Anguilla’s 18-year-old sprinter, Mauriel Carty, was given a big welcome outside the Blowing Point Passenger Terminal on Tuesday afternoon, September 1, when he returned home from the 2015 World Championships in Athletics in Beijing, China.
He was met by his parents, Convert and Maureen Carty, and other family members and friends, officials of the Anguilla Amateur Athletic Association and others, some bearing flowers and others spewing bottles of champagne.
The upcoming athlete was the only person who represented Anguilla in the 200 metres heats for men in the World Championships, but did not succeed. Two other outstanding Anguillians – Shara Proctor, who placed second and won a silver medal in the long jump category for women, and Zharnel Hughes, who placed fifth in the 200 metres finals – represented Great Britain.
Among the large welcoming party, was Mauriel’s coach, Mr. Winston Duncan. “He is still a young and developing athlete,” he told The Anguillian. “We have some work to do based on what I saw on the television in regard to the World Championships. With continued effort, refining and retuning some of his techniques, I think we will see a vast improvement over time. He has been with my group for about a year and months. When he came over we had to do a lot of technique work and that is still being done. He spent some three weeks in England where he worked with a coach focusing on his techniques and improving his skills before he went to the World Championships. It is a continued effort. Certain things were not caught when he was younger. We know what the problem is and we are working on it. It is a learning experience for him in that he now recognises greater effort is needed in practice.”
Duncan added: “Mauriel was in Heat 3 – lane 2 – for the first round [of the 200 metres]. Usain Bolt was in that heat and, as one expected, it was fast for him [Mauriel], but nonetheless he was able to finish the race. That is going to continue to happen until he gets more frequent exposure in running against high-calibre opponents. I am very hopeful for him. He has a lot of talent. It is just a matter of his continued training and a belief in himself.”
Mrs. Lorna Rogers, President of the Anguilla Amateur Athletic Association, accompanied Mauriel to the World Championships. She spoke first about the performances of Shara and Zharnel, though they represented Great Britain, and secondly about Mauriel.
“My emotions were indescribable,” she said. “When you come from an island like the [small] size of Anguilla, and you have two athletes in a final competition at the World Championships, both of whom are capable of medalling, and you come away with a silver and a fifth place in the finals, I think we are the envy of many countries. We had our young athlete, Mauriel Carty, who, obviously I must mention, had his first time out. I think for him it was more a matter of exposure and experience to see what is, and what is not, possible, and what kind of work has to be put in if he is to get at the top. I am sure he understands the nature of the discipline that is required.”
The most interesting commentary about Mauriel perhaps came from his excited father, Mr. Convert Carty. “I am very proud of my son,” he told The Anguillian, holding a bottle of champagne, ready to pull the cork and splash its contents as Mauriel emerged from the passenger terminal. “Yes, my son worked very, very hard to reach that far as the World Championships. I felt proud to see him holding up that Anguillian flag.”
The conversation continued:
“What do you think helped him to develop to that stage?”
“He got into sports ever since he was a little primary school boy. I used to take him to the beach and run with him every morning from five o’clock. I saw him develop during his last year at primary school [Alwyn Allison Richardson School at West End]. I saw him running, running, really running. So I continued to run with him.”
“What do you think about his recent performance in Beijing?”
“Mauriel needs a little fine-tuning. That’s all. He needs help.”
“And, you asked if I am proud of him.”
“Sure. I am very proud of my son.”
