T&T’s Olympic men’s javelin champion Keshorn Walcott leads a list of local athletes who are featured on the latest IAAF World Outdoor rankings for 2012.  The 19-year-old is 11th on the javelin listing after throwing 84.58m to capture this country’s second Olympic gold medal at last week’s Olympic Games. In the latest rankings released on August 21, Vitezslaw Vesily of Czech Republic leads with 88.34m which he threw in the qualifying round in London, while former champion Tero Pikamaki (Finland) is next with 86.98m. Walcott’s winning effort in London was 11cm short of the world junior record of 84.69 set by Zigismunds Simais of Latvia in 2011. Double Olympic bronze medallist Lalonde Gordon, sprinter Keston Bledman and hurdler Jehue Gordon are at sixth in their event.
Lalonde Gordon is sixth in the men’s 400m standings with his 44.52 clocking when third in London. He is behind Olympic champion Kirani James of Grenada who leads the way with 43.94.  Gordon is among among six local quarter-milers in the one lap rankings. Deon Lendore is at 29th (45.13), Jarrin Solomon 42nd (45.31), Renny Quow 62nd (45.48), Machel Cedenio 144th (46.02) and Ade Alleyne-Forte 166th (46.13). The Olympic men's 4x400m bronze medal team of Gordon, Solomon, Alleyne-Forte and Lendore is ranked third in the men’s mile relay. Men’s 4x100m relay bronze medallist Keston Bledman is also at sixth, following his 9.86 clocking in winning the national 100m crown on June 23. He heads a list of nine local sprinters in the rankings with Beijing double Olympic silver medallist Richard Thompson 14th (9.96), Marc Burns 19th (10.00), Rondel Sorillo 24th (10.03), Emmanuel Callender 36th (10.07) are in the top 50. Sorillo is at 36th in the men's 200m with 20.40.
The Olympic bronze medallist quartet of Bledman, Burns, Callendar and Thompson are third in the men's 4x100m standing with 38.10 set in the heats. The squad clocked 38.12 in the finals. OIympic sixth place finalist Jehue Gordon is at sixth in the men's 400m hurdles event with his national record run of 47.96 in the Olympic semifinals. World Championships bronze medallist Kelly Ann Baptiste is the highest ranked athlete lying in fifth spot on the women’s 100m dash. The Olympic sixth place finisher Baptiste clocked 10.86 in May 5 and is among six local sprint lasses in the rankings: Semoy Hackett is at 14th  (11.04), Michelle Lee-Ahye 42nd (11.19), Kai Selvon 53rd (11.21), Reyare Thomas 73rd (11.30) and Ayanna Hutchinson 154th (11.43).
The women’s sprint relay outfit of Lee-Ahye, Baptiste, Selvon and Hacket) is at sixth with a national record of 42.31 set in the Olympics semifinals. The quartet failed to finish in the finals. Janiel Bellille (55.91) and Josanne Lucas (55.92) are 45th and 46th in the women’s 400m hurdles standings. Hackett is at 17th in the women’s 200m ratings. The Olympic eighth place finalist ran a national record of 22.55 in May 26 and equalled the time in the Olympics semifinals. Selvon is at 51st (22.85)  Two time Olympic top twelve qualifier Cleopatra Borel is at 22nd in the women’s shot put with 18.69. Annie Alexander is at 57th (17.36).
Source: www.guardian.co.tt