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The Aliann Pompey Invitational
The Aliann Pompey Invitational is the premier international track and field competition in Guyana, South America. In it's first year, the competition hosted 11 athletes who went on to compete at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. The inaugural meet saw over 50 athletes from across the globe vying for top spots in 17 track and field events. Each year events will be added. In 2016, the meet was sponsored by Digicel, Banks DIH Limited, Quality Plus Fast Foods, Princess Ramada Hotel, Fly Jamaica and GuySuCo. The IAAF, ConSuDatle, Gov't of Guyana and the GOA also generously supported the AAG sanctioned event.
Although named for Guyana's most prolific female athlete, the ultimate goal of the competition is to create an environment where the sport of Athletics will return to its glory days.
Aliann Pompey
Aliann Pompey is a Guyanese sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres. She has represented Guyana at the Summer Olympics on four separate occasions (2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012). She has competed at the World Championships in Athletics ten times, making the finals in the World Championships Indoor in 2010.
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Pompey won the gold medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games and a silver again in 2010. She also won a bronze medal at the 2003 Pan American Games. She holds the South American indoor record for the 400 m. She participated at the World Championships in Athletics in 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2011 as well as the IAAF World Indoor Championships in 2001, 2003 2006 and 2010 and the Summer Olympics in 2000, 2004 and 2008 and 2012. Her bet finish was 11th in 2008, but three athletes subsequently tested positive for banned substances and have there performances vacated. Her personal best time is 50.71 seconds, achieved in August 2009 at the World Championships in Berlin.
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Born in Georgetown, Guyana, she moved to the United States at the age of 14 and graduated from Cohoes High School, and then Manhattan College in The Bronx, New York City. Initially uninterested in track and field, she began to take running seriously in 1995, quickly reducing her 400 metres best time to 53 seconds and winning the state championships. She won the 400 m at the 2000 NCAA Women's Indoor Track and Field Championship, becoming the Manhattan Jaspers' first ever female national champion, and setting the NCAA 500m record. She received her bachelor's degree from Manhattan College in 1999.
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Aliann currently works for St. John's University in Jamaica, NYC as the Sprints and Hurdles Coach and Recruiting Coordinator. She also serves on the PASO (Pan Am Sports Organization) Athletes Commission, Manhattan College Hall of Fame Committee, National Sports Commission (Guyana) and is the Vice President of the Metropolitan Conference (NY). In 2015, she ran unsuccessfully for a spot on the IAAF Athlete's Commission.