Shaffiqua Maloney makes Olympic standard

Vincentian female middle distance athlete, Shaffiqua Maloney has attained the Olympic standard in the 800m.

The 24 -year-old Maloney, who turns 25 later this month, ran her all time best in the Indoor event at the Tyson Invitational at Randal Tyson Track Centre in Fayetteville, last Saturday, February 10, 2024.

Maloney’s time was 1:58.69.

In the process, she established a new St Vincent and the Grenadines record, which also placed her at the number two in the world for 2024, thus far.

Of note too, Maloney thus became the first Vincentian to qualify for the Olympics where she will be part of the Paris Games in July/ August of this year.

She was part of the 2020 Tokyo Games held in 2021 in Japan, having gained a universality place.

Maloney, who is based in the USA, is a former student of the Thomas Saunders Secondary School before moving to Verchilds Secondary in St Kitts and Nevis.

She then earned entry to the Southern Illinois University and went on later to the University of Arkansas.

Maloney has since turned a professional athlete.