media_artricles :: 2013

GOLD AGAIN

Jehue to receive Chaconia Medal, a house, $.8m for winning Worlds 400m hurdles race

“It’s amazing.”

This was the response of Trinidad and Tobago’s 400-metres hurdler Jehue Gordon to yesterday’s announcement by Minister of Sport Anil Roberts that he would be the recipient of the Chaconia Gold Medal as reward for bringing glory to T&T with his gold medal run at the 2013 IAAF World Championships in Moscow, Russia, earlier this month.

On August 15, the 21-year-old Gordon ran a world leading time of 47.69 seconds, leaning forward to capture the country’s second World Championships gold medal ahead of America’s Michael Tinsley who finished in 47.70 seconds to bag silver.

T&T’s only other World Championship gold medal came from sprinter Ato Boldon who won the men’s 200m in the 1997 World Championships in Athens, Greece.

Gordon’s performance in Russia came after he showed great potential in finishing fourth at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, Germany, as a 17-year-old junior athlete.

The reward package read out by Roberts at the Ministry of Sport headquarters in Port of Spain at a press conference yesterday also included a monetary reward of $800,000 and a mid-sized house from the Housing Development Corporation to be approved by the Minister of Housing.

He will also receive a grant of an annual bursary from the University of the West Indies (UWI) on the recommendation of the Ministry of Tertiary Education and Skills training to cover the cost of housing, books, meals and transportation as well as free airline tickets as determined by the board of Caribbean Airlines.

Roberts said the track to be constructed by the Sport Company in collaboration with UWI at its campus in St Augustine will be named after Jehue Gordon.

Gordon’s coach, Dr Ian Hypolite, and swimmer George Bovell will also be on the rewards list.

“His local coach, Dr Ian Hypolite, has been recommended in next year’s award ceremony for the Chaconia Silver Medal and shall receive $200,000 this year for his contribution to coaching Jehue,” said Roberts.

“Also, the Cabinet of Trinidad and Tobago approved the sum of $250,000 to George Bovell III for bringing bronze to T&T in the World Swimming Championships in Barcelona, Spain,” the minister added.

At the end of the press conference, Roberts spoke to Gordon via telephone, listing the list of awards that the runner will be receiving.

In response, Gordon said: “I just want to say thanks to you ... thanks to the whole government for these amazing gifts.”

The runner is also eager to return home but insisted that he still has work to do before returning to Trinidad and Tobago next month.

“It is truly a blessing and I really can’t wait to come home. It has been too long outside here right now but I still have a job to get finished,” he added.

Gordon will be in action next Friday in the Brussels Diamond League meet in Belgium before returning to T&T two days later.

Athletes and some rewards given to them by governments for outstanding performances

2013

Jehue Gordon--IAAF World Championship Gold--400m Hurdles
Chaconia Medal Gold
$800,000
Mid-sized House
UWI Annual Grant
Free Caribbean Airline tickets
UWI Track named after Jehue Gordon

George Bovell--World Swimming Championships Bronze--50m Freestyle
$250,000

Dr Ian Hypolite--Jehue Gordon’s coach
Chaconia Medal Silver
$200,000

2012

Keshorn Walcott: Olympic Gold--Javelin
$2.5m home in Federation Park
$1 million
20,000 square feet of land in Toco
A scholarship at UTT
Caribbean Airlines aircraft in his name
Toco Lighthouse to be named the “Keshorn Walcott Toco Lighthouse”
HDC development in Walcott’s name in Toco

Men’s 4x400m relay team--Olympic Bronze
$300,000 each

Men’s 4x100m relay team--Olympic Bronze
$300,000 each

Lalonde Gordon--Olympic Bronze--Men’s 400m
$300,000

George Bovell III
--Olympic Bronze (2004)
--200m IM
$300,000

2008

Richard Thompson
--Olympic Silver--Men’s 100m
Chaconia Medal Gold
$250,000

Men’s 4x100m relay team--Olympic Silver
Chaconia Medal Gold
$750,000 each

1996

Ato Boldon--Olympic Bronze--Men’s 100m and 200m
Chaconia Medal Gold

1978

Hasely Crawford--Olympic Gold (1976)--100m
The Trinity Cross (now The Order of The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago)

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