LONDON 2012

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

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

In an already hot London morning, T&T 4x400 metres relay team made it even hotter when scorching the track at the Olympic Stadium, to win the first heat in 3:00.38, a new national record, yesterday at the Olympic Games in England. Some nine hours later, the 4x100m women’s team of Kelly-Ann Baptiste, Michelle Lee Ahye, Kai Selvon and Semoy Hacket, did the same, breaking the national record in a time of 42.31 and placing second in heat one, in the evening session, to also automatically qualify for today’ final at 3.40 pm (T&T time). The faces of Olympic bronze-medallist Lalonde Gordon, Ade Alleyne-Forte, Jarrin Solomon and Deon Lendore glowed with excitement after the accomplishment and the possibilities that exist in the final, set for today at 4.20 pm. Lendore ran a spectacular final lap, coming from third place with some 20 metres to go, to tie with Great Britain (3:00.38) for first place. “We had the right mindset to come in the top three. We went out there and everybody did the best that they could. We believed in each other and that helped us to come out with a new national record and first spot.” Not since the 1992 Barcelona Games has T&T had a 4x400m team qualify for an Olympic final.

The youngsters eclipsed the time of 3:01.05 achieved by Alvin Daniel, Neil De Silva, Patrick Delice and Ian Morris. Gordon, who gave the local team a strong start, had the day before, made a bold statement that he and his teammates will do well even in the absence of 400m specialist Renny Quow, who was forced out of the Games due to a hamstring injury. Yesterday he stayed firm in his belief that his unit can make it all the way to the podium. “We will get a medal, don’t worry,” said the always smiling Gordon. “I’m feeling great. I’m feeling that we will go a little faster tomorrow (today) because most of the guys haven’t run in weeks so after this first run their body wake up now so tomorrow we will go for a faster time.”  Solomon, son of Michael “Mike” Solomon, a former T&T athlete, who had specialised in both the 400m and 4x400m relay, and Ade Alleyne-Forte agreed with Gordon. Alleyne-Forte said, “I felt a little rusty in my first run in about a month but we got the job done and that is the important thing and we are happy about it.” Solomon added, “Like myself and Ade, it’s our first race in about month. We have been training hard but I had to blow the rust off but I was ready to run. We’re hungry for a medal. We saw Lalonde get a bronze medal and we all want a medal too. We’re going to go as fast as we can to get a gold medal.”

The second heat of the event was as intense as the first. USA and Bahamas were also given the same time: 2:58.87, in the second semi-final, to qualify with the quickest times overall. Cuba and Russia will join the top four automatic qualifiers in the final after they also hit qualification times in the heats. Any hopes of Usain Bolt appearing in the finale were squashed when Jamaica’s Jermaine Gonzales pulled up injured on the third leg. A South Africa team featuring Oscar Pistorius also failed to finish their heat after Ofentse Mogawane crashed out. As Pistorius waited to collect the baton from Mogawane on the third leg, he collided with Kenya's Vincent Kiilu and was sent sprawling to the track, a shoulder injury leaving him unable to continue. The Kenyan team was disqualified and the South Africans lodged an appeal which they won. The jury of appeal met and agreed to advance the South African team to the final, even though they did not finish the race considering that their chances had been severely damaged in the incident with Kenya. The women team bettered the previous record of 42.50 which was established last year at the IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea. Lee Ahye ran the first leg, giving T&T a good start. She handed off to Baptiste, who stayed close to early leader Jeneba Tarmoh of the USA team.

The transition from Baptiste to Selvon was not the smoothest of handovers but the national 200m champion regained composure and had T&T in with a chance. By the time Hackett collected the baton, the Americans with Lauryn Williams, running the anchor leg, raced away to top the group with a season-best 41.64. Third was Netherlands in 42.45. The other finalists are Ukraine (42.36), Jamaica (42.37), Brazil (42.55), Germany (42.69) and Nigeria (42.74). Speaking on the behalf of the quartet, Baptiste said: “We’re happy. Hopefully we’ll get some great passes to put ourselves into contention to win a medal. That would be good. We did not have a good handover and still got a national record, it is a good thing." With two down and one to go, their male counterparts will be looking to follow suite when they line-up in the heats of the Men’s 4x100m relay event from 2.45 pm. The responsibility falls on Richard Thompson, Keston Bledman, Rondell Sorrillo, Marc Burns, Emmanuel Callender and Jamol James from which the final team will be picked. “I think we will do well in the 4x100m relay. The race that we put together in London shows that we are capable of running very fast because we ran 38.23 in the rain and in the cold. The conditions were poor and we were still able to put together a fast time without Bledman,” said Thompson, the double Olympic silver medallist. “With Bledman back in the mix it gives us a stronger chance of winning it all.”

By Rachael Thompson-King

Source: www.guardian.co.tt

Keshorn Walcott is just 19, but he's already Trinidad and Tobago's most successful male field athlete in Olympic Games history.

The world junior champion added another important entry to his resume yesterday—Olympic finalist.

Walcott produced a huge 81.75-metre throw in the third and final round of the men's javelin Group B qualifying competition at the Olympic Stadium here in London, England.

The effort was just short of the 82m automatic qualifying distance but good enough for sixth spot in Group B and tenth overall. The top 12 throwers will do battle in Saturday's final.

Walcott told the Express he had to talk himself into the right frame of mind, ahead of his third throw.

"I said, 'Look, I'm going to relax; hopefully, don't foul, and put everything into it.' And I got it.

"I'm feeling great," he continued. "I went out there, didn't throw my best, but I still got into the final."

The Toco field athlete's personal best (pb) is 82.83m—the Pan American junior record as well as the national senior record.

"Hopefully, I'll get my pb in the final."

Walcott opened yesterday's competition with a 78.91m throw, and followed up with 76.44m in the second round. He was visibly upset with what he was producing on his Olympic debut and admitted afterwards he was intimidated by his big-name rivals.

"Honestly, I was a bit frightened. Going into the competition, seeing those guys, I was frightened. But I knew not everyone would have a good day, so I just went out there and did what I had to do. I held my nerve, got a big throw, and things worked out for the better."

There were some anxious moments, however. Ninth after his 81.75m throw in the final round, Walcott slipped to tenth after Julius Yego landed the javelin 81.81m—a new Kenya national record.

Walcott looked on nervously at the rest of the competition. Among the throwers who could nudge him down the standings, and ultimately out of the top 12, was reigning world champion Matthias De Zordo. The German had fouled his first two attempts.

"You saw me standing there," said Walcott, "looking at them. But I knew that just how I was feeling, they were feeling—with pressure on the last throw".

Unlike Walcott, De Zordo was unable to produce the big one on his last attempt and had to bid farewell to London 2012.

Walcott said he thoroughly enjoyed the electric atmosphere of Olympic competition.

"For me, it was great. It didn't pull me down. It gave me a boost, knowing that there were a lot of people to throw in front of."

Walcott is T&T's first-ever Olympic Games male field event finalist and the country's third overall. At the 2004 Athens Games, Candice Scott finished ninth in the women's hammer throw and Cleopatra Borel copped tenth spot in the women's shot put.

Walcott wants to raise the bar in Saturday's final.

"Hopefully, get into the last eight."

By Kwame Laurence

Source: www.trinidadexpress.com