Boldon named among six coaches in T&T contingent
Jehue Gordon is among 21 athletes selected on the Trinidad and Tobago team for the August 22-30 IAAF World Championships in Beijing, China. Gordon will defend his men’s 400 metres hurdles title in Beijing, and is also part of the 4x400m squad.
Another global senior champion, Keshorn Walcott is one of 13 men who will fly the Red, White and Black at Worlds. Walcott is the reigning Olympic men’s javelin champion, and recently added the Pan Am title to his list of accolades.
With triple Olympic silver medallist Richard “Torpedo” Thompson out for the rest of the season with an injury, Keston Bledman leads the charge for T&T in the men’s 100m dash.
The country will have strong representation in the men’s 400m. Four quartermilers have dived under 45 seconds this season. Machel Cedenio is the fastest of the lot at 44.36 seconds, followed by Deon Lendore (44.41), Lalonde Gordon (44.64) and Renny Quow (44.72). A fifth T&T quartermiler, Jarrin Solomon has a 45.15 seconds season’s best to his name.
The three T&T athletes for the men’s one-lap will be chosen from Cedenio, Gordon, Quow and Solomon. Lendore is coming back from injury, and will run only in the 4x400m relay.
Sprint hurdler Mikel Thomas is enjoying a fruitful campaign this year, and would be keen to continue his fine run of form at the 2015 Worlds.
Kelly-Ann Baptiste and Michelle-Lee Ahye will challenge for honours in the women’s 100m. The sprint brigade also includes Semoy Hackett, world youth 100m silver medallist Khalifa St Fort, Reyare Thomas and Kamaria Durant.
T&T will also be represented by Cleopatra Borel in the women’s shot put and Sparkle McKnight in the women’s 400m hurdles.
Quadruple Olympic medallist Ato Boldon, who guided St Fort to World Youth silver, will be part of the T&T coaching staff in Beijing. Team T&T athletes left yesterday for China, where they will attend an NGC-sponsored pre-Worlds training camp.
TEAM T&T
Men—Keston Bledman (100, 4x100), Rondel Sorrillo (100, 4x100), Kyle Greaux (200, 4x100), Machel Cedenio (400, 4x400), Lalonde Gordon (400, 4x400), Renny Quow (400, 4x400), Jarrin Solomon (400, 4x400), Mikel Thomas (110 hurdles, 4x100), Jehue Gordon (400 hurdles, 4x400), Keshorn Walcott (javelin), Emmanuel Callender (4x100), Dan-Neil Telesford (4x100), Deon Lendore (4x400).
Women—Kelly-Ann Baptiste (100, 4x100), Michelle-Lee Ahye (100, 4x100), Semoy Hackett (100, 200, 4x100), Khalifa St Fort (100, 4x100), Reyare Thomas (200, 4x100), Kamaria Durant (200, 4x100), Sparkle McKnight (400 hurdles), Cleopatra Borel (shot put).
Officials—Dexter Voisin (manager), Dr Ian Hypolite (head coach), Edwin Skinner (coach), Charlie Joseph (coach), Gunness Persad (coach), Ato Boldon (coach), Ismael Lopez Mastrapa (coach).
Medical—Dr Anyl Gopeesingh, Dr Verne Alleyne, Ian Sharpe, Zephyrinus Nicholas, Nicole Fuentes.