Thompson battles Bledman for T&T 100m crown Track Alerts coverage brought to you by Heritage Sports, Upper Floor, Sangster Hill Mall, Scarborough, Tobago. Telephone contacts: 1-868-639-5150, 1-868-705-4554). PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad: Olympic triple silver medallist Richard Thompson (Rebirth) will be looking a fourth national 100m title at this weekend’s NGC/Sagicor NAAA Open Track and Field Championships at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, The national record holder (9.85) is the form of his life clocking 9.95 to win in Hengelo, Holland on June 8 and will face two time defending champion Keston Bledman (Simplex). The clash will feature the battle with of T&T’s two fastest sprinters ever who have won the last five national crowns. Bledman sped to the 2012 (9.86) and 2013 (9.86w) honors to deny Thompson who had to settle for second (9.96) and (9.91) on both occasions while Thompson, the 2008 Olympic 100m silver medallist , won the 2009 (10.01), 2010 (10.01) and 2011 (9.85) with Bledman second in 2010 (10.03) and 2011 (10.06). Former two-time winners Marc Burns (Rebirth) and Darryl Brown (Rebirth), Emmanuel Callender (Memphis Pioneers) and Rondell Sorillo (La Brea)will be vying for the top spots when the preliminaries get underway at 7:15pm on Friday (June 20). With 11 heats carded the winner and next 13 fastest advancing to the semifinals on Saturday. Bledman is listed in heat one on while 2013’s top local junior Ayodelle Taffe (Abilene Wildcats) is the name to watch in heat two. Brown will battle World and CAC Junior selectees Micah Ballantyne (Alpha) and Akanni Hislop (Zenith) in heat three. Sorillo is expected to lead the way in heat four with Callender the top seed in heat five. Burns should have no problems advancing out of heat six. National 110m hurdles record holder Mikel Thomas (Rebirth) is the name to look for in heat seven. Heat eight looks to be very close with Darvin Sandy (Alpha) and Dan-Neil Telesford (Neon Trackers) the likely contenders. Top juniors Jonathan Farinha (Abilene Wildcats) and John-Mark Constantine (Concorde) look set to dominate heat nine. Race ten looks to be the keenest with reigning Commonwealth Games medallist Aaron Armstrong (Rebirth), Shermund Allsop (Concorde) and Moriba Morain (Simplex) in the line up. Thompson is the favorite in heat eleven. Among the ladies World Indoor finalist Michelle-Lee Ahye (Rebirth) will is the odds on favorite for the top spot. The 2011 Pan American Junior champion sped a personal best of 11.04 and lowered the national indoor 60m record to 7.10 earlier this year. Ahye will line up in heat two of three and will face Reyare Thomas (Neon Trackers) and World junior bound Zakiya Denoon (Zenith) and Mauricia Prieto (Pt. Fortin New Jets) in the battle for the top two spots to qualify for Saturday’s semifinals. 2011 champion Kai Selvon Selvon (Air Bon Sonics) will be the pick of heat one ahead of Carifta girls unde 20 200m champ Kayelle Clarke (Petrotrin Pt.-a-Pierre), America’s 2006 World Junior champion Gabby Mayo and Bahamian Cache Ambrister. Kamaria Durant (Simplex) is expected to lead the way in heat three ahead of two-time CAC Games champion Taheisha Harrigan-Scott (British Virgin Islands), Carifta girls under 20 silver medallist Aaliyah Telesford (Pt. Fortin New Jets), top hurdlers Aleesha Barber (Rebirth) and Deborah John (Ai Bon Sonics) and World and CAC Junior relay representative Trishelle Leacock (Zenith). A mouth-watering clash awaits in the men’s 400m with defending champion Deon Lendore (Abilene Wildcats) the hot favorite following his sizzling 44.36 clocking in May. The 21 year old also won the NCAA title last week in 45.02. Lendore will line up in the sixth and final heat of the prelims which gets under way at 6:30pm on Friday. 2008 Carifta champion Zwede Hewitt (Rebirth) and Dominica’s World and Olympic competitor Ericson Hurtault are expected to contend for the top three finish. Five time champion Renny Quow (Zenith) is the top seed in heat one. The 2009 World Championships bronze medallist/2006 World Junior champion has a season’s best of 45.36. National junior record holder Machel Cedenio (Simplex) is the runner to watch in heat two. The two time Carifta champion sped a new national junior mark of 45.23 in May. Jereem Richards (Abilene Wildcats) will also be in contention top spot. Carlyle Roudette (Abilene Wildcats) should led the field in heat following his personal best clocking of 46.66 last month. Olympic relay bronze medallist Jarrin Solomon (Memphis) is the fastest of the entrants in heat four. Double Olympic bronze medallist Lalonde Gordon will start as favorite in heat five with his 44.90 run in May. The winner and six fastest losers advance to the A and B finals on Saturday (June 21). In the women’s one lap in-form Romona Modeste (Neon Trackers) will be the name to watch in heat one of three prelims. Modeste sped to a pb of 53.24 at the President’s Classic at the same venue one week ago. Club-mate Jessica James will be choice for the second spot. Domonique Williams (Neon Trackers) is the quickest starter in heat two following her 52.95 pb run in May and will be challenged by Aleena Brooks (Memphis) for the top spot. Kineke Alexander (St. Vincent and the Grenadines) will the overwhelming favorite in heat three following her national record run of 51.23 in April. Recently crowned NCAA hurdles medallist Janiel Bellille (Neon Trackers), Shawn Fermin (Memphis Pioneers) and Magnolia Howell (Unattached) should make the race a close one. Defending champion Sparkle Mc Knight (Neon Trackers) will miss this year’s race after becoming a mother earlier this year. The prelims of the Masters men’s 100m will also be contested. Reigning World Indoor Masters 60m (50-54) champion Martin Prime (ZC Athletics) will battle his younger rivals Philbert Ryce and Norton St. Louis of the Defence Force in heat one while 2013 World Outdoor Masters 100m (40-44) winner Andie Montique (Protons) is the top name in heat two. The first finals of the day is the women’s and men’s hammer throw finals where Toco TAFAC is sure to secure both gold as all the entrants from the club. The women’s 10,000m finals is the first track finals with national record holder Tonya Nero (Athletic Central) look set to win. Action begins at 4:30pm. Olympic men’s javelin champion Keshorn Walcott (Rebirth) will not be competing as he withdrew due to a slight injury. World champion Jehue Gordon (Memphis Pioneers) will compete in the heats of the men’s 400m hurdles. The finals are set for Sunday. The three day championships continue on Saturday with the men’s shot put finals. National record holder (19.34) Akeem Stewart (Tobago Falcons) will face former Carifta champions Hezekeil Romeo and Quincy Wilson, both of Rebirth) as the trio go after the Commonwealth (18.50) CAC (18.00) Games standards. Olympian Ayana Alexander (Rebirth) will be the one to watch in the women’s triple jump finals. Reigning CAC Games champion and national record holder (12.85) Aleesha Barber (Rebirth) will be looking to hold on to her 100m hurdles title. Barber will face 2009 World Championships 400m hurdles bronze medallist Josanne Lucas (Tobago Falcons) and last year’s runner’s up runner’s up Deborah John (Neon Trackers). In the men’s 110m hurdles finals national record holder Mikel Thomas (Rebirth), 13.19 will renew rivals with last year’s NCAA winner Wayne Davis (Unattached) and Durel Busby (Tobago Jaguars). The highlight of the day and the meet will be the men’s and women’s 100m and 400m finals. Other finals on are(men) long jump, decathlon-first day, (women) javelin, discus, high jump, 1500m, heptathlon-day one. The meet ends on Sunday.
Posted on: Sat, 21 Jun 2014 11:36:00 +0000