July 25, 2017 By Sahr Morris Jnr
New kid on the block, Maggie Barrie Photo: Africansportsmonthly.com
Ohio State University sprint standout Maggie Barrie has been selected to represent Sierra Leone at the IAAF World Athletics Championships in London this August.
Maggie Barrie, a sprint specialist in the 100, 200, 400 meters, who is currently ranked as one of the top 400- meter runners in the world according to IAAF rankings set a new national 400 meters outdoor record for Sierra Leone this Spring (2017) when she ran a lifetime best of 52.27 seconds at the NCAA East Regional in Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
She is hoping to improve on that performance at the World Championships as she continues to elevate her status and time as one of the key performers in the event across the world.
Still a year to go before she graduates from the Ohio State University (Spring 2018); Maggie Barrie has expressed how blessed she feels to represent the place of birth of her parents which she recently visited and hopes to bring respect to the country and help inspire athletes and young people of the country.
Maggie will be competing in the 400 meters which is slated for 11.55 am London Time on August 6th, 2017-Day 3 of the Championships.
Barrie also holds several Sierra Leonean records in the indoor 200 meters at 23.83 seconds, the Indoor 300 meters at 38.17 seconds and the indoor 400 meters at 55.15 seconds. She is the daughter of former sprint standout for Sierra Leone; Andrew Barrie.
With a very large population of Sierra Leoneans living in London she is expected to receive a rousing welcome and support from her countrymen and women in the UK.