media_artricles :: 2016

Thompson: Don’t write off 4x100 men relay

TRINIDAD and Tobago sprinter Richard Thompson says the national 4x100-metre men's relay team are contenders for a medal at the Rio Olympics in August following top performances at the National Championships last weekend at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo .

Thompson won the men's 100m event in 9.97 seconds, ahead of Rondell Sorillo (9.99), Keston Bledman (10.10) and Emmanuel Callender (10.19). Thompson believes Sorillo's top performance at the Hasely Crawford Stadium over the weekend will add to the strength of the relay team. Sorillo's performance surprised many, as he was not expected to finish ahead of Bledman .

Thompson stated, "in all honesty Rondell surprised me a bit in the 100 as well. But it is good, it is a good surprise, a pleasant surprise to see him running as well as he is." Thompson, the 2008 Olympic 100m silver medallist, is confident that the men's 4x100m relay team can medal. "Bledman is a veteran, so is Emmanuel Callender .

I am very confident about the 4x100, I think people have written us off for the last two or three years but after this weekend I think we put ourselves right back in the mix .

"Obviously Jamaica has some of the top sprinters in the world and so does the USA but in terms of the rest of the world so to speak - Canada, Great Britain, TT, Brazil - I think we put ourselves to the top of that list." The 4x100m men plan to compete in meets leading up to the Olympics including the Blue Marlin Track Meet in Bahamas on July 10 .

"We have a few races that we're going to run together, the first being Bahamas on July 10 and we may have two or three others prior to the Games so we intend to show up there with perfect chemistry, a perfect bond and hopefully that sees us to another medal."

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