Aliann Pompey, director of track & field and cross country for St. John’s University, is attending the Olympic Games in Paris as an executive board member for the World Olympians Association. Although she will be on the lookout for potential Red Storm athletes, she hopes it will be the least stressful Olympics she’s ever attended.
After competing in four Olympics (2000, 2004, 2008, and 2012), Pompey attended the 2016 and 2020/21 Games as a member of the Guyanese delegation. With her time as president of the Panam Sports Athlete Commission now concluded, she is looking forward to watching track & field as a fan.
Pompey went to Paris with a sense of satisfaction. In June, she was able to revive her Aliann Pompey AP Invitational track meet in Guyana—the first one since the pandemic.
“One of the biggest things for me is I didn’t really get an opportunity to compete in Guyana while I was an active athlete at a very high level,” said Pompey, who moved to the U.S. as a teenager. During her competitive years, there was not a proper track in Guyana, and running on grass was risky.
“I wanted the world to come to Guyana and for Guyanese athletes to be cheered on by the home crowd while they take on these high-level athletes,” Pompey said. “It’s grown from there. This year, we were able to do a lot more.”
The meet was included on the Continental Bronze Tour, which guaranteed prize money. There was great support and the sense was that the meet had been missed. With a promise of consistent funding from the government, the meet’s future seems secured.
Now, Pompey looks forward to watching the action in Paris. “Once we got through U.S., Jamaica, and Canadian Olympic trials, some athletes really came through in the last weeks,” she said. “All the events are going to be good.”
This will be the final Olympics for Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, an eight-time medalist. “I hope she gets to go out with a bang,” said Pompey. “It’s going to be an interesting and really good race.”
Pompey said to definitely look out for American sprinters Sha’Carri Richardson in the 100 meters and Gabby Thomas in the 200 meters. “No matter what, Sha’Carri is going to bring the energy and the excitement,” said Pompey.
