Keshorn Walcott in javelin final at World Juniors
Keshorn Walcott will hunt for gold at the World Junior Track and Field Championships, in Barcelona, Spain, today.
The Trinidad and Tobago athlete produced a 74.17 metres effort in the men's javelin qualifying competition, yesterday, to finish first in Group A and second overall. Australia's Luke Cann threw 74.54m to top Group B.
Walcott's throw was well past the 72.00m automatic qualifying mark. It was produced in the very first round, allowing the Toco thrower to maximise on his rest, ahead of today's final.
Walcott is at the top of the 2012 world junior list at 82.83m.
Machel Cedenio finished fifth in yesterday's men's 400m final, the T&T quartermiler completing his lap of the track in 46.17 seconds.
Dominican Republic's Luguelin Santos won in an impressive 44.85 seconds, forcing Arman Hall (45.39), of the United States, to settle for silver. Another American, Aldrich Bailey and Australian Steven Solomon shared bronze. They could not be separated by the photo finish camera, both athletes clocking 45.52.
Of the nine finalists, 17-year-old Cedenio is the only one eligible to compete at the next edition of the World Junior Championships. All things being equal, he will be among the favourites for gold in 2014.
T&T's Kernesha Spann finished third in heat two in 59.84 seconds to advance automatically to the women's 400m hurdles semis. She will compete in the second of three semifinal heats, today.
Brandon Benjamin got home in 51.93 seconds to secure fifth spot in heat two in the men's 400m hurdles semis. The T&T athlete was 19th overall, and did not advance to the final.
Jereem Richards and Jonathan Farinha bowed out in the men's 200m semis. Richards finished fourth in heat one in 21.14 seconds, while Farinha clocked 21.72 for seventh spot in heat two.
In the opening round, Richards was second in heat five in 21.12 seconds. Farinha, meanwhile, booked his semifinal berth as a "fastest loser", the 16-year-old getting to the line in 21.19 to finish fourth in heat four.
T&T's Mark London will be in action today in the opening round of the men's 800m. Steve Waithe competes in the men's triple jump qualifying competition. And T&T will be on show in the men's 4x100m heats.
-Kwame Laurence
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