Injured Thompson calls off 2015 campaign
Reigning Olympic men’s javelin champion Keshorn Walcott and 2013 IAAF World Championship men’s 400 metres hurdles gold medallist Jehue Gordon are among 35 athletes chosen to fly the Red, White and Black at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada.
Also among the 19 men selected on the Trinidad and Tobago track and field team are national 100m champion Keston Bledman and quartermiler Machel Cedenio.
Nineteen-year-old Cedenio crossed the finish line first in the NGC-Sagicor National Association of Athletics Administrations (NAAA) Open Track and Field Championship men’s 400m final, at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, on Saturday. However, he was subsequently disqualified for running in Jarrin Solomon’s lane. Runner-up Renny Quow was upgraded to gold, while Solomon was promoted to silver.
Cedenio and Quow have been named to run the individual 400m event at the July 10-26 Pan Am Games. Solomon joins them in a six-man 4x400m relay pool that also includes 2012 Olympic 400m bronze medallist Lalonde Gordon, Kyle Greaux and Jehue Gordon.
Bledman and Marcus Duncan will run the individual 100m event in Toronto, and are also part of the 4x100m relay pool, The other athletes selected for the sprint relay are Rondel Sorrillo, Emmanuel Callender, sprint hurdler Mikel Thomas, and Dan-Neil Telesford.
Greaux and Sorrillo will run in the 200m event.
Walcott’s older brother, Elton Walcott has been selected for the men’s triple jump. And Quincy Wilson will represent T&T in the discus.
Missing from the Pan Am Games men’s team are three-time Olympic medallist Richard “Torpedo” Thompson and quartermiler Deon Lendore. According to a press release from the NAAA, yesterday, Thompson will “sit out the rest of the 2015 track season due to a recurring injury which has been interfering with his day to day training.
‘This will give him more time to recuperate,” the release continued, “and prepare for the Olympics in Rio 2016.” On Saturday, Thompson competed in the 100m semis, but struggled with a knee injury. He qualified for the final, but did not face the starter. Lendore is also injured, and did not compete at the Championships.
Michelle-Lee Ahye finished second to Kelly-Ann Baptiste in the women’s 100m final, but was not at full fitness, and has opted out of the Pan Am Games. NAAA public relations officer Peter Samuel told the Express, yesterday, “Ahye has a hamstring grade two muscle strain”.
Baptiste and Semoy Hackett will do battle for T&T in the Pan Am Games women’s 100m dash.
Pan Am Games team
Men: Keston Bledman (100, 4x100), Marcus Duncan (100, 4x100), Kyle Greaux (200, 4x400), Rondel Sorrillo (200, 4x100), Machel Cedenio (400, 4x400), Renny Quow (400, 4x400), Mikel Thomas (110 hurdles, 4x100), Jehue Gordon (400 hurdles, 4x400), Emanuel Mayers (400 hurdles), Elton Walcott (triple jump), Steve Waithe (triple jump), Quincy Wilson (discus), Emmanuel Stewart (discus), Keshorn Walcott (javelin), Shakiel Waithe (javelin), Emmanuel Callender (4x100), Dan-Neil Telesford (4x100), Jarrin Solomon (4x400), Lalonde Gordon (4x400)
Women: Kelly-Ann Baptiste (100, 4x100), Semoy Hackett (100, 4x100), Reyare Thomas (200, 4x100), Kamaria Durant (200, 4x100), Janeil Bellille (400, 4x400), Josanne Lucas (400 hurdles, 4x400), Sparkle McKnight (400 hurdles, 4x400), Deandra Daniel (high jump), Ayanna Alexander (triple jump), Cleopatra Borel (shot put), Marsha Mark-Baird (heptathlon), Lisa Wickham (4x100), Peli Alzola (4x100), Romona Modeste (4x400), Jessica James (4x400), Alena Brooks (4x400)
Officials: George Comissiong (manager), Ian Hypolite (head coach), Charlie Joseph (coach), Gunness Persad (coach), Nicconnor Alexander (coach), Robin Brereton (coach), Michelle Pennie (coach), Ismael Lopez Mastrapa (coach), Wade Franklyn (coach)