Anguilla’s Olympian, Ms. Shara Proctor, will be returning to Anguilla on the 23rd of September, via the Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport, for a brief visit. Ms. Proctor has followed the footsteps of Anguillian Keith Connor (1984 Olympics), by participating in the London 2012 Olympics. Although Shara easily qualified ahead of the field in the first round, with a leap of 6.83m, she was unable to progress to the second round of the women’s long jump finals. However, her performance leading up to the Olympics denotes merit and speaks well of her future.
2012 has been a catalogue of significant achievements for Shara and, by extension, Anguilla. Her trailblazing path commenced with a bronze medal and a British indoor record of 6.89m at the World Indoor Championships that were held inTurkey(11th March 2012).
At the Aviva British National Championships in Birmingham, Shara eclipsed a 29-year-old Bev Kinch record (6:93m) on a cold and wet Sunday 24th June 2012 (thedailymail.co.uk). She jumped 6:95 meters, much to the despair of her competitors but to the delight of the true athletics fan.
Results from the Diamond League updated on Friday 7th September (www.IAAF.org), indicated that Shara finished second on 8 points after competing in three events inEurope. At the Diamond League many of the world leading athletes compete in a series of events inEuropeand several other areas in the world. Presently, Shara has the 13th best long jump for 2012 (www.Iaaf.org). While she may not have earned a place on the Olympic podium, her achievements have positioned her name and Anguilla on the international stage.
It is expected that by the next Olympics, in Brazilin 2016, Shara will be one of the athletes dominating long jump and, no doubt, will be a very strong contender for gold.
All interested persons and sports fans are invited to welcome Shara home at approximately 3:00 pm at the Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport, on Sunday 23rd September, 2012.
– Contributed
