Tokyo Olympics: Amya Clarke of St Kitts and Nevis qualifies for next round

Saint Kitts and Nevis: The athlete of St Kitts and Nevis - Amya Clarke has qualified to the heats of the women's 100 meters on the first day of track at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 on Friday. The SKN athlete has been qualified with the third-best time in the morning session shakeout run, with a time of 11.67s when finishing third in the first preliminary qualifying round.

Natacha Ngoye Akamabi of - the Republic of Congo won the race with the best overall timing of 11.47s, while Maggie Barrie of Sierra Leone finished the preliminary heat round in 11.53s.

This is the debut of the Caribbean athlete in the Olympics. People of St Kitts and Nevis and in the diaspora have praised the efforts of Clarke and are cheering her up with full enthusiasm all over the social media.

Recently, Clarke won a silver medal in the 2021 NACAC U23 100m.

In the month of June 2021, the SKN athlete was confirmed as being selected for the 2020 Summer Tokyo Olympics in the 100 metres, under the universality rule within the Olympic qualifying criteria, which allows smaller countries with developing sports programs to send representatives to the competition.

Clarke has also got the opportunity of being the flag bearer for her nation in the opening ceremony of the ongoing Tokyo Olympics.

Clarke, born on 10 September 1999, completed her high school at Saddlers Secondary School and is before going to Iowa Western Community College and the University of Akron in Ohio. Clarke is a residence of Christ Church, St Kitts and Nevis.

The other male athlete who is representing St Kitts and Nevis in this years' Tokyo Olympics is Jason Rogers. Rogers was born on 31 August 1991 in Sandy Point sprinter who specialises in the 100 metres.

Out of the various achievements of Rogers, he has won a bronze medal as a part of the 4 × 100 m relay at the - 2008 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Cali, Colombia.

Rogers also finished at sixth position in the 100 metres final of the 2010 World Junior Championships in Moncton, Canada.

The Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis - Dr Timothy Harris, has congratulated Clarke and wished good luck to both the athletes representing SKN at Tokyo Olympics. Tokyo Olympics were about to take place last year but were delayed amid the COVID-19 pandemic.