media_artricles :: 2015

Bledman, Baptiste lead athletics to Pan Am Games

Kelly-Ann Baptiste and Keston Bledman were the first names to appear on the list of 35 athletes announced yesterday to represent this country at the Pan American Games, which takes place in Toronto, Canada, from July 10-26.

The final team was revealed two days following the end of the NAAA National Open Championships, which was the last opportunity for national athletes to be considered for the Pan Am Games.

Baptiste and Bledman were among the stand-outs over the weekend with both securing gold medals in the respective women and men’s 100m finals with relative ease.

However, not making the final team was Richard Thompson, who also missed out on the last Pan American Games, four years ago.

Following, a slow finish (10.40 seconds) in the semifinal, Thompson opted of the final and later revealed that a nagging injury in the left knee was the cause.

According to the NAAA, “Yesterday (Monday), Richard Thompson, along with many other athletes were screened by a medical team led by Dr Anyl Gopeesingh. After the screening a decision was taken between Dr Gopeesingh and Mr Thompson for him (Thompson) to sit out the rest of the 2015 track season due to a recurring injury which has been interfering with his day to day training.”

The NAAA noted that Thompson’s absence from the Pan Am Games will “give him more time to recuperate and prepare for the Olympics in Rio 2016.”

Though without Thompson, T&T will be represented by its fastest runner this year, Keston Bledman, the first named athlete on the roster.

Bledman, who stormed through the semifinal, recaptured his national gold medal in 9.86 seconds, a mark that equalled his personal best. He will enter the Pan Am men’s 100m event, while T&T is also set to take part in the 200m, 400m, 4x100m, 4x400m, 110m and 400m hurdles races, the field events in triple jump, high jump, discus throw, javelin, shot put and the multi-event heptathlon.

Emmanuel Callender and Cleopatra Borel, the lone two track and field athletes to secured medals for T&T at the 2011 Pan American Games in Mexico, were both included in the roster. Four years ago, Callender took bronze in the men’s 100m final, while Borel won her second ever Pan Am medal, a silver in the women’s shot put, in which she threw a personal best 18.46m.

On Sunday, Borel captured her tenth senior national shot put gold medal throwing 18.46m on her best attempt.

Callender finished fourth in the men’s 100m final on Saturday, clocking 10.21 seconds. He was the only T&T representative in the 100m final at last Pan Am Games. Darrel Brown also challenged the event but failed past the preliminary stage.

Meanwhile, Keshorn Walcott, who reset his national record twice in recent weeks, set a championship record with an 84.84m throw on Sunday. He has been included on the team and will contest his second Pan Am Games.

The up and coming 20-year-old Shakeil Waithe, who placed second in the men’s javelin on Sunday with a personal best 77.30m, will make his Pan Am Games debut.

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