With an outstanding performance at the IAAF/VTB Bank Continental Cup, Cayman elite athlete Cydonie Mothersill has put yet another feather in her country’s cap.
The two-day meet held over the weekend (4-5 September) in Split, Croatia, saw Cydonie take third place in the 200 m sprint with a time of 23.41 seconds – less than a second behind Russia’s Aleksandra Fedoriva’s winning time of 22.86 seconds.
Cayman’s stellar female sprinter was also part of the winning team in the 4 x 100 m relay. The squad – also comprising Bahamian Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie, American Shalonda Solomon and Kelly-Ann Baptiste of Trinidad & Tobago – clocked 43.07.15 seconds in defeating the Europe, Africa and Asia-Pacific teams.
Cydonie’s Croatian performance follows a successful season on the international track and field circuit where she secured three wins in the 200 m sprint. The first victory came in Cork, Ireland (3 July), then in Rethynmo, Greece (7 July) and most recently at the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in Mayaguez, Mexico (28 July).
Praising her performance, Minister of Sport the Hon. Mark Scotland said,“Cydonie is a tremendous role model for our younger athletes. She proves that hard work, determination, and perseverance can indeed take you to the top.
“My ministry is proud to have her as one of our elite athletes, offering her the opportunity to pursue her exceptional talent. In turn we all benefit from seeing Cayman so ably represented on the world stage.”
Cydonie is currently one of five local athletes who have been signed up for the Cayman Islands Elite Athlete Status Programme.
Under this initiative, athletes contract with the Cayman Islands Government to maintain a certain level of competition and participate, whenever possible, in promoting sports in the Cayman Islands. They are also expected to act as athletic ambassadors when and wherever they compete.
In return, the athletes receive financial support to assist them in their training and development.
Cayman’s other elite athletes are sprinter Ronald Forbes, boxer Charles Whittaker, swimmer Shaune Fraser and hammer thrower Michael Letterlough.
