media_artricles :: 2013

Four strike gold in Finland

Keston Bledman was in dominant mood at the Kuortane Games, in Finland, yesterday, winning the men’s 100 metres dash in 10.09 seconds—his fastest legal clocking this season.

Bledman led a Trinidad and Tobago sweep of the top four spots. Jamol James finished second in 10.35, beating Rondel Sorrillo (10.37) and Ayodele Taffe (10.39) into third and fourth, respectively.

Jarrin Solomon was in a race of his own in the men’s 400m, the T&T quartermiler topping the field in 45.58 seconds. Solomon’s teammate, Machel Cedenio clocked 47.20 to finish a distant second.

There was another top-four sweep for T&T in the women’s 400m, Shawna Fermin leading the way with gold in a personal best 52.62 seconds.

Domonique Williams clocked 53.94 to finish second, ahead of Romona Modeste (54.26) and Alena Brooks (54.98).

T&T sprinter Reyare Thomas was the class of the field in the women’s 200m, striking gold in a personal best 23.23 seconds. Finland’s Hanna-Maari Latvala copped second spot in 23.26, finishing just ahead of T&T’s Kai Selvon, the bronze medallist in 23.27. Two other T&T sprinters, Michelle-Lee Ahye (23.33) and Kamaria Durant (23.46) were fourth and fifth, respectively.

Keshorn Walcott’s return to competition following an injury-enforced seven-week break produced a satisfying performance. T&T’s reigning Olympic men’s javelin champion hurled the spear 82.24 metres to finish fifth, one spot ahead of Norway’s two-time Olympic gold medallist Andreas Thorkildsen (81.34m).

Finland’s 2007 world champion Tero Pitkamaki emerged victorious with an 86.13m throw, beating his compatriot, 2012 Olympic Games bronze medallist Antti Ruuskanen (85.70m) and Sweden’s Kim Amb (83.36m) into second and third, respectively. Another Finn, Ari Mannio (82.57m) was fourth.

T&T’s Aleesha Barber was also on show at the Kuortane Games, the US-based athlete finishing sixth in the women’s 100m hurdles in 13.95 seconds.

Walcott opened his 2013 campaign on May 3 with victory at the Twilight Games in Port of Spain. He produced a big 84.39m effort, the second best throw of his career. An ankle injury, however, prevented the 20-year-old field athlete from building on that performance. In four subsequent meets, Walcott was unable to cross 80 metres. His management then decided to withdraw him from competition in order to focus on rehabilitation.

Yesterday’s solid comeback performance was a promising sign, ahead of the August 10-18 World Championships, in Moscow, Russia.

The Kuortane Games was the final warm-up meet for members of the T&T team. The T&T athletes are taking part in a 10-day pre-Worlds training camp in Finland, and are expected to leave for Moscow on Tuesday.

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