media_artricles :: 2015

Bledman stands alone

Trinidad and Tobago sprinter relying on God in medal quest

Trinidad and Tobago is a sprint nation. For the past two decades, the country has consistently produced global finalists in the men's 100 metres dash.

Ato Boldon is a two-time Olympic medallist in the century, earning bronze in 1996 and silver in 2000. He also has a couple World Championship bronze medals in the event. Additionally, Boldon is the 1997 200m world champion and has two Olympic 200m bronze medals.

Richard “Torpedo” Thompson claimed 100m silver at the 2008 Olympics, and Darrel Brown did the same at the 2003 World Championships.

But for all T&T's sprint credentials, just one man, Keston Bledman, will face the starter in the men's 100m heats at the 2015 IAAF World Championships here in Beijing, China, today.

Thompson and veteran T&T sprinter Marc Burns are missing the World Championships through injury. Brown and Marcus Duncan were unavailable for selection. And Emmanuel Callender did not achieve the qualifying standard in the individual event.

Bledman and Rondel Sorrillo were listed to run for T&T in the 100m, but Sorrillo suffered a recurrence of a quadriceps injury and has been withdrawn from the global meet.

“It's very sad,” Bledman lamented, “that it's going to be me alone.”

Bledman is joint-fourth on the 2015 world performance list, with France's Jimmy Vicaut, at 9.86 seconds.

The Beijing century is being touted as a “good vs evil” showdown between Jamaica's Usain Bolt, who has six Olympic and eight World Championship gold medals to his name, and drug-tainted American Justin Gatlin, this season's world leader with a 9.74 seconds scorcher.

Gatlin has also clocked 9.75 twice and 9.78 in 2015, and is the only man to dive under 9.80 seconds in the build-up to the global meet. Bolt, the world record holder at 9.58, has a season's best of 9.87.

“Although I came here with the fourth fastest time,” Bledman told the Express, “there's no pressure on me. The pressure is on the guy who has all the gold and the guy who ran all those 9.7s this year. I'm just going out there to sneak in easy.”

Bledman said Hasely Crawford's 100m gold medal run at the 1976 Montreal Olympics is on his mind.

“Exactly what Hasely did from lane one, that's what I'm looking to do. No matter what lane I get, I just want to be there in the final. God forbid, I don't get to the final, once I know in my heart that I gave everything and ran to the best of my ability, I'm happy.”

But Bledman's preparations for his World Championship campaign have not been ideal. At last month's Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada, he battled a painful groin injury, but still managed to finish fourth in the 100m final. The 27-year-old sprinter also competed in the 4x100m final, helping T&T earn bronze in the event.

“My groin started acting up in Europe, and through all the rounds at Pan Am I was getting real bad pain. Personally, I didn't want to go to Pan Am because Worlds was my bigger focus, but Trinidad said it was mandatory to be there.

“The three rounds at Pan Am and the relay took a toll on my body. And from there, it was downhill. I didn't train for 21 days. The first time I trained since Pan Am was Tuesday. I had to get multiple shots in my groin. Very painful. I wouldn't want nobody, not even my worst enemy, to get a shot up in there. I'm still getting a lot of pain, but now it's manageable.

“I didn't expect Pan Am to be that big,” Bledman continued. “It was real nice, and although I didn't want to go, I'm kind of glad I went. It was my first major final, so I got the understanding of how you feel though the rounds, the tiredness, how to prepare yourself, trust your coach, trust yourself, trust the Lord.”

The two-time Olympic 4x100m silver medallist said he has been spiritually focused in recent times.

“I've been praying a lot. I'm trying to change and be a better person, always pray and get into church. That's the whole kind of vibes I'm on right now. Don't mind the little tattoos and thing. That was when I was young. I'm really trying to go to church and pray a lot. I probably called God's name in this interview about a hundred times, but he answers when I call on him. Hopefully he'll answer me here again.

“My main focus is to get to the final. Hasely Crawford is always telling me once you're in the final, anything could happen. I always keep that in my head no matter where I go. Beijing was my first Olympic medal, so I'm coming to do the same here at World Champs. I'm ready,” Bledman declared.

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