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Looking ahead
T&T SPRINT STAR: 2008 Olympic sprint relay gold medallist Keston Bledman.Ê--Photo: DENNIS ALLEN for @TTGameplan

Looking ahead

Bledman regroups for 2021

Go Back : Express : Kwame Laurence : 02.09.2020

Keston Bledman closed off his 2020 campaign with a season's best 100 metres clocking of 10.30 seconds to his name. This was his slowest season on the track since 2006, when he produced a 10.32 run at the age of 18.

The year 2020, however, is no ordinary one. The fact that Bledman actually competed in three outdoor meets in Florida, USA during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic is an achievement in itself. The 32-year-old Trinidad and Tobago track star's 10.30 run came in his final 2020 outing, on August 10.

"I am happy with 10.30," Bledman told the Express, "because it was a season's best. Not to make excuses, but in this race I was running on a slight tweak in the groin so I was happy at the end to know that once this was taken care of, I would have run faster.

"Even though I wasn't where I wanted to be in terms of my time, some positives that came out of my races were becoming mentally stronger with each race and being able to work on my mechanics."

Bledman is clear on the areas he needs to address ahead of 2021.

"A consistent start and holding my form and staying relaxed in my last 20 metres. At the moment, I am working on strengthening my groin area and getting active rest before the off-season resumes for the 2021 season, where my goal is to qualify for my fourth Olympics."

In February, this year, Bledman competed in a couple indoor 60m races in Europe, clocking 6.80 seconds and 6.86. The Florida-based sprinter has seldom faced the starter in the 60. His PR in the event, 6.62, was clocked eight years ago.

"Indoor is technically new to me, so it was a learning experience. My goal was to qualify for the World Indoor Championships. However, these were cancelled. For my outdoor competitions, each race I took something positive from it, and worked on this in practice to get better for the next meet."

Bledman has a 100m best of 9.86 seconds, a clocking he produced in 2012 and again in 2015. He has also run 9.89 and 9.93 twice for a career total of five wind-legal sub-10 clockings.

The 9.86 PR currently places the 2008 Olympic sprint relay gold medallist joint-17th on the all-time global 100m list, alongside T&T sprint great Ato Boldon, Americans Carl Lewis, Noah Lyles and Michael Norman, Namibian Frankie Fredericks, Portugal's Francis Obikwelu, Frenchman Jimmy Vicaut, and Nigeria's Divine Oduduru.

Jamaican track legend Usain Bolt is at the top of the world list with his 9.58 seconds world record. Richard "Torpedo" Thompson, 10th all-time at 9.82, is the only T&T sprinter ahead of Bledman and Boldon.

Bledman said he is making proper use of the downtime at his disposal ahead of preparations for 2021.

"I am 32, and have been competing for the past decade and more, so my goals are giving my body the rest it deserves and mentally getting prepared for the new season. I am also writing my book, managing my daughters' online boutique, and supervising and working with them as they are at home in full-time virtual school while my wife (Afiya) is at work.

"Personally, I will resume light jogging and core work by mid to late September," Bledman ended, "and then with the adidas camp late October into November."