GUYANA’S Olympian Winston George is looking for a finals-berth when he competes at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Veracruz, Mexico later this month.

The games are set for November 14-30. Guyana last week, announced its intention to participate in nine disciplines.
In Athletics – Guyana has gone with four sprinters – George leading the way. Also listed to run the 400m is overseas-based athletes Stephan James and 100m sprinters Adam Harris and Jeremy Bascom.
Chronicle Sport caught up with George who is training under coach Mark Scott.
‘Seeing that it’s the end of the year and they say people don’t usually run fast at the end of the year, I’m still going there to show them at the end of the year I’ll still be running fast to see if I can at least be in the finals and come out successful,’ said George.
He shied away from saying what time he has in mind, but noted that for the year he’s been in the 45-second bracket.
“I ran 45 twice for the year and early 46. I’m in the range so I should be good.”
The 28-year-old-George has been utilising the synthetic track at Leonora.
“So far it’s been good, I do my workouts there. It’s the same surface I’ll be running on so I would say yes it is aiding my preparation.”
The IAAF website has his 400m time of 45.57secs – clocked in June this year in New York – as the 80th fastest time this year among quarter-milers. The top 196 times are listed on the site.
In the 200m he registered 20.77 seconds. It’s listed at the joint 217th fastest time in 2014. George clocked that time in Chile.
Here at home, his hand timing this year is 20.4 seconds, recorded at the Inter-Service Athletics Championships. It’s listed as the joint-third fastest time this year.
Joining George in the 400m preliminaries is James. He has a time of 46.15 seconds in May 2014. It’s recorded as the 173rd fastest time on the outdoor circuit this year.
The world-leading time is 43.74 seconds held by Grenada’s Olympic Champion Kirani James.
Both George and James are down to compete in the 200m.
In the shorter sprint, Harris and Bascom will face the starter’s gun.
At 52nd, Harris clocked 10.12 seconds in May this year in neighbouring Trinidad and Tobago in the 100m. Interestingly enough, later that same month in Florida Harris ran a wind-assisted 9.90 seconds. It’s listed as the 7th fastest time this year.
Harris is the lone athlete to do any field event. He’ll compete in the long jump.
Bascom, at 31 and the oldest member of the team, has his name entered for the 100m. His last recorded time is 10.19 seconds back in 2012.
When all four are done with their pet events, they will combine to run the 4x100m relay. They’ve collaborated before at the Commonwealth Games but were disqualified. They’ll be hoping to erase that blemish.
Mark Scott is listed as the team’s coach. Track and field opens with the marathon on November 23.

(By Leeron Brumell)