Olympic men’s javelin gold medallist Keshorn Walcott who stunned the world when he threw the iron spear out to 84.58m to capture this country’s second ever Olympic gold, remains unbeaten in the event this year. The 19-year-old Walcott whipped the some of the world’s elite javelin throwers including two-time Olympic champion, Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway. Walcott’s winning Olympic throw was his latest national record and put the Toco Secondary graduate at 11th on the IAAF World Rankings. On the August 21 update, Vitezslaw Vesily of Czech Republic is the world leader with 88.34m, which he threw in the qualifying round in London. But the 29-year -old could only manage 83.34m to finish fourth in London. Former world champion Tero Pikamaki (Finland) is next on the list with 86.98m but in London his best effort was 82.80 to take fifth, with Thorkildsen in sixth. 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.
However, the local star may not get a chance to break the record as he will not be competing for the rest of the season, his last year as a junior. He won his fourth straight Carifta boys, and back to back CAC Junior Under 20 titles, with national and games record performances. His season began with a victory at the Carifta Trials in March with a distance of 67.12. He then retained his Southern Games crown with 71.34. One week later the lanky athlete got his first national junior mark for the season in defending his Falcons Games gold, a world leading junior distance 77.53 to improve on his 75.77m recorded at the 2011 Pan American Games in Mexico. His record breaking form continued at the Carifta Games in Bermuda where he landed his third straight Under 20 gold with 77.59, improving the games mark twice and the raising his world leading junior mark. \
His third record came at the Quantum Classic on May 19 where he tossed the spear out to 78.94 and got his first national senior mark eclipsing the previous mark of 78.06 held by Kirk Thompson in 1996. The Rebirth athlete then had the Olympic B standard of 79.50 in sight and duly got over the mark in Cuba winning with 80.11m on May 27. In June, he secured the national junior (69.65) and senior titles (75.00) while at the CAC Junior Championships in El Salvador, he again struck gold getting out to 82.83. The Trois Roches Village, Toco resident, then won the IAAF World Junior Championships gold in Barcelona, Spain with a distance of 78.64. At the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England, Walcott qualified for the men’s javelin finals with an 81.75m in the qualifying round. In the gold medal contest the Ishmael Lopez-coached phenom open his bid for gold with a national record of 83.51 to take the lead and then sealed his place in history improving to 84.58.
Source: www.guardian.co.tt