OLYMPIC JAVELIN gold medallist Keshorn Walcott will be facing a race against time to overcome an ankle injury ahead of the Sagicor/National Gas Company (NGC)-sponsored NAAA (National Association of Athletic Administrations) Open Championships, which begins today and runs until Sunday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo.
The 20-year-old Walcott has been bothered with pain in his left leg and it is questionable whether he will participate in this weekend’s Championships.
The NAAA has made it clear that all of Trinidad and Tobago’s top athletes must participate in order to earn spots on the national team for the IAAF World Championships in Moscow, Russia, from August 10-18. But the NAAA is likely to allow Walcott to miss the National Championships if he is unable to regain full fitness.
However, an array of top national athletes will be featuring at the National Championships, including 2012 Olympic bronze medallists Lalonde Gordon, Jarrin Solomon, Ade Alleyne-Forte, Deon Lendore, Marc Burns, Richard Thompson, Emmanuel Callender, Keston Bledman, as well as Kelly-Ann Baptiste, Michelle-Lee Ahye, Wayne Davis II and Mikel Thomas.
Today’s action will begin at 5.30 pm with the men 10,000-metre final, followed by the preliminary round of the men and women 400m and 100m.
Simultaneously, the men and women hammer throw final will take place, from 6 pm.
Tomorrow, the opening ceremony will take place from 2 pm followed by competition at 3 pm, with the men’s 100m (semi-finals and final), 400m, 800m, 110m hurdles, 400m hurdles, 1500m, 3000m steeplechase, shot put, long jump, and, for the women, the 100m (semi-finals and final), 400m, 800m, 100m hurdles, 1500m, 5000m, 3000m steeplechase, discus, javelin, high jump, triple jump.
On Sunday, there will be the 5000m, discus, high jump, pole vault, javelin, triple jump (men); long jump, shot put (women); as well as the men and women 200m (prelims and final), 800m, 400m hurdles, 4x100m relay and 4x400m relay.
The decathlon and heptathlon will also be on this weekend’s agenda.
Thomas, the new national men 110-metre hurdles record holder (13.19 seconds set in Florida, United States on June 8), said yesterday that he is ready to square off against Davis II at the Hasely Crawford Stadium track tomorrow.
“He’s a great competitor,” said the 25-year-old Thomas. “He was (the) former national record-holder and now the NCAA reigning champion. He’s a very talented athlete and I think combined together, we will make Trinidad and Tobago proud.”
Concerning his 2013 season, Thomas noted, “I was back for the Twilight Games which was a wonderful event that we put on with our manager Sean Roach. It’s always a pleasure to be back home and running.
“I was at Twilight Games and Hampton Games as well, so this is just to continue what we’ve already started.”
Asked about achieving the national record, Thomas said, “it’s definitely a blessing but it’s something I believe I was capable of doing for a long time. It’s just seeing the fruits of the labour and we’re pressing on towards Moscow.”