- NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 24/07/2024 05:00

Trinidad and Tobago Olympic athletics team climaxes preparations at camp in France

Eleven of Trinidad and Tobago’s 13-member athletics contingent for the Paris Games are currently going through their final phases of Olympic prep at a Pan American sports camp in Mulhouse, a city in eastern France. The team, alongside coaches Keston Bledman, Charles Joseph and athletics manager Dexter Voisin, have been joined by scores of other athletes and officials from the Pan Am region for this special camp, prepared by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Seasoned campaigners Keshorn Walcott (men javelin) – a two-time Olympic medallist – and sprinter Jereem Richards (200m, 400, 4x400m relay) are still finalising their preparations in Finland and Amsterdam respectively, and are expected to join the squad on July 26. Track and field athletes who travelled from TT to Paris left on July 16, and those living in the US departed between July 17 and 21. All have arrived safely. “Everyone has settled in, and because of the long travel, it would have taken some days to get the body going in a particular way, to start resume training of intensity,” said Voisin. Mulhouse, which borders Switzerland and Germany, has been an ideal training area for team TT, since there are multiple sporting facilities available. Voisin confirmed there are no injury concerns so far, and practice sessions have been coming along nicely. The athletics squad heads to Paris on July 25 for the opening ceremony the next day, and will stay at the Olympic Village there until the end of the games. This year’s athletics contingent is a mixture of experience and youth, led by Walcott and sprinter Michelle-Lee Ahye (100m, 4x100m relay), both having participated at the three previous editions. Joining them is sprinter Renny Quow (4x400m relay), who earned bronze with the men’s 4x400m relay team in 2012 and is now on his third Olympic stint, Portious Warren (shot put) and Richards, who will both feature for a second time. The remaining eight athletes are making their Olympic debut. They are Leah Bertrand (100m, 4x100m relay), Sole Frederick (4x100m relay), Akilah Lewis (4x100m relay), Sanaa Frederick (4x100m relay/reserve), Devin Augustine (100m), Jaden Marchan (4x400m relay), Shakeem Mc Kay (4x400m relay) and Elijah Joseph (4x400m relay). Despite their inexperience, Voisin said the younger ones have already acclimatised at the camp. However, he reiterated, the energy at the Olympic Village will certainly be of a greater magnitude. “It’s a different type of atmosphere here at the training compared to when we go to the games village. It will be much different and there will be a lot of adjustments to be made there, because that’s where all the athletes will be staying. “From the preparation part of things, the younger ones have adapted to their change of space and grooved in.” He added that they have gravitated towards coaches Keston Bellman – a two-time Olympic medallist (gold, silver) in the 4x100m relay in 2008 and 2012 – and Charles Joseph – three-time TT Olympian – to feed off their experience. On Bledman and Joseph’s impact so far, Voisin added, “They have both competed at the Olympics on several occasions, so their experience and knowledge certainly goes well with the younger athletes. “This is the opportunity for them (debutants) to learn new things, not to change what they have been doing, but to gain some experience in terms of what is required to compete at this level. “So far, the younger ones have been meshing very nicely with the more seasoned and experienced athletes and coaches. All is well in the camp for now.” Ahye and Bertrand get TT track and field campaign under way on August 2, from 4.35pm (TT time), in the women’s 100m qualifying round. The post Trinidad and Tobago Olympic athletics team climaxes preparations at camp in France appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.