Derrick Atkins

Personal information
Nationality	The Bahamas
Born	(1984-01-05) 5 January 1984 (age 29) Jamaica
Height	185cm/6'1"
Sport
Sport	Running
Event(s)	100 metres, 200 metres
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	100m: 9.91 s (Osaka 2007) 200m: 20.35 s (Athens 2009)
Medal record Men's Athletics Competitor for  Bahamas World Championships Silver 2007 Osaka 100 m Central American and Caribbean Games Silver 2006 Cartagena de Indias 100 m Silver 2006 Cartagena de Indias 4x100 m relay CAC Championships Bronze 2005 Nassau 4x100 m relay Silver 2008 Cali 4x100 m relay Bronze 2009 Havana 4x100 m relay

Derrick Atkins (born 5 January 1984) is a Jamaican born Bahamian sprinter.^[1] Atkins specializes in the 100 metres event and also holds the national record, with a time of 9.91 seconds. He is the second cousin of former world record holder Asafa Powell.^[2]

University [edit]

Atkins was a 3 time National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) national champion in the 100 meter dash while attending Dickinson State University in Dickinson, North Dakota. He helped lead those DSU track teams to back-to-back national team titles.

Career [edit]

2005 [edit]

Atkins participated at the 2005 World Championships but failed to progress past the first round.

With the Bahamian 4 x 100 metres relay team he finished fourth at the 2003 Central American and Caribbean Championships and won a bronze medal at the 2005 Central American and Caribbean Championships.

2006 [edit]

At the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games, Atkins won the silver medal,^[3] having established a national record of 10.08 seconds during the heats.

2007 [edit]

On 28 April 2007 in Berkeley, California, Atkins again lowered the national record, to 9.98 seconds. He also ran 9.86 s and 9.83 s, though with tail winds of 2.3 and 2.4 m/s.^[4]

On 26 August 2007 at the 2007 World Championships, Atkins came second with a national record time of 9.91s (wind speed -0.5 m/s). The event was won by Tyson Gay who ran 9.85 s. Atkins beat the world record holder and favourite for the event, Asafa Powell who ran 9.96 seconds.

2008 [edit]

Atkins represented the Bahamas at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing where he competed at the 100 metres sprint and placed 1st in his heat in a time of 10.28 seconds in front of Andrey Yepishin and Jaysuma Saidy Ndure. In the second round he improved his time to 10.14 seconds, finishing third in his heat behind Asafa Powell and Walter Dix, qualifying for the semi finals. There a 10.13 seconds race was unable to bring him in the final, finishing in sixth place of his semi final.^[1]

References [edit]

External links [edit]

• IAAF profile for Derrick Atkins
• sports-reference