Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott is among 15 local athletes, who have attained the qualifying standards for the 2013 IAAF World Outdoor Track and Field Championships set for Moscow, Russia, from August 10-18. Walcott, who won the men’s javelin gold medal at the London Olympics in August, has surpassed the 83.50m A standard required to make the trip to Moscow with his season opening throw of 84.58 at the TnT Elite Twighlight Games at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on May 3.
The 20-year-old has not come near the mark in his subsequent performances on the Diamond League circuit, failing to get over 80m. London Olympic bronze medallists Deon Lendore, Keston Bledman and Richard Thompson also A standard qualifiers along with fellow sprinters Kelly-Ann Baptiste, Michelle-Lee Ahye and hurdlers Mikel Thomas and Jehue Gordon. Lendore sped to a quick time of 44.94 seconds in the men’s 400m in finishing second at the NCAA Division one Championships in Oregon, USA, on June 7. The Olympic men’s 4x400m bronze medal team anchor was well under the 45.28 standard. He also had times of 45.00, 45.02 and 45.10 earlier in the season.
Bledman and Thompson both recorded times of 10.14 in the men’s 100m to just edge under the 10.15 A standard. Bledman ran the time in Florida on March 11, while Thompson notched his mark also in Florida on Saturday. Both were members of T&T’s men’s 4x100m squad which won bronze in London. Rondel Sorillo matched the B standard of 10.21 in Guadeloupe on May 8. Baptiste, the reigning World Championships women’s 100m bronze medallist, opened her season with a 11.06 in finishing second in the women’s century at the Jamaican Invitational on May 4, while Ahye zoomed to 11.07 at the President Classic at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in April.
Lee-Ahye’s time is somewhat in doubt as no wind-reading gauge was used at the meet. Thomas raced past the 13.40 A standard with a national record run of 13.19 in winning in Star Athletics Sprint Meet 2 also on Saturday. Thomas also ran 13.39 earlier in the season.