media_artricles :: 2015

Walcott saving best for Beijing

REIGNING Olympic men’s javelin champion, Keshorn Walcott is saving his best throw of 2015 for the forthcoming August 22-30 International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships in Beijing, China.

The 22-year old field athlete is currently undergoing light preparations for this year’s National Senior Track and Field Championships which takes place at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, over the weekend.

Certainly favoured to retain his national crown, Walcott is intent on training all guns toward the World Championships - the final major international meet before the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

At Walcott’s last two bronze medal Diamond League displays, he threw a personal best distance of 86.20 metres in Rome, Italy, eclipsing his previous national mark of 85.77m, set last year in Zurich, Switzerland.

One week later, the robust youngster reset his national javelin mark for the second time by launching the spear 86.43m in Birmingham, England.

Speaking to Walcott yesterday, “As long as I keep doing what I’m doing, I think I’m going to stay up there (among the best) and hopefully get better.

“I really intend and hope to peak at the right moment and time. I really wouldn’t want to throw my best right now because its not the most important time.

“I would like to mostly maintain form right now and hopefully for the World Championships, I will get my best.”

The Toco-bred athlete also credited coach Ismael Lopez Mastrapa for his dedication and commitment to his progress as an elite athlete.

Mastrapa took up the role as Walcott’s tutor prior to his golden Olympic performance and has since developed the athlete in all areas.

Mastrapa won the Trinidad and Tobago’s Olympic Committee (TTOC) Coach of the Year in 2014 and continues to prove to be one of TT’s main asset towards securing another podium finish at the 2016 Summer Games. “As you can see it’s not that bad (working with Mastrapa),” he joked. “We have a really good understanding and our communication works.

“To have these traits between a coach and his athlete is pivotal to both of their successes. We do have our disagreements sometimes but that’s how it works. I have a therapist as well with my team and he’s been good for me. He’s also a Cuban.”

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