Derrick Atkins
Encyclopedia
Derrick Atkins is a Bahamian
sprinter. 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
.
(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.
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
.
, Atkins won the silver medal, having established a national record of 10.08 seconds during the heats.
, 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.
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.
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.
The Bahamas
The Bahamas , officially the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, is a nation consisting of 29 islands, 661 cays, and 2,387 islets . It is located in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cuba and Hispaniola , northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and southeast of the United States...
sprinter. Atkins specializes in the 100 metres
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
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
Asafa Powell
Asafa Powell C.D is a Jamaican sprinter who specialises in the 100 metres. He held the 100 m world record between June 2005 and May 2008, with times of 9.77 and 9.74 seconds respectively. Powell has consistently broken the 10-second barrier in competition, with his personal best of...
.
University
Atkins was a 3 time National Association of Intercollegiate AthleticsNational Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
(NAIA) national champion in the 100 meter dash while attending Dickinson State University
Dickinson State University
Dickinson State University is a four-year public university in Dickinson, North Dakota, United States, and is a part of the North Dakota University System...
in Dickinson, North Dakota
Dickinson, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,010 people, 6,517 households, and 4,020 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,690.7 inhabitants per square mile . There were 7,033 housing units at an average density of 742.7 per square mile...
. He helped lead those DSU track teams to back-to-back national team titles.
2005
Atkins participated at the 2005 World Championships2005 World Championships in Athletics - Men's 100 metres
The men's 100 metres at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium on August 6 and August 7.The top three runners in each of the initial 8 heats automatically qualified for the second round. The next ten fastest runners from across the heats also qualified...
but failed to progress past the first round.
With the Bahamian 4 x 100 metres relay
4 x 100 metres relay
The 4 × 100 metres relay or sprint relay is an athletics track event run in lanes over one lap of the track with four runners completing 100 metres each. The first runners begin in the same stagger as for the individual 400 m race...
team he finished fourth at the 2003 Central American and Caribbean Championships
2003 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics
The 2003 Central American and Caribbean Championships in athletics were held in St George's, Grenada, on 5 and 6 July 2003. It was the first time that the country had hosted the competition.-Men's events:-Women's events:† = non-championship event...
and won a bronze medal at the 2005 Central American and Caribbean Championships
2005 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics
The 2005 Central American and Caribbean Championships in athletics were held at the Thomas Robinson Stadium in Nassau, Bahamas, between 8–11 July 2005. Nearly 700 athletes from around 30 of the region's countries competed at the event.-Men's events:...
.
2006
At the 2006 Central American and Caribbean GamesAthletics at the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games
The athletics competition at the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games took place at the Estadio Pedro de Heredia in Cartagena, Colombia and lasted from July 25 to July 29. There were 23 events for men and 21 for women...
, Atkins won the silver medal, having established a national record of 10.08 seconds during the heats.
2007
On 28 April 2007 in Berkeley, CaliforniaBerkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
, 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.
On 26 August 2007 at the 2007 World Championships
2007 World Championships in Athletics
The 11th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007...
, Atkins came second with a national record time of 9.91s (wind speed -0.5 m/s). The event was won by Tyson Gay
Tyson Gay
Tyson Gay is an American track and field sprinter. His primary events are the 100 meters and 200 meters. His personal bests establish him as the second fastest athlete in the 100 meters and the fifth fastest athlete in the history of the 200 meters, with times of 9.69 and...
who ran 9.85 s. Atkins beat the world record holder and favourite for the event, Asafa Powell
Asafa Powell
Asafa Powell C.D is a Jamaican sprinter who specialises in the 100 metres. He held the 100 m world record between June 2005 and May 2008, with times of 9.77 and 9.74 seconds respectively. Powell has consistently broken the 10-second barrier in competition, with his personal best of...
who ran 9.96 seconds.
2008
Atkins represented the Bahamas at the 2008 Summer Olympics2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
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
Andrey Yepishin
Andrey Sergeyevich Yepishin |Zhukovsky]]) is a Russian athlete specializing in the 100 metres.He won a silver medal in 4 x 100 metres relay at the 2003 Summer Universiade. Participating in the 2004 Summer Olympics, he achieved fifth place in his 100 metres heat, thus failing to make it through to...
and Jaysuma Saidy Ndure
Jaysuma Saidy Ndure
Jaysuma Saidy Ndure is a Gambian-Norwegian sprinter. Having changed nationality from Gambia to Norway in 2006, he holds both the Gambian and Norwegian records in both the 100 and 200 metres, and is the seventh and fourth fastest European of all times on the two distances...
. In the second round he improved his time to 10.14 seconds, finishing third in his heat behind Asafa Powell
Asafa Powell
Asafa Powell C.D is a Jamaican sprinter who specialises in the 100 metres. He held the 100 m world record between June 2005 and May 2008, with times of 9.77 and 9.74 seconds respectively. Powell has consistently broken the 10-second barrier in competition, with his personal best of...
and Walter Dix
Walter Dix
Walter Dix is an American sprinter who specializes in the 100 meters and 200 meters. He is the fourth fastest 200 m runner ever with a best of 19.53 seconds, and has broken the 10-second barrier in the 100 m with a best of 9.88 seconds.Dix was a highly successful amateur...
, 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.