Four-time Olympian Aliann Pompey
The four-time Olympian and Guyana’s Commonwealth Games 400m gold and silver medallist, saw the event- which started in 2016- like most sport events in 2020, postponed because of COVID-19.
This year’s AP Invitational was seen as the ‘gateway to Tokyo’, since it was scheduled to be the last resort for local, regional and international athletes who are seeking qualification to the July 23-August 3 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.
The inaugural AP Invitational saw 11 athletes, all from overseas, qualifying for the Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil.
The St John’s University coach noted the event’s cancellation did not only affect local athletes with Olympic aspirations, but also those from the Americas and the Caribbean, since many would have had the AP Invitational on their calendar as a qualifying event for Tokyo.
In February of 2020, AP Invitational was announced by World Athletics as part of its structured World Athletics Continental Tour.
World Athletics had stated that the impetus for creating the Continental Tour was to provide more competition and earning opportunities for more athletes.
At the 2018 AP Invitational, Kirani James, the 2012 Olympic Champion, 2016 Olympic silver medallist and 2020 Bronze medallist, clocked 44.99 seconds to not only win the ‘AP’ Invitational 400 metres, but also set a new Track Record.
