media_artricles :: 2015

Building towards 2010 benchmark

The outstanding performance at the 2010 Carifta Games in George Town, Cayman Islands is the standard Trinidad and Tobago teams must strive for. The country’s athletes captured a record haul of 40 medals at this edition of the regional junior championships, Jehue Gordon leading the way with a hurdles double.

Gordon was named most outstanding athlete at that Games, taking home the coveted Austin Sealy trophy. Later that year, he became world junior champion in the 400 metres hurdles, and did the same at the senior level in 2013.

Keshorn Walcott also struck gold for T&T at the 2010 Carifta Games. It’s now history that while still a junior athlete, Walcott captured the Olympic men’s javelin title, showering himself in glory at the 2012 London Games.

That 2010 T&T team was packed with talent, so a total of 40 medals, including 12 of the golden variety, is not the kind of performance to be expected from every T&T team that attends the Carifta Games.

Inevitably, there was a drop-off in performance the following year, the 2011 team earning seven gold medals and 29 in total.

The downward trend continued in 2012—22 medals for T&T at the Carifta Games, six of them bronze. The 2013 team got the golden tally up to eight, but the overall haul dropped by two medals, to 20.

Last year, T&T slipped back to six in the gold column, but earned a total of 25 medals in Martinique.

This weekend, 68 athletes will be in St Kitts and Nevis representing the Red, White and Black.

Three of the five individual gold medallists at Carifta 2014—Machel Cedenio, Shakiel Waithe and Kevin Roberts—are no longer in the junior ranks. But though this is something of a rebuilding year, there is enough quality on the 2015 team for T&T supporters to have reasonable expectations of the teen athletes matching last year’s golden haul.

Kayelle Clarke is a freshman at New Mexico Junior College in the United States, but is making the long trek to St Kitts and Nevis to defend her girls’ under-20 200m title. Another 2014 champion, Chelsea James makes her under-20 debut. Also on the team are former Carifta champions Jonathan Farinha, Andwuelle Wright and Jeminise Parris, as well as in-form throwers Portious Warren, Tyriq Horsford and Akidah Briggs.

At total medal haul in the 20s would be a satisfactory showing as the T&T junior programme builds with the 2010 benchmark in mind. Crossing the 25-medal mark would certainly be a welcome bonus.

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