media_artricles :: 2013

Bledman, Thompson, Sorrillo in 100 battle

National champion Keston Bledman opens his bid for World Championship honours at Luzhniki Stadium, here in Moscow, Russia, today.

Bledman, 2008 Olympic silver medallist Richard “Torpedo” Thompson and Rondel Sorrillo will wear Trinidad and Tobago colours in round one of the men’s 100 metres dash, scheduled to start at 12.15 p.m. (T&T time).

The preliminary round of the event, for the slower men on the entry list, takes place from 2.10 a.m. Ten sprinters from the preliminaries will advance to round one.

In June, Bledman clocked a wind-assisted 9.86 seconds to retain his national title. His fastest legal run this season came at the Kuortane Games in Finland, last Saturday, the 25-year-old sprinter winning in 10.09 seconds.

Bledman told the Express that while he’s not satisfied with the clocking, he’s confident of doing well at the Moscow ‘Worlds’.

“Very high expectations. I’ve been training good and I feel good. I just have to go out there and put my best foot forward—do what my coach taught me, execute my race, and focus on bringing it back home for Trinidad and Tobago.

“Once I get into the final,” he continued, “anything could happen, as Hasely Crawford always tells me, so I’m going there to do my best.”

Bledman’s training partner, Tyson Gay is a notable absentee from the men’s 100m field. The American sprinter, who leads the world in 2013 with a 9.75 seconds clocking, withdrew from the Championships after testing positive for a banned substance.

Reigning champion Yohan Blake is injured, and will not defend his title. And his fellow-Jamaican Asafa Powell, the fourth fastest man in the world this year at 9.88 seconds, tested positive in June at the Jamaica Championships, and is not in Moscow.

Bledman said that though the 2013 world-leader and the 2011 champion are non-starters, getting to the podium will still be tough.

“Everybody would think because Tyson’s not there, and Blake’s not there, it might be up for grabs, but everybody’s coming to bring their ‘A’ game. I’m coming to bring my triple ‘A’ game, battery pack,” said Bledman, with a hearty laugh.

Six-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt will bid to regain the 100m title he lost to Blake in Daegu, Korea, two years ago. The Jamaican sprint legend was disqualified for a false start in the final, clearing the way for Blake’s triumph.

American Justin Gatlin, the only man to beat Bolt in a 100m race this season, is hoping to repeat the feat here in Moscow.

Thompson, who finished second to Bolt in the 2008 Olympic 100m final in Beijing, China, has been “flying below the radar” in 2013. He has not been victorious in a final all season. The “Torpedo” was second to Bledman at the National Championships in a wind-aided 9.91 seconds, but his fastest legal clocking this year is 10.14—29-hundredths of a second slower than his 9.85 national record.

“It’s always good,” Thompson told the Express, “to be in the position I’m in right now. It puts no pressure on me, going into the Championship. The usual goal is to make the final.

“With Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell and some of the other big names excluded, it makes it easier for myself, Bledman, Sorrillo to try to sneak in there and sneak a medal. The first step to doing it is making the final, and anything is possible from there.

“I’ve been putting in some serious work,” the T&T track star continued, “and I’m confident with the work I’ve done so far. So, a lot of races, or a little bit of races, I have the ability to step up to the plate and do well when it’s time to.”

Commenting on his fitness, Thompson said: “I wouldn’t say 100 per cent, but good enough to get in there and make the final.”

At the 2011 World Championships, Sorrillo had the distinction of being T&T’s only male individual finalist. He finished seventh in the 200m championship race in 20.34 seconds.

In Moscow, Sorrillo will bid to repeat the feat, but this time in the 100m dash.

He told the Express his goals are: “Proper execution, and hopefully, make it to the final again.”

Sorrillo added that once the 4x100m team gels well, he expects a podium finish.

“We should be top-three again, as we always do traditionally.”

Team manager Dexter Voisin is also anticipating relay success, here in Moscow. T&T will be represented in all four relay events.

“We have the potential to do well in all the relays. Definitely, the 4x4 men are in a stronger position, and this team would have won bronze last year (at the Olympics). They have the inclusion of Renny (Quow), so they’re much stronger than last year.”

Voisin said that though none of the T&T sprinters have dived under ten seconds this year, he expects solid performances in the men’s century.

“Any athlete coming in with a sub-10 would have felt more comfortable, but based on feedback from the coaches, they will come on as the rounds go by. The athletes have been training very good. There are no concerns right now.

“The weather conditions,” the manager continued, “are not what we expected. We thought it would have been colder, but it’s warm.”

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