Athletics and the Olympic movement

Gina Bass Bittaye and a continental breakthrough

Gina Mariam Bass Bittaye is one of The Gambia’s most recognisable track athletes. World Athletics reported that her victory in the women’s 100 metres at the 2022 African Championships made her the first athlete from The Gambia to win a senior title at that competition.

The winning final time was 11.06 seconds, with a following wind above the permitted limit for a record. Her 11.08 in the semi-final had legal wind conditions. This distinction is a useful lesson: a championship victory and a record are different achievements, and wind information matters when comparing sprint times.

Read a performance as a dated record

World Athletics lists a 100-metre personal best of 10.93 seconds achieved on 18 May 2024, and a 200-metre personal best of 22.58 from 30 August 2019. These are dated marks, not a promise about an athlete’s next race. Rankings can change much more quickly than career milestones.

At Paris 2024, World Athletics records Bass Bittaye competing in the semi-finals of both the women’s 100 and 200 metres. Its country results also record Ebrahima Camara in the men’s 100 metres and Sanu Jallow in the women’s 800 metres. Recording several athletes helps tell a broader story than a single headline.

The organisation behind national representation

The Gambia National Olympic Committee traces its beginnings to an Olympic and Commonwealth Games association formed in 1972. The IOC confirms recognition in 1976. The committee’s history describes subsequent changes in its organisation and efforts to develop sports infrastructure and training opportunities.

Olympic preparation involves far more than the days of a competition. Coaches, officials and administrators help athletes meet entry requirements, organise travel and prepare for demanding events. A national committee’s recognition is an institutional milestone; an individual athlete’s qualification is a separate sporting achievement.

A sport that schools can explore

Athletics offers several ways to learn: sprinting, endurance events, jumps, throws and relays require different skills. A school can connect a sports session with lessons on measurement, reaction, teamwork and record keeping. A stopwatch result is most useful when the distance, conditions and method are recorded consistently.

For a relay activity, ask learners to explain how cooperation affects a performance that is often reported as one finishing time. For a research activity, compare a national record with a championship medal. What does each measure, and what does neither tell us about an athlete’s whole career?

Keep the record open

Use the official athlete profile for updated performances and the national sports organisations for competition information. A lasting guide should celebrate confirmed achievements while leaving room for new athletes and future results.