media_artricles :: 2015

T&T hunts 4x100m medal

Keston Bledman, Marc Burns, Rondel Sorrillo and Richard Thompson, along with pool additions, Emmanuel Callender and Marcus Duncan, will open T&T’s medal hunt in the men’s 4x100m event, which features both the heats and finals today, the opening day of the 2015 IAAF/BTC World Relays.

The men’s 4x100m relay final will close today’s events at approximately 9.52 pm, after the 7.46 pm heats.

Only one T&T team can medal today. T&T men’s 4x400m team, along with the women’s 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams will also feature in their respective heats today, ahead of tomorrow’s finals. The men’s 4x200m team will contest the heats at 7 pm, tomorrow, just over two hours before the final.

The men’s 4x400m heats, set to open today’s proceedings from 7 pm, features Machel Cedenio, Lalonde Gordon, Renny Quow, Jarrin Solomon and Jacob St Clair, a team practically the same as the T&T team last year that captured bronze with a national record breaking run in 2:58.43.

Much of the focus today will be on the men’s 4x100m team that will aim for a second medal in as many editions of the World Relays. Last year, Bledman, Burns, Sorrillo and Thompson claimed T&T’s only silver medal of the relays after clocking 38.04 seconds behind Jamaica.

T&T is the only country to win medals in both the men’s 4x100m and 4x400m at the 2012 Olympics and last year’s World Relays. The 4x400m team also set a precedent, after proving that their bronze in the London Olympics three years ago was not by chance. Last year, they claimed another bronze at the first World Relays in a national record breaking run of 2:58.34. Gordon, Quow, Cedenio and Solomon combined to become the seventh fastest country on the all-time list.

Cedenio ran the third leg one year ago as an 18-year-old and produced a race beyond his years with a 44.6 split.

This year the reigning World Junior champion has shown great early season form by blazing to a new personal best of 45.09 seconds to become the fastest local 400m sprinter for the year (11th in the world).

Solomon, meanwhile, dipped under the 45-second barrier for the first time in his career last year when he clocked 44.98 seconds. Solomon, Gordon and Quow all qualified for last year’s Commonwealth Games’ one-lap final. Solomon clocked 45.62 last month, while Gordon and Quow have worked on their speed. Gordon clocked 20.71 at an indoor 200m in February while Quow clocked 20.78 seconds over 200m, outdoor.

The locals will be eager to go one better in Nassau and upset favorites USA and the locals, Bahamas.

The women’s 4x400m (Janeil Bellille; Romona Modeste; Alena Brooks; Josanne Lucas and Magnolia Howell) are aiming for a top eight finish to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics, after missing out on the final last year.

Speaking ahead of the races, Modeste said she and her teammates are hoping to correct some of the mistakes that cost them last year.

“This year the top eight will qualify for the Olympics, so we are going out there to get in the A finals and then take it from there.. We learnt from our mistakes, like not being experienced enough and attacking at the wrong time,” Modeste said. “This time we are more seasoned. Everybody is running better than where they were last year. So this year when we put everybody together it should be a faster time (perhaps) 3:28, 3:29.”

Brooks, meanwhile, said the inaugural event was a learning experience. The women’s 4x400m heats are carded for 8.20pm today, while the final is set for tomorrow at 8.27 pm.

T&T Contingent

Men 4x100m: Keston Bledman, Marc Burns, Emmanuel Callender, Marcus Duncan, Rondel Sorrillo, Richard Thompson.

4x200m: Keston Bledman, Emmanuel Callender, Marcus Duncan, Kyle Greaux, Rondel Sorrillo, Richard Thompson.

4x400m: Machel Cedenio, Lalonde Gordon, Renny Quow, Jarrin Solomon, Jacob St Clair.

Women 4x100m: Michelle-Lee Ahye, Kamaria Durant, Kai Selvon, Reyare Thomas, Lisa Wickham.

4x400m: Janeil Bellille, Alena Brooks, Magnolia Howell, Josanne Lucas, Ramona Modeste.

Race Schedule Nassau, Bahamas

Saturday 2 May:

7 pm - Men’s 4x400m heats

7.29 pm - Women’s 4x200m heats

7.46 pm - Men’s 4x100m heats

8.09 pm - Men’s 4x800m final

8.32 pm - Women’s 4x400m heats

9.02 pm - Women’s distance medley final

9.29 pm - Men’s 4x100m final B

9.36 pm - Women’s 4x200m final

9.52 pm - Men’s 4x100m final

Sunday 3 May:

7 pm - Men’s 4x200m heats

7.20 pm - Women’s 4x100m heats

7.40 pm - Women’s 4x800m final

8.02 pm - Women’s 4x400m final B

8:12 pm - Women’s 4x400m final

8:31 pm - Men’s distance medley final

8:57 pm - Men’s 4x400m final B

9.06 pm - Men’s 4x200m final

9:23 pm - Women’s 4x100m final B

9:30 pm - Women’s 4x100m final

9:46 pm - Women’s 4x400m final

Team prizes: 1st—US$50,000; 2nd—$30,000; 3rd—$20,000; 4th—$12,000; 5th—$10,000; 6th—$8,000; 7th—$6000; 8th—$4000.

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