Featured image, Instagram (Zaza, Morrison, and Matadi set new national records)
February has been a great month for Liberia’s national track team. US-based hurdlers Ebony Morrison and Wellington Zaza, along with sprinter Emmanuel Matadi have all set national records, as they move closer to next month’s 2022 World Athletics Indoor Championships.
The record-smashing spree started with Morrison and Zaza. Both hurdlers competed at the Mondeville Meeting in Mondeville, France. The indoor event took place on Feb. 9, where Morrison ran an impressive 8.11 seconds in the women’s 60 meters hurdles. This shaved off .05 seconds from her previous personal best, won her the bronze medal, and solidified her as Liberia’s 60mH women’s record holder.
Zaza ran a new personal best and a national-record-setting time as well. Finishing the race just .01 seconds behind third place, Zaza ran the men’s 60mH in 7.61 seconds. He narrowly missed the bronze medal, but secured Liberia’s 60mH men’s record. His new time is .1 seconds faster than his last personal record, which he set last year.
On Feb. 12, just three days after Morrison and Zaza’s performances, Matadi competed at the American Track League’s Eastern Indoors meet. The event was hosted in Louisville, Kentucky where Matadi completed the men’s 60 meters in 6.52 seconds. Not only did Matadi break the 6.55-seconds national record that he set in January, he also placed first at the event.
As a result of their outstanding performances this season, all three athletes have qualified for the 2022 World Athletics Indoor Championships. The big meet will take place in Belgrade, Serbia from March 18 to March 20. If these recent national records indicate how Liberia will perform at the championships, the country is in pretty good shape.