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TODAY IS KIM COLLINS DAY !!!

Today, Thursday August 25^th is Kim Collins Day in St. Kitts and Nevis. The day was officially named in honor of the  Sprint Legend by then Deputy Prime Minister and now St.Kitts-Nevis Ambassador to the United Nations His Excellency Sam Condor in commemoration of his historic victory in the 100 meters at the 9th IAAF World Championships in 2003. The day gives the world a chance  to  reflect on Kim’s amazing achievements and his pioneering role in track and field in St.Kitts-Nevis and the OECS and even the Caribbean.

It was on AUGUST 25, 2003 the Federation of St. Kitts-Nevis got its first gold medal in the IAAF World Championships when Kim Collins won the men’s 100m.

RELIVE THE MOMENT!

Born May 4, 1976, Collins has an impressive track-record and boasts several World Championship medals.  He became the first athlete from Saint Kitts and Nevis to qualify for an Olympic final at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, finishing seventh in the 100 meters. After winning the bronze medal in the 200m at the World Championships in 2001, Collins won his first title in 2002 at the Commonwealth Games, taking the gold in the 100m.  He became the first world champion from Saint Kitts and Nevis and the OECS by winning the gold in the 100m at the 2003 World Championships.

His next medal was won in 2005, when he won the bronze in the 100m at the World Championships.  Kim took silver in 2010 in the 60m at the World Indoor Championships.  In 2008 he  qualified for the 200m finals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.  In 2011 he won two more World Championship Medals with Bronze in both the 100m and the 4 x 100m relay with Team SKN. He followed in subsequent years with his historic 9.93 secs performance in 2016 at age 40 becoming the fastest 40 year old in history. In 2014 and 2015 he was the #1 Ranked 60 m sprinter in the world and from 2003 until today has consistently been ranked among the top 20 sprinters in the world.

At the recent Rio Olympics he became the first Male Sprinter to participate in 5 Olympics and also the oldest male sprinter to advance to the semifinals. At 40 years old he is currently among the top ten sprinters in the world and is the #1 Sprinter in the world over 60m. He has participated in 8 World Championships flying the flag of St.Kitts-Nevis. His spritn career has spanned over 2 decades in a sport where most careers last 10 years.

 

 

In 2015 the Silver Jubilee Stadium was renamed Kim Collins stadium in his honor. Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Shawn K Richards in making the announcement of the renaming  described Collins’ career as a phenomenon that should be celebrated, and added that the sprinter’s legacy will prove to be a unifying force for the people of the federation.

“Kim Collins exemplifies the talented and driven nature of our people. He exudes the tremendous will to succeed that characterised our ancestors. Twenty years at the top of any activity, much less a gruelling sport like world athletics where the career span is often less than 10 years, is phenomenal,” Richards pointed out.

“Kim has persevered and broken all physical and social barriers that may have been placed for athletes and more significantly, Caribbean athletes. No more can the world of athletics declare that a 38-year-old sprinter cannot beat the world.”