media_artricles :: 2014

Voisin lauds incredible anchor by 'Torpedo'

Dexter Voisin, manager of the national athletics team, has lauded sprinter Richard Thompson for his impressive finish on Sunday to help TT cop silver in the Men’s 4x100m final at the IAAF World Relays held in the Bahamas.

The quartet of Keston Bledman, Marc Burns Rondell Sorrillo and Thompson on the final leg stopped the clock in a season best time of 38.04 seconds to finish behind favourites Jamaica.

Collecting the baton from Sorrillo, though, TT looked to be in fourth position when Thompson turned into “Torpedo” to blow past Great Britain’s Dwain Chambers and Japan’s Shota Iizuka to secure a medal for his country.

Speaking to Newsday yesterday on the team’s return home, Voisin showered Thompson with praise and declared that he is definitely back to full fitness.

“If you look at the history of out 4x100m men they always medal at Championships. Once Thompson is fit he can bring back a top three finish on the final leg. Last year he was not at his best but in the early season (this year) he’s been coming back to some sort of fitness. The guys all did well but Thompson’s leg brought back that medal,” he declared.

Voisin also believes the bronze medal winning Women’s 4x100m team is beginning to show their class and says there is more to come from them after claiming their first ever relay medal at a world meet. “Their campaign started at the Penn Relays where they placed third and ran a season best. Going into theBahamas, you had to run in the afternoon and then in the evening for the final so to run 42 (seconds) twice was good. We weren’t with Kelly (Ann Baptiste) and Semoy (Hackett) who formed the main components of the team for most of the time, so we will be better when they return...That was a tremendous performance from the women and they’re on average about 22-years-old. So going into Commonwealth Games (in July) and Olympics 2016, it’s exciting,” the TT manager continued.

Commenting on the effort of the Men’s 4x400m contingent which came third at the Relays, Voisin expressed elation to see them back among the best in the world.

“Coming out off the Olympics (where TT earned bronze), we were expecting great things but we were below par at the World Championships last year. But this year saw (Renny) Quow coming back into some form, Lalonde (Gordon) and young Machel Cedenio have been good as well as Jarrin Solomon. Bearing in mind Deon Lendore is still to come to join the team, to break the national record without Lendore was one hundred and ten percent effort,” he concluded.

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