Olympic men's javelin champion Keshorn Walcott heads the list of local athletes who have attained qualifying standards for this year's World Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Moscow, Russia, from August 10 to 18.
Walcott, Olympic bronze medallist Deon Lendore, World Championships bronze medallist Kelly-Ann Bapiste, and hurdlers Mikel Thomas and Jehue Gordon have all achieved the A standard for their events.
Walcott opened his 2013 season winning the men's javelin at the TnT Elite Twighlight Games at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on May 3 with a distance of 84.39m, getting over the 83.50m standard for the event. Lendore clocked 45.00 in taking the men's 400m at his season debut at the LSU Alumni in Louisana, USA, on April 20, surpassing the 45.28 standard. Baptiste zoomed to 11.06 in finishing second at the Jamaican Invitational on May 4. The World Champs A standard for the 100m is 11.28. Fellow sprinter Michelle Lee-Ahye also dipped under the standard with 11.07 at the President's Classic at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on April 6 but no wind reading was available at the meet. Mikel Thomas was faster than the 13.40 standard for the men's 110m hurdles when he clocked 13.39 (personal best) at the Tom Jones Invitational in Florida on April 20. Gordon improved his season's best time to 49.05 in placing second in the men's 400m hurdles (standard-49.40) at Guadeloupe on Wednesday.
Commonwealth and Pan American multiple medallist Cleopatra Borel, Sparkle McKnight, Aleesha Barber and Rondel Sorillo are among the B qualifiers. Borel got past the women's shot put B mark of 17.20 with her 17.75 victory at the TnT Elite Games. Mc Knight blazed past the 52.30 standard for the women's 400m clocking 52.17 (personal best) to win the Sun Angel Classic title in Arizona on April 6. Barber dipped under the 13.10 barrier for the women's 100m hurdles sprinting to victory at the Cayman Invitational on May 8 while Sorillo equalled the men's 100m B standard (10.21) in winning in Guadeloupe on Wednesday.
Olympic 4x400m bronze medallist Jarrin Solomon missed the men's 400m B standard (45.60) when he clocked 45.65 in finishing second at the Cayman Invitational while Wayne Davis II was short of the 13.50 mark for the men's 110m hurdles with his 13.54 clocking on March 16. Kai Selvon was 0.07 seconds outside of the women's 200m 23.30 standard with her 23.37 run on April 6.
Qualifying performances must be achieved from 1 October 2012 to 29 July 2013. The men's 4x100m (38.10), 4x400m (3:59.40) and women's 4x100m (42.31) relay teams have all gotten the required marks in 2012 as the qualifying period for relay teams is from 1 January 2012 to 29 July 2013. The women's 4x400m missed the 3:33.00 mark by 0.03 seconds. The quartet of McKnight, Jessica James, Aleena Brooks and Shawna Fermin clocked 3:33.03 in finishing second at the North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) Under-23 Championships in Irapuato, Mexico, in July 2012.
LIST OF T&T qualifiers
Men
100m (A-10.15/B-10.21)
Rondel Rondel Sorillo–10.21/+0.2, Baie Mahault, Guadeloupe, May 8
400m (45.28/45.60)
Deon Lendore–45.00 (pb), Baton Rouge, Louisiana,
April 20
110m Hurdles (13.40/13.50)
Mikel Thomas–3.39/+0.9 (pb), Gainesville Florida, April 20
400m Hurdles (49.40/49.60)
Jehue Gordon–49.05, Baie Mahault, Guadeloupe, May 8
Javelin (83.50/81.00)
Keshorn Walcott–84.39, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, May 3
4x100m (39.20)
T&T Olympic team–38.10
4x400m (3:05.00)
T&T Olympic team–2:59.40
Women
100m (11.28/11.36)
Kelly Ann Baptiste–11.06/0.0, Kingston, Jamaica, May 4
Michelle Lee Ahye–11.07/nwi (pb), Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, April 6
400m (51.55/52.30)
Sparkle McKnight–52.17 (pb), Temple, Arizona, April 6
100m Hurdles (12.94/13.10)
Aleesha Barber–13.04/+0.2, Georgetown, Caymans, May 8
Shot Put (18.30/17.75)
Cleopatra Borel–17.75, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, May 3
4x100m (44.00)
T&T Olympic team–42.31
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