CAN’T FIGURE THIS OUT: IS SHE SAYING SHE WILL COMPETE AT THE COM GAMES THIS YEAR, OR THAT SHE WON’T? BECAUSE SHE HAS SAID A MONTH OR TWO AGO SHE WOULD RUN IN THE GCG.
NASSAU, Bahamas (CMC) - Bahamian 400 metres queen Tonique Williams-Darling plans to take it easy during the upcoming world athletic season.
The sensational 29 year-old, who followed up her 2004 Olympic success with the World championship title last year, intends to scale back on her appearances this season, citing the absence of any major championships as her main reason.
“Two thousand and six will be a very laid back year because there is no World Championships or Olympic Games and so I’m just going to go out there and have fun this year, compete whenever I want to, just try to have some good races and see how far I can push it,” Williams-Darling said.
“I’m really looking forward to a stress-free year and just have races of my choice and not any major competitions like the Commonwealth Games. 
I think it will give me a chance to regroup and get ready for 2007.”
Williams-Darling, along with 400 metres teammate Christopher Brown were awarded the male and female track and field Athletes-of-the-Year honours at the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ annual awards banquet last Friday.
Brown finished the year ranked number five in the world by the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF) in the 400 metres.
In addition to finishing fourth in the final of the men’s 400 metres at the at the 2005 World Championships, he also led the men’s 4x400-metre relay team to second place finish on the heels of the United States.
Also on hand for the lavish proceedings was IAAF president Lamine Diack.