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In 11.19 seconds in chilly and wet conditions in Asuncion, Paraguay on August 19, TT sprinter Shaniqua Bascombe stormed to the women’s 100-metre title at the 2025 Junior Pan American Games and also booked her spot for the senior Pan Am Games in Lima, Peru in 2027.
In the second semifinal heat on August 18, the 21-year-old Bascombe had a sloppy start out of the bocks but still ran 11.17 seconds to finish second and qualify for the final. The semifinal was won by Dominican Republic’s Liranyi Alonso who clocked a games record time of 11.08.
As the two did battle again in the finale roughly 26 hours later, the Jamaican-based Bascombe knew she had to dig deep and she did so brilliantly to snatch gold.
“It started off rocky, and then my coach spoke with me and let me know I had to fix up (some things) because I was off to a rocky start. I came mentally prepared and ready to win the gold,” Bascombe told the media after her win in the final.
Running out of lane six, Bascombe again didn’t have the best of starts and she trailed Alonso and her competitors after the first 40 metres. By the 60-metre mark, Bascombe was still trailing, but she finished powerfully and surged past Alonso (11.40) and Puerto Rico’s Frances Colon (11.46) to claim her country’s first gold medal of the games and ninth medal overall.
The race to the Junior Pan Am summit hasn’t been an easy one for Bascombe, a former First Citizens Sport Foundation Junior Sportswoman of the Year winner. Bascombe copped a bronze medal as a member of TT’s 4x100m women’s relay team at the North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) Under-23 Championships in Costa Rica in 2023. However, she took a two-year hiatus from the competitive scene and has been slowly whipping herself back into top shape.
Over the last few months, Bascombe has been steadily improving her times since running 11.46 in Kingston, Jamaica, at the Velocity Fest event back in April. In June, she lowered her season’s best to 11.26 at the Jamaica National Championships before returning home for the NGC/National Association of Athletics Administration (NAAATT) Open Championships earlier this month. In the 100m final at the NAAATT Open Champs on August 2, Bascombe clocked 11.17 to finish second behind Olympian Leah Bertrand (11.04) who had already booked her spot for this year’s World Athletics Championships. In the preliminary round, Bascombe ran her personal best of 11.16.
Bascombe acknowledged the road back to her best has been tough. But now, she is reaping the rewards.
“Never give up. No matter how hard it is, never give up. There’s always a door that will open and you will see your way,” she said.
NAAATT president Ephraim Serrette said it’s been a joy to see Bascombe back in full flight and believes the signs are positive as TT builds towards the 2028 Olympic Games.
“Only just this year, Shaniqua has made her return. She only has a couple of races under her belt this year but she’s been consistent,” Serrette said. “It augurs well for our country where our female sprinters are concerned. At present, we have about eight female sprinters who are running 11.2 or better. That could be the focus of our 4x100m women’s team for 2028.”
The NAAATT boss said he felt something special was on the horizon after Bascombe’s run in the semis.
“I was confident when I saw her run the semifinals. She didn’t get a good start,” Serrette said. “She didn’t have her best start in the final (either), but she had a better start than the night before. She beat them by a canter and the second-place was 11.4.”
Serrette also extended congratulations to Janae De Gannes, who leapt to bronze at the Junior Pan Am in the women’s long jump with a 6.33m distance on August 18. With the pair of Jaden Marchan and Shakeem McKay taking their places in the men’s 400m final at the games, Serrette said there is good, young talent available as his association looks to LA28.
“We’re on the rise. We just have to get the kind of support we require for the athletes to encourage them and set that pathway,” Serrette said.
“We can’t just be studying tomorrow and the next day. Right now, our focus is 2028 Olympics and how we’re building and taking on the competitions as we move forward with CAC, Commonwealth Games etcetera, all culminating with LA28.”
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