T&T's Keshorn Walcott, Jereem Richards, Machel Cedenio, Kelly-Ann Baptiste, and Michelle-Lee Ahye are among nine track and field athletes that have met the standard in their respective events so far, for the delayed Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan from July 23 - August 8.

All minus Ahye were set to compete last year when the event was originally scheduled but the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was forced to postpone the Games due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The postponement, though unwelcomed by many athletes, presented a great opportunity for Ahye who returned from a two-year "whereabouts failures" suspension, to meet the qualifying time earlier this month in the women's 100 metres sprint event.

On June 5 at the North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) New Life Invitational in Miramar, Florida, USA, she dipped under the 11.15-standard, clocking a time of 11.04 seconds to be among the qualifiers.

As of June 17, in the men's category, six individual and one team (4x400m relay- top 16) event, for the women, three individual events and one team 4x100m (top 16) while several athletes are in qualifying spots based on the current rankings.

The qualification period of the Tokyo Olympic Games is from May 1, 2019, to June 29, 2021, and javelin thrower Walcott is one of six athletes who attained the qualifying criteria back in 2019, leading up to the 2020 Tokyo Games.

The two-time Olympic medallist met the standard back on June 11, 2019, when he threw 86.09m in the event. The celebrated javelin thrower, who has reached the podium on both appearances at the premier event, capturing gold in the 2012 London Games in England and followed up with a bronze medal in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games in Brazil, is primed for more success.

Fellow Olympian Richards went below the men's 200m standard (20.24) clocking a 20.14 on July 28, 2019, at the National Senior Championships in Port-of-Spain.

Two months earlier, Kyle Greaux met the standard in the half-lap event at the PURE Athletics meet in Clermont, Florida with his 20.15-timing on May 5, 2019.

Quartermilers Cedenio and Tobago-born Dwight St Hillaire surpassed the automatic qualifying standard of 44.90 in men's 400m. The former sped to 44.41 on October 2, 2019, at the IAAF World Championships in Doha, Qatar while St Hillaire attained the qualifying time recently at the Pepsi Florida Relays in Gainesville, Florida on April 3, 2021, with a 44.74-clocking.

Andwuelle Wright also of Tobago is another field athlete achieving the standard for the upcoming Games. He got past the automatic qualifying mark (8.22) in the men's long jump, leaping to 8.25m, a national record, at the NACAC Under-23 Championships in Athletics in Mexico on July 5, 2019.

Among the women, Baptiste went under the qualifying time (11.15) in the women's 100m, two years ago. The Tobago-born Olympian clocked 11.14 at the Clermont meet (May 5, 2019).

Multi-sport athlete Tyra Gittens joined Baptiste and Ahye after bettering the national record in the women's long jump and surpassed the qualifying mark of 6.82 with her 6.96-leap at the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Championships in Texas on May 14.

She is also among several athletes in qualifying spots based on their rankings. Gittens, who also bettered the national record in the women's heptathlon (6,420) with 6,418 points, is 22nd in the rankings.

T&T athletes qualified for the Tokyo Olympic Games (as at June 17)

MEN

200m (20.24 or top 56)

19th Jereem Richards 20.14 (July, 28, 2019)

22nd Kyle Greaux 20.15 (May 5, 2019)

400m (44.90 or top 48)

9th Machel Cedenio 44.41 (Oct, 2, 2019)

13th Dwight St Hillaire 44.74 (Apr, 3, 2021),

Long jump (8.22 or top 32)

17th Andwuele Wright 8.25 NR (July, 5, 2019)

Javelin (86.00 or top 32)

15th Keshorn Walcott 86.09 (June, 11, 2019)

4x400m (top 16)

5th T&T (Oct, 6, 2019)

WOMEN

100m (Standard: 11.15 or top 56 on World Rankings)

14th Michelle-Lee Ahye 11.04 (June, 05 2021)

30th Kelly-Ann Baptiste 11.14 (May, 05, 2019)

Long jump (6.82 or top 32)

8th Tyra Gitten 6.96-NR (May 14, 2021)

4x100m (top 16)

6th T&T

Athletes in qualifying spots based on the current rankings:

MEN

110m hurdles (13.32 or top 40)

39th Reuben Walters 13.50 (May, 31, 2021)

4x100m (top 16)

16th T&T 38.46 (August 09, 2019)

WOMEN

400m hurdles (55.40 or top 40)

35th Sparkle McKnight

Heptathlon (6,420 or top 24)

22nd Tyra Gittens 6,418NR (May, 14, 2021)

Athletes on the rankings but outside of qualification (at present)

MEN

100m (10.05 or top 56)

None: Eric Harrison 10.16 (May, 28, 2021), Jered Elcock 10.17 (July, 5, 2019), Keston Bledman 10.20 (July, 26, 2019)

200m (20.24 or top 56)

63rd Eric Harrison 20.52 (April 3, 2021)

Dwight St Hillaire 20.25 (March 27, 2021), Deon Lendore 20.49 (March 19, 2021)

400m (44.90 or top 48)

27th Deon Lendore 45.04 (May 9, 2021)

Javelin (86.00 or top 32)

61st Shakiel Waithe 79.74 (Apr 11, 2021)

Mixed 4x400m (top 16)

43rd T&T U-18 3:26.49 (July, 5, 2019)

WOMEN

100m (11.15 or top 56)

78th Kamaria Durant 11.17 (July, 27, 2019)

200m (22.80 or top 56)

57th Semoy Hackett 23.31 (Aug, 9, 2019)

73rd Kamaria Durant 22.96 (July, 28, 2019)

800m (1:59.50 or or top 48)

53rd Alena Brooks 2:02.60 (May, 18, 2019)

High jump (1.96 or top 32)

42nd Tyra Gittens 1.95m NR (May, 13, 2021)

Shot put (18.50 or top 32)

33rd Portious Warren 18.12 (Apr, 24, 2021)

36th Cleopatra Borel 19.96 (July, 28, 2019)

4x400m (top 16)

48th T&T Pan Junior team 3:39.66 (July, 21, 2019)