Keshorn Walcott joined the elite 90-metre club, at the Athletissima IAAF Diamond League meet, in Lausanne, Switzerland, yesterday.
In the very first round of the men's javelin competition, Walcott landed the spear 90.16 metres to smash his own national record, jumping from 59th to 14th on the world all-time list in the process. He also broke the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) record, bettering the 87.20m standard set by Cuba's Guillermo Martinez in 2011.
Walcott had established the previous Trinidad and Tobago record of 86.43m at the Sainsbury's Birmingham Grand Prix IAAF Diamond League meet, in England, on June 7. The 2012 Olympic champion finished third on that occasion.
There was no beating Walcott, yesterday, the 22-year-old field athlete securing his first Diamond League victory with his first-ever 90-metre effort. When the distance was posted on the scoreboard, an exultant Walcott triumphantly raised both arms. The 90.16m monster throw is a new meet record, bettering the 89.94m standard established by world record holder Jan Zelezny, of the Czech Republic, back in 2001.
Silver yesterday went to another Czech Republic thrower, Vitezslav Vesely, the reigning world champion producing an 87.97m effort. And Finland's Tero Pitkamaki bagged bronze at the Athletissima meet with an 87.44m throw. Pitkamaki is seventh on the world all-time list at 91.53m. Three-time Olympic champion Zelezny heads the list with his world record throw of 98.48m.
Walcott is only the 14th thrower to join the exclusive 90-metre club. Understandably satisfied with his superb opening round effort, the Toco athlete only took one more throw in the competition, a third round foul.
Meanwhile, Keston Bledman finished fifth in the Athletissima men's 100 metres dash, the T&T sprinter getting to the line in 10.03 seconds, the same time clocked by fourth-placed Michael Rodgers of the United States.
Another American, Justin Gatlin won in a very fast 9.75 seconds. It was the third time this season he had produced a sub-9.80 run. Jamaican Asafa Powell seized silver in 9.92 seconds, while bronze went to American Tyson Gay, who also clocked 9.92.
T&T's Jehue Gordon finished eighth and last in the men's 400m hurdles in 50.07 seconds. American Bershawn Jackson clocked 48.71 to strike gold, ahead of South Africa's LJ van Zyl (48.92) and Russia's Denis Kudryavtsev (49.01).
Gordon, who will defend his IAAF World Championship title in Beijing, China next month, was disappointed with his performance.
?Terrible race for me. The race got away from me on the backstretch. Running from lane two was not easy and it was cold temperature, but I'm not making excuses. I have to go back to training and work hard. I am the defending champion,? Gordon ended, ?and I intend to do well in Beijing.?
At the World University Games, in Gwangju, Korea, yesterday, University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) athlete, LeSean Noel competed in the semi-final round of the men's 100m event. The T&T sprinter finished sixth in heat two in 10.54 seconds. The top four in each heat advanced to the final. South Africa's Akani Simbine clocked 9.97 to grab gold in the championship race.
On Wednesday, Noel was third in his first round heat in 10.65 seconds, and third in his quarterfinal heat in 10.74. He was eliminated in the opening round of the 200m, after finishing sixth in his first round heat, yesterday, in 21.81.
Another T&T/UTT athlete, Kyle Stanley was fifth in his men's 400m first round heat, on Wednesday, in 51.57 seconds and did not progress to the semis.