Reigning World Indoor champion Jereem Richards and 2012 Olympic gold medallist Keshorn Walcott head T&T's 23-member athletics contingent which has departed for El Salvador for the track and field competition set from July 2 - 8 at the Central America and Caribbean (CAC) Games.
Richards, who raced to the 2022 World Indoor men's 400 metres title in Belgrade, Serbia, will contest the 400m in El Salvador along with his Abilene Wildcats team-mate Ohdel James. Richards, the 2018/2022 Commonwealth Games men's 200m champions, set a personal best of 44.68 seconds in April while James was part of the West Texas A&M University team which won the 2023 NCAA Division II 4x400m relay crown.
Richards and James will combine with former World Junior 400m gold medallists Renny Quow (2006) and Machel Cedenio (2014) in the men's x400m relay. Richards, Quow and Cedenio were part of T&T's 2017 World Championships gold medal-winning team.
Walcott will be aiming to retain his CAC men's javelin title after he struck gold in 2018 in Colombia. The 2012 World Junior and four-time Carifta champion, has a season's best of 85.65m.
National men's long jump record-holder Andwuelle Wright will be aiming to improve on the bronze medal he won in 2018. The multiple Carifta and CAC Junior gold medallist will be hoping that he has recovered from a recent injury.
Men's shot put record-holder Akeem Stewart was seventh in 2018 and will no doubt be out to improve. Stewart surpassed his national mark to 20.99m in 2022. Hezekiel Romeo is T&T's other entrant in the men's shot put. The 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games bronze medallist was sixth in 2018.
US Junior College indoor and outdoor champion Kelsey Daniel is listed for the men's triple jump.
This year's NCAA Division I women's 4x100m finalist Leah Bertrand along with Akilah Lewis will represent the twin-island Republic in the women's 100m. Bertrand sped to a personal best (pb) and World Championships time of 11.08 twice this year while Lewis also clocked a pb of 11.21 this season. Reigning Carifta Girls Under-20 champion Sanaa Frederick and her twin sister Sole are entered in the women's 200m. The four, along with veteran sprinter Reyare Thomas, 36, are part of the women's 4x100m.
Multiple national record-holder–long jump, heptathlon and high jump–Tyra Gittens is slated for the women's long jump.
World University Games medallist Portious Warren and her Toco TAFAC club member Cherisse Murray take aim at gold, in the women's shot put and return home with the title won by Cleopatra Borel in 2018.
July 4 will be the first day of action for T&T athletes and several will compete.
Benjamin and Harrison Jr will be first up in the men's 100m semifinals. The women's 100m semifinals (Bertrand and Lewis) are also on the schedule. The 100m finals will be contested later in the day. Stewart and Romeo will vie for gold in the men's shot put final. Gittens' women's long jump final is also carded for that day.
T&T track and field team
Women
100: Leah Bertrand (Simplex), Akilah Lewis (Concorde)
200m: Sane Frederick (Simplex), Sole Frederick (Simplex)
Long jump: Tyra Gittens (Kaizen Panthers)
Shot put : Portious Warren (Toco TAFAC), Cherisse Murray (Toco TAFAC)
4x100m: Bertrand, Lewis, Sane Frederick, Sole Frederick, Reyare Thomas (Abilene Wildcats)
Men
100m: Kion Benjain (Memphis Pioneers); Eric Harrison Jr (Abilene Wildcats)
200m: Carlon Hosten (Abilene Wildcats), Devin Augustine (Pt. Fortin New Jets)
400m: Jereem Richards (Abilene Wildcats), Ohdel James (Abilene Wildcats)
Long jump: Andwuelle Wright (Kaizen Panthers)
Triple jump: Kelsey Daniel (Kaizen Panthers)
Shot put: Akeem Stewart (Kaizen Panthers); Hezekiel Romeo (Unattached)
Discus: Jaden James Fatima); Christopher Crawford (Unattached)
Javelin: Keshorn Walcott (Unattached)
4x100m: Benjamin, Harrison Jr., Hosten, Augustine, Tyrel Edwards (Toco Titans)
4x400m: Richards, James, Che Lara (Abilene Wildcats), Machel Cedenino (Simplex), Renny Quow (Zenith)
