media_artricles :: 2015

Walcott delivers gold

...Thomas bags hurdles silver

Keshorn Walcott and Mikel Thomas carried T&T’s medal count to six when they won gold in the Javellin and silver in the Men’s 110m hurdles respectively during the Pan American Games at the CIBC Athletics Stadium in Toronto yesterday.

Walcott continued his successful season when he topped the field with a 83.27m throw off his second attempt. Despite being well short of his national record of 90.61m, set earlier this month at Lausaunne Diamond League, it was enough to fend off the challenge of American silver medallist Riley Dolezal, who managed 81.62m in his fourth throw. Brazillian Julio De Oliveira secured the bronze with an 80.94m hurl while T&T’s Shakeil Waithe (73.21m) placed 12th.

It marked T&T’s 10th gold medal at any Pan Am Games, going back to weightlifter Rodney Wilkes in Buenos Aires in 1951.

Meanwhile in the Men’s 110m Hurdles final, 27-year-old Thomas ran a personal best of 13.17 to finish behind American David Oliver, who won the gold with a new Pan Am record of 13.07. Bajan Shane Brathwaite secured the bronze in 13.21. Thomas’s previous personal best had been 13.19 set in Florida two years ago. In his heat, he had placed second to Brathwaite in 13.44.

With the addition of Walcott and Thomas’s medals, T&T currently ranks 15th of 29 countries at the Games. The pair joined shot putter Cleopatra Borel (gold), 400m specialist Machel Cedenio (silver) sprint cyclist Njiane Phillip (silver) and swimmer George Bovell (bronze) on the country’s medal list.

In other events, Elton Walcott was ninth in the Men’s Triple Jump final with a distance of 16.15 metres. Cuban Pedro Pichardo won the gold in 17.54m, followed by Leevan Sands (16.99m) and Ernesto Reve (16.94m).

T&T’s men qualified for the Men’s4x400m final with a third place showing in their semifinal. The quartet of Machel Cedenio, Lalonde Gordon, Emanuel Mayers and Renny Quow came in a season’s best of 3:01.58 to finish behind Bahamas (3:01.00) and Cuba (3:01.17). The final will be run at 10:10pm tonight.

The Women’s 4x400m team also qualified for its final with a fourth place finish in its semi. Alena Brooks, Jessica James, Josanne Lucas and Sparkle McKnight clocked a season’s best of 3:31.21, coming in behind USA (3:26.40), Jamaica (3:30.29) and Canada (3:30.61).

The final is scheduled for 9:45 pm today. Reyare Thomas placed seventh in the Women’s 200m final in a time of 23.32. American Kaylin Whitney won the gold in 22.65 while her teammate Kyra Jefferson (22.72) and Jamaican Simone Facey (22.74) took silver and bronze respectively.

Last night, T&T was set to take off in the semifinals of both the Women’s 4x100m and the Men’s 4x100m.

Today’s action will also see T&T’s men’s field hockey team take on Cuba in a 7th-8th place playoff while cyclist Emile Abraham will enter the Men’s Road Race final.

Men’s Javelin

1. Keshorn Walcott (T&T) – 83.27m
2. Riley Dolezal (USA) – 81.62m
3. Julio De Oliveira (Bra) – 80.94m
4. Shakeil Waithe (T&T) - 73.21m

Men’s 110m Hurdles Final

1. David Oliver (USA) – 13.07
2. Mikel Thomas (T&T) – 13.17
3. Shane Brathwaite (Bar) – 13.21
4. Greggmar Swift (Bar) - 13.28
5. Jhoanis Portilla (Cub) - 13.30
6. Yordan O'Farrill (Cub) - 13.36
7. Tyler Mason (Jam) - 13.69
8. Jonathan Cabral (Can) - 14.07

Women’s 200m Final

1. Kaylin Whitney (USA) – 22.65
2. Kyra Jefferson (USA) – 22.72
3. Simone Facey (Jam) – 22.74
4. Angela Tenorio (Ecu) – 22.88
5. Kerron Stewart (Jam) – 23.07
6. Kimberly Hyacinthe (Can) – 23.28
7. Reyare Thomas (T&T) – 23.32

DNF. Anthonique Strachan (Bahamas)

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