GAMES

Keshorn Walcott produced a shocker at the Olympic Stadium here in London, England, yesterday, becoming only the second Olympic gold medallist from Trinidad and Tobago.

The 19-year-old from Toco emerged victorious in the men's javelin, hurling the spear 84.58 metres in the second round to upset a strong field, including Norway's two-time Olympic champion Andreas Thorkildsen.

At the 1976 Games in Montreal, Canada, Hasely Crawford struck gold for T&T in the men's 100 metres dash. It took 36 years for the country's second Olympic gold.

But it was worth the wait. The Trinbagonians at the Olympic Stadium yesterday savoured the moment, singing along lustily as "Forged from the Love of Liberty" blared from the speakers during the victory ceremony.

"I'm more than stunned," said Walcott, after receiving his medal. "I just went into the final to enjoy it, so to come out with the gold medal is a feeling I can't describe right now.

"I know everyone is proud of me," he continued. "I'm just thankful for all the support. I'm going back to the Games Village to celebrate with the team, and we're leaving (today), so we'll celebrate in Trinidad too. I know they're going mad in Toco."

The newly crowned Olympic champion is expected to touch down at Piarco International Airport close to midnight, tonight, on Caribbean Airlines flight BW903.

Walcott opened yesterday's competition with a new Pan American junior and national open record, landing the spear 83.51m to move from fifth to fourth on the all-time world junior (under-20) list. There was a big smile from the reigning world junior champion as he took an early lead.

It was a lead Walcott would never relinquish. In round two, he produced the big one, the 84.58m effort moving him into second spot on the all-time junior list, resetting his records in the process. The teenager could not contain himself. Another huge smile broke out, he spread his arms wide and he hit his chest.

Though he fouled on his third attempt, Walcott remained in the gold medal position.

Already in the history books by becoming the first male field athlete from T&T to appear in an Olympic final, the four-time Carifta Games champion was threatening to write an even bigger story.

An 80.64m effort in the fourth round was followed by a foul in round five. The T&T thrower, however, was still in pole position.

It was do or die for Thorkildsen and company in the final round. Well, any hopes of removing the youngest man in the competition from the top spot died. There was no one to match the 84.58m throw.

Walcott was exultant, T&T's second Olympic gold medallist racing over to his coach, Cuban Ismael Lopez for a tight hug. The celebration had begun.

"I want to thank my mom for believing in me throughout; my coach who has been guiding me, doing a great job. And thanks to the entire country for believing in me and supporting me."

Walcott told the Sunday Express he could not believe he had emulated Crawford's historic feat.

"I can't really believe it right now. Knowing that Mr Crawford was the biggest name in track and field when I was small, and remembering when I was hoping to meet him…"

Ukraine's Oleksandr Pyatnytsya earned silver, yesterday, with an 84.51m effort, while bronze went to Finland's Antti Ruuskanen, who threw 84.12m. Thorkildsen had to settle for sixth spot, the Norwegian's hopes of completing a hat-trick of Olympic triumphs dashed when he could only manage a best effort of 82.63m.

The Olympic men's javelin event has been dominated by Europeans. In 23 previous competitions, between 1908 and 2008, European throwers won 22 times. The only blemish on that record came in 1952, in Helsinki, Finland, American Cy Young claiming the top spot.

Sixty years later, Keshorn Walcott has brought the title to the western hemisphere for only the second time in Olympic history, the T&T golden boy's heroics creating one of the biggest stories of London 2012.

By Kwame Laurence

Source: www.trinidadexpress.com

Trinidad's Keshorn Walcott completed a remarkable double by taking a surprise Olympic javelin gold less than a month after becoming world junior champion.

Trinidad is better associated with cricket - Brian Lara, after all, is the island's favourite son - or sprinting. Their relay team did claim bronze behind Jamaica and the USA.

But now we must think javelin after Saturday night's extraordinary competition in the Olympic Stadium which saw Walcott win gold with a throw of 84.58 metres.

In winning the title Walcott became only the second non-European to take the crown in 100 years of the Olympic Games, the last being an American back at the 1952 Helsinki Games.

He took the lead in the first round with a healthy opener of 83.51 metres and increased it in the second round with 84.58 metres which proved to be enough to win on the night, despite the Ukraine's Oleksandr Pyatnytsya third effort of 84.51 metres with Finn Antti Ruuskanen back in third after a throw of 84.12m.

There had looked to be plenty of potential winners in the field, including defending Olympic champion Andreas Thorkildsen from Norway and the Czech Republic's Vitezslav Vesely, who threw 88.34 metres in the qualifying rounds and is coached by three-time Olympic champion Jan Zelezny.

However, Thorkildsen could only manage sixth as Walcott, just 19, and winner of the world junior title earlier this summer, proved too strong on the night and as a result may just have provided another sporting option for the children of Trinidad.

'I just went out there to relax and enjoy it and it worked for me,' said Walcott, after his second-round effort was good enough for gold.

'It means everything to me. I just train my hardest and try to enjoy every time I come out.'

It was Trinidad and Tobago's first victory in an Olympic field event.

By Ian Stafford

Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

Deon Lendore ran his heart out for Trinidad and Tobago at the Olympic Stadium, here in London, England, yesterday, battling to the line to earn his team bronze in the London 2012 men's 4x400 metres relay.

Lendore had to contend with thousands and thousands of screaming Britons, determined to push their anchorman Martyn Rooney into the bronze medal position. But the 19-year-old T&T quartermiler was even more determined than the partisan crowd, holding off Rooney to finish the job that had been started by Lalonde Gordon, and continued by Jarrin Solomon and Ade Alleyne-Forte.

"I don't think I ever ran so hard in my life," Lendore told the Express. "It was a wonderful feeling. I may have cried if he passed me.

"Seeing that we ran a new national record," he continued, "and seeing my teammates running up to me, it was a very emotional moment."

The T&T quartet returned a time of two minutes, 59.40 seconds, smashing the 3:00.38 national record they had established in the qualifying round, on Thursday.

There was also a national record for Bahamas, but more importantly the Bahamians struck gold, Chris Brown, Demetrius Pinder, Michael Mathieu and Ramon Miller combining for a 2:56.72 clocking. The United States, champions in the event 16 times, were forced to settle for silver on this occasion, in 2:57.05.

Yesterday's championship race appearance was the seventh for T&T in an Olympic Games men's 4x400m event. It was only the second time, though, a medal was bagged.

At the 1964 Games in Tokyo, Japan, Edwin Skinner, Kent Bernard, Edwin Roberts and Wendell Mottley earned bronze. Forty-eight years later, Skinner is here in London as a member of the T&T coaching staff.

"Mr Skinner," Solomon told the Express, "showed a few of us the (1964) bronze medal run when we were in Wales in the Cardiff camp. Just to see how happy they were and how hard they worked we wanted to come out and emulate that same thing. And we knew we had the team to bring home a bronze medal, if not a gold, so we came out here confident and ready to deliver."

Gordon ran three rounds in the individual 400m, culminating with bronze in the final in a personal best 44.52 seconds. He also competed in the qualifying round of the 4x4. The opening leg in yesterday's final was his fifth time round the Olympic Stadium track, but the 23-year-old athlete dug deep into his reserves to put his country in contention for precious metal.

Solomon continued the good work, and T&T were in the bronze medal position when he handed the baton to Alleyne-Forte. Obviously rusty in the qualifying round, Alleyne-Forte stepped up his game in the final, staying in third to set the stage for Lendore's anchorleg heroics.

"It was a much better effort than yesterday (Thursday)," said Alleyne-Forte. "I hadn't competed in a while, prior to yesterday. I told these guys after the race it was going to get better. It got better, and I'm pretty satisfied.

"Thank you T&T for all the support. We came out here to represent you all, and my honest hope is that we did it to our best."

Virtually unknown coming into the London Games, Gordon is now the proud owner of two Olympic bronze medals.

"Words can't explain; just a wonderful feeling. Thank God man, thank God.

"I felt I could have done a little better," he continued. "I didn't really feel the power getting out the blocks, but it was a good run."

Yesterday's bronze was the second global 4x4 success for T&T in 2012. On March 11, Gordon, Renny Quow, Jereem Richards and Solomon teamed up for bronze at the World Indoor Championships, in Istanbul, Turkey.

"Two or three years ago," said Lendore, "I would not have thought of being an Olympic bronze medallist. But during this year I had the thought. Seeing how my teammates all progressed greatly, I knew that we had a chance to do anything in this Olympic Games."

For Solomon, the podium finish had special significance. His father, Mike Solomon represented T&T with distinction, appearing in two Olympic 4x400m finals—1976 and 1980—as well as the individual 400m championship race in 1980. On each occasion, sixth spot was the senior Solomon's fate.

"I know he really wanted to medal," said Jarrin. "In '84 he was supposed to run, and he didn't get the chance to go to the Games, so this was very important to me, to go out there, give my best, and bring home a medal for the family. We've been to three Olympics already. I think it was due time to bring home a medal."

After spending more than a fortnight in cool, and sometimes cold London, Gordon is looking forward to some warmth.

"We coming home for doubles," he declared.

The hunger for precious metal already satisfied, the double Olympic bronze medallist is eager to celebrate not only with his teammates but with all of T&T.

By Kwame Laurence

Source: www.trinidadexpress.com

Newly-crowned "greatest-ever sprinter" Usain Bolt said on Thursday he had lost all respect for Carl Lewis, the man whose on-track exploits he has surpassed with his unique Olympic double-double but who still leads the way in self-regard.

American Lewis is the only other man to win two Olympic 100m gold medals, the second coming in 1988 when he was promoted from second place after the disqualification of Ben Johnson.

He won the 200m in 1984 but managed only silver four years later. He did, however, have a remarkable run of success in the long jump, winning that event in four successive Games for a tally of nine golds in all.

In the wake of Bolt's triple-gold record success in Beijing Lewis was quick to point the finger of suspicion at him and Jamaica in general.

"I think there are some issues," he said at the time.

"Countries like Jamaica do not have a random (drugs testing) programme, so they can go months without being tested. I'm not saying anyone is on anything, but everyone needs to be on a level playing field.

"I'm not saying they've done anything for certain. I don't know. But how dare anybody feel that there shouldn't be scrutiny, especially in our sport?"

He has continued to fire broadsides ever since but Bolt, now with his sprinting record unquestionably superior, hit back.

"I'm going to say something controversial right now, Carl Lewis--I have no respect for him," Bolt said, having cited 1936 quadruple champion Jesse Owens as a man he held in the highest regard.

"The things he (Lewis) says about the track athletes, it's really downgrading for another athlete to be saying something like that about other athletes.

"I think he is just looking for attention really because nobody really talks much about him. It was really sad for me when I heard the other day what he was saying, it was upsetting.

"So, for me, I've lost all respect for him, all respect.

"It was all about drugs, about drugs stuff for me. For an athlete to be out of the sport saying that was really upsetting for me. As far as I am concerned he is just looking for attention."

Lewis tested positive three times for a stimulant before the 1988 Games but had the results overturned by American officials.

He was named "Athlete of the 20th Century" by the IOC, the IAAF, and American magazine Sports Illustrated and has always seemed uncomfortable with the idea that someone from the 21st could surpass his achievements.

Asked before the London Games what he thought of Bolt, he said: "It's just...interesting.

"I watch the results like everyone else and wait...for time to tell."

Even after Bolt won his second 100m title, Lewis's congratulations were wrapped in barbed wire.

"He repeats and he's tremendous and he's the second person to do it and congratulations," he said last week.

"The thing for me, what I really admire about anyone, is longevity. We still have to have the longevity and dominance through the era because for me performance-wise, you really have to put longevity in.

"I'm really not trying to take anything away from his performance because it was tremendous, but you've got to see the consistency over a period of time because as of now it's just a four-year period and you really have to see a continuous dominance.

"We'll see."

Source: www.trinidadexpress.com

With tears rolling down her cheeks, Kelly-Ann Baptiste lamented her cruel fate.

For the third time in as many Olympic Games, a baton bungle ended Trinidad and Tobago's women's 4x100 metres campaign. On each occasion, Baptiste was part of the team.

"I can't explain it," she told the Express. "It's hard, because we all trained really good and wanted to come out here and have a good performance. To feel like you've done all you could in practice, and to train so hard and to come up short is just disappointing."

Michelle-Lee Ahye ran the leadoff leg for T&T in yesterday's final, at the Olympic Stadium, here in London, England. At the changeover, Baptiste reached for the baton, and reached again, but the exchange was never completed, and the country's hopes of a first-ever Olympic medal in a women's event were dashed.

"I don't have anything to say," said Baptiste. "We didn't make the handoff. I really couldn't tell you (what went wrong). I just didn't get the stick. "I can't question God," she continued, "so I'm just going to keep my head up and keep pushing."

Third leg runner Kai Selvon and anchorwoman Semoy Hackett watched on in agony, powerless to change T&T's fate.

United States struck gold, obliterating the world record in the process. Tianna Madison, 200m gold medallist Allyson Felix, Bianca Knight and Carmelita Jeter got the baton round the track in a jaw-dropping 40.82 seconds, slicing more than half a second off the 41.37 standard, established way back in 1985 by East Germany.

Jamaica picked up silver in a national record time of 41.41 seconds, while bronze went to Ukraine in 42.04—also a new national standard.

At four o'clock this afternoon (T&T time), Richard Thompson, Marc Burns, Emmanuel Callender and Keston Bledman will bid for honours in the men's 4x100m final.

In the qualifying round, yesterday, the T&T quartet finished third in heat two in 38.10 seconds to secure an automatic berth in the championship race. United States produced a new national record, 37.38 seconds, to win the race, beating Japan (38.07) into second spot. Jamaica topped heat one in 37.39 seconds.

Thompson ran the leadoff leg for T&T, yesterday, handing the baton to Burns. Callender had third leg responsibilities, and Bledman anchored. The same quartet earned silver for T&T at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Four years ago, however, Bledman led off and Thompson anchored.

"We all have faith in the leg that we're running," Thompson told the Express, "and we believe this is the best order for us to win a medal. We know our chances are strong, so we just have to execute properly. I feel like the execution could have been a little better , so as long as everything is cleaned up tomorrow (today), there's no doubt in my mind that we could win a medal.

"With a relay, anything can go wrong, anything is possible, so it was just about getting the stick around. We thank God we were able to do that, and have a berth into the final."

Burns said he is pleased to be in the medal race.

"We made it to the next round, and that's all that matters. Each of us know what's at stake and the adjustments we need to make for the final. But we'll be okay."

Callender is confident of earning a second Olympic sprint relay medal.

"One hundred per cent. In all things, just having faith in God, anything is possible."

Bledman had some work to do on the home straight, yesterday, to ensure T&T claimed one of the three automatic qualifying berths up for grabs in heat two. "This is the first time we ever tried this order, but we trust in the team and trust in God. Tomorrow (today) is a different day. We're going to go out even tougher."

T&T have been drawn way out in lane nine for today's championship race. Defending champions Jamaica will run in lane six, next to United States, in seven.

Keshorn Walcott will be at the Olympic Stadium today, for the 2.20 p.m. (T&T time) men's javelin final. When he takes his first throw in the competition, the 19-year-old will become the first male field athlete from T&T to compete in an Olympic final.

By Kwame Laurence

Source: www.trinidadexpress.com

DEXTER VOISIN, manager of the Trinidad and Tobago team at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England, stated his delight in the performances of the national athletes, in track and field as well as the other sporting disciplines.

In an interview from London on Tuesday, Voisin said, “we can safely say so far we are having one of the better Olympics in terms of the amount of finals that we are in.

“And not just track and field but the whole Trinidad and Tobago team,” he added. “Njisane Phillip (and) George Bovell reaching semi-finals (respectively in cycling and, in Bovell’s case, 50m freestyle final).

Voisin continued, “but if you focus on track and field, so far we had five finalists (up until Tuesday) and one bronze medal. That is a very good achievement so far.

“We have a couple of events to go, as recently as Semoy Hackett who made it to the 200-metre final, for the women,” he continued. “That’s a first, for a female, making it to the 200m final.

“The track and field team, we have been having some good performances. I’m not going to make any predictions. The first objective is to get to the finals.”

Looking at the opposition in the track and field arena, Voisin commented, “the competition, so far, in the Olympics has been very high, seven men in the 100m final going under ten seconds for the first time.

“The women 100m final was the fastest final ever. The competition is very high and our athletes are doing well so far. Some of the athletes have confessed they could have done much better. From my standpoint, we are doing well.”

He spoke briefly on men’s 400m bronze medallist Lalonde Gordon, who rose from obscurity to claim a medal in Monday’s Final. Voisin acknowledged Gordon’s low profile, stating, “everyone in the world is asking (who is Gordon), even in Trinidad.

“Coming into the Olympic Games, he was an unknown. Basically what he did was shock the whole world.”

Source: www.newsday.co.tt

More Articles …

  1. T&T sizzles in heats
  2. SCENTING SUCCESS ...Record-breaking T&T 'sharks' in 4x4 final
  3. A FIRST FOR T&T ...19-year-old Keshorn Walcott in Olympic javelin final
  4. ALL HAIL TOCO BOY
  5. HAPPY HACKETT ...T&T sprinter pleased with Olympic performance
  6. Walcott leaves it for late
  7. As relay takes spotlight Gordon tells T&T: ‘Believe in us’
  8. Semoy races into 200m final
  9. STRONG FINISH ...Njisane 7th in keirin; Hackett in 200m final
  10. KING OF QUEENS ...New York-based Lalonde Gordon has grand plans
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