI SPEC half marathon.

Ashton’s time was 1 hour 12 minutes 51 seconds.

Champing the women’s race was Kenyan Veronica Jepkoskei Ngososei. Her winning time was 1 hour 18 minutes 32 seconds.

And, Didimo Armando Sanchezmendoza of Venezuela was again the male winner in 1 hour 7 minutes 55 seconds .