Qualifying for the Tokyo Olympic Games wasn’t something Emanuel Archibald dreamt about during his formative years competing in Track and Field in Linden. However, after falling in love with the sport, his perspective and focus changed and now, he’s one of seven representatives set to fly the Golden Arrowhead in Japan.
“I started Track and field to have fun and to get free schooling. I’ve been doing it for fun and 2018 is the year that I realized that I can compete with the rest of the world and after then I’ve been serious throughout,” the usually candid national sprint champion said.

Archibald will join Mark Mason (long jump 1992), Onan Thom (swimming 2004), Marian Burnett (800m, 2004 and 2008) and Desmond Hector (800m 1992) as the athletes from Linden to have represented Guyana at the Olympic Games. Mason was the last Guyanese athlete to compete in the men’s long jump at an Olympics, finishing 15th out of 53 athletes. That event was won by the USA’s Carl Lewis. This year’s South American Championship 100 metre silver medallist (10.23 seconds) and Guyana’s highest-ranked sprinter and National Champion, is focused on taking it one step at a time at the 32nd Olympiad.

Archibald’s personal best in the distance is 10.22 seconds, set in 2018 in Kingston, Jamaica. He also clocked a wind-assisted 10.18 seconds to win Guyana’s senior Men’s 100 metres at the Athletics Association of Guyana’s (AAG) National Championships in June. “My goal is to basically make the finals; take every round at a time. Right now, I’m getting season-best going into the games, which is good. This games is big for me. This is the second big event I’m going to this year, so getting a medal will be big for me and the country as well,” Archibald told Chronicle Sport.

Though representing Guyana at the Olympic Games in the 100 metres, Archibald is more versed and accomplished in the Long Jump, where he’s also the country’s National record holder.
Mark Mason’s long jump record of 8.07 metres, which he had set in April of 1993, was broken by Archibald on March 7, 2019, at a meet in Jamaica, after the now Malta Carib athlete had leaped 8.07. Showing that his feat was no fluke, Archibald, at the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) All Comers Meet 1 on May 11, 2019, reset the National long jump record to 8.12 metres.

The Linden athlete had opened his season this year by posting an impressive 8.10 metres at the National Track and Field Centre. At the time, it was a world-leading distance in the long jump. Archibald has represented Guyana at the World Championships and Commonwealth Games, chalking up an impressive résumé in Jamaica where he’s based as part of the Ricketts Performance Centre under Coach Kerry-Lee Ricketts.

He told Chronicle Sport recently that making the games in the 100 metres came as a surprise, stating “I’ve always known that I’m a better long jumper, so I was surprised. But this is the first time I’m getting to focus on one event going into a competition and I should do my best at it.”

Jasmine Abrams, who claimed Bronze in the 100 metres at the South American Championship, along with her sister, Aliyah Abrams, in the 400 metres, will join Archibald as the track and field representative at the games. Boxer Keevin Allicock, Table Tennis star, Chelsea Edghill, and swimmers Aleka Persaud and Andrew Fowler are the other athletes who will represent Guyana at the biggest global sporting event.