The calendar has flipped to June, and the countdown for the highly anticipated Aliann Pompey (AP) Invitational has begun. This year’s fixture returns to the National Track and Field Centre at Edinburgh on June 22 with several top athletes signaling their intentions to get into the blocks.
With 2024 being an Olympic year and the fixture serving as a Qualifier to the Games in Paris, France, the AP Invitational will add an extra layer of intrigue before the qualifying window closes on June 30.
The women’s 100m event is gearing up to be the highlight of the meet. The field will feature 2018 Commonwealth Games champion Michelle-Lee Ahye of Trinidad and Tobago, Namibia’s 100m record-holder Beatrice Masilingi, and 2023 Central American and Pan Am Games silver medallist, Jasmine Abrams.
Also competing will be Athaleyha Hinckson, Guyana’s CARIFTA Games 100m champion, alongside compatriots Keliza Smith, Shantae George and Juvonna Cornette.
Masilingi, the 2021 World U-20 100m silver medallist, said the AP Invitational could be her last chance to qualify for the Paris Olympics, following her return to the track after serving a suspension imposed by World Athletics due to elevated testosterone levels.
Meanwhile, the event’s organiser, Aliann Pompey, expressed her excitement for the 100m showdown, adding that the line-up for other disciplines will be announced in due course.
Pompey is encouraging fans to turn out in large numbers at the Edinburgh edifice.
Pompey, Guyana’s Commonwealth Games 400m gold and silver medallist, was forced cancel the fifth edition of the AP Invitational in 2020 due to COVID-19.
With the completion of remedial work at the Track and Field Centre, Pompey anticipates an epic meet, offering local fans the chance to witness top-notch talent from the country and the region.
