Team TTO | Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee | teamtto.org

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The Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee(TTOC) extends sincere condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Ms Dana Seetahal, Senior Counsel.

Ms Seetahal's contribution to the development of Trinidad and Tobago is unquestioned.  At all times fearless and courageous in her commitment to justice for all. Outside of  her legal work. Her participation in the T&T Marathon reflected her appreciation of sport and a healthy and active lifestyle.

She was a role model, advisor and confidante to many. Her character, dedication and commitment and fearlessness in standing up for the courage of her convictions were attributes that stood out.

The nature of her untimely passing reflects an alarming and troubling reality of life in Trinidad and Tobago.

The Trinidad and Tobago Olympic  Committee urges all law abiding and right thinking citizens to redouble civil society's collective efforts to address the high crime situation in the country .

The Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee(TTOC) has extended condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of senior counsel Dana Seetahal, who was killed by gunmen early yesterday morning.

“Seetahal's contribution to the development of Trinidad and Tobago is unquestioned,” noted the TTOC, “at all times she was fearless and courageous in her commitment to justice for all. Outside of her legal work. Her participation in the T&T marathon reflected her appreciation of sport and a healthy and active lifestyle.”

The TTOC release described Seetahal as a role model, advisor and confidante to many. “Her character, dedication and commitment and fearlessness in standing up for the courage of her convictions were attributes that stood out.

“The nature of her untimely passing reflects an alarming and troubling reality of life in T&T.

“The Olympic Committee urges all law abiding and right thinking citizens to redouble civil society's collective efforts to address the high crime situation in the country.”

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THE Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee(TTOC) extends sincere condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Ms Dana Seetahal, Senior Counsel.

Ms Seetahal’s contribution to the development of Trinidad and Tobago is unquestioned.

At all times fearless and courageous in her commitment to justice for all.

Outside of her legal work, her participation in the TT Marathon reflected her appreciation for sport and a healthy and active lifestyle.

She was a role model, adviser and confidante to many.

Her character, dedication and commitment and fearlessness in standing up for the courage of her convictions were attributes that stood out.

The nature of her untimely passing reflects an alarming and troubling reality of life in Trinidad and Tobago.

The Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee urges all law abiding and right thinking citizens to redouble civil society’s collective efforts to address the high crime situation in the country.

Source

When the dust has settled, the big defeat in the final will be long forgotten and all will remember the huge achievement of the Canadian men in making the final of the Emirates Glasgow 7s on the HSBC World Sevens Series

It was bittersweet. But when the entire scope of the achievement is taken into consideration, it was far more sweet than bitter.

The Langford-based Canadian men’s rugby sevens team reached the championship game of an IRB tournament for the first time in its history Sunday — an encouraging sign with Rio 2016 Olympic qualifying set to begin next year.

The final of the IRB Glasgow Sevens, a lop-sided 54-7 lambasting at the hands of New Zealand, was a letdown. But just making the final was a breakthrough for Canadian rugby.

It was the fifth consecutive tournament in which Canada reached at least the quarter-finals. Canada’s previous best showing at an IRB tournament was in winning the bronze medal earlier this year at the Las Vegas Sevens. The 19 points earned from the Glasgow Sevens propelled Canada to No. 6 in the world rankings.

“Overall, it’s amazing,” said Gareth Rees of Victoria, national teams program manager for Rugby Canada.

“We’re disappointed in the final. New Zealand schooled us. But we broke the glass ceiling [by making the final].”

Can Canada now dare to dream the before-thought impossible?

“We’re at the stage we can make a case that we could win a medal if we make it to the Olympics [at Rio in 2016],” said Rees.

“There’s a lot of work still to be done. But this is new territory for all of us.”

The Canadian squad consisted mostly of players from Island clubs: Phil Mack, Connor Braid, Sean White and captain John Moonlight are from James Bay, Adam Kleeberger, Mike Scholz and Mike Fuailefau from Castaway Wanderers and Sean Duke and Pat Kay from the UVic Vikes.

What made the Glasgow run even more impressive is that it was achieved without missing regulars Ciaran Hearn, Nanyak Dala, Chauncey O’Toole of Castaway Wanderers and Nathan Hirayama of the UVic Vikes, all either injured or concentrating on XVs.

Canada defeated Kenya 14-5 in the quarter-finals and Scotland 10-7 in the semifinals Sunday. The Canadians began the tournament Saturday by defeating Japan 52-0 and France 28-12 before tying England 7-7 to top Group B.

It’s interesting that New Zealand, Canada and Scotland comprised three of the four semifinalists on the weekend. The Kiwis, Canucks and host Scots are in the Group of Death this summer for the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, in which rugby sevens will be held at historic Ibrox Stadium.

Canada plays in the London Sevens this weekend at Twickenham in the last IRB Sevens tournament of the season.

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Renny Quow clocked a new personal best at the Red Raider Open track and field meet in Texas, USA, on Saturday.

The Trinidad and Tobago athlete topped the men’s 200 metres field in 20.39 seconds, bettering his old half-lap best (20.61) by 22-hundredths of a second.

There was a PR (personal record) as well for another T&T runner, Jereem Richards. The South Plains College student got to the line in 20.59 seconds to finish third, behind Quow and Bahamian Trevor Mackey (20.47). Richards’ previous 200m best was 20.72.

Another T&T/South Plains athlete, Elton Walcott struck gold in the men’s triple jump with a wind-assisted 15.72 metres effort. He also jumped a wind-legal 15.51m.

Domonique Williams established a new personal best, the T&T/South Plains runner clocking 52.95 seconds to seize silver in the women’s 400m. T&T/Western Texas College athlete, Marissa Gale finished fifth in the event in 55.85.

T&T/South Plains sprinter Shun-Shauna Mason bagged bronze in the women’s 100m dash in a wind-aided 11.51 seconds.

And in the women’s 400m hurdles, T&T’s Kernesha Spann was third, the Western Texas student getting home in one minute, 01.48 seconds.

At the Jamaica International Invitational IAAF World Challenge meet, in Kingston, Jamaica, T&T’s reigning world champion Jehue Gordon finished second to 2004 and 2012 Olympic gold medallist Felix Sanchez, of Dominican Republic, in the men’s 400m hurdles.

Gordon produced a 49.32 seconds run, while Sanchez stopped the clock at 49.21.

In Louisiana, T&T’s Wayne Davis II won the Louisiana State University (LSU) Invitational men’s 110m hurdles, the Texas A&M University student getting home in a windy 13.24 seconds.

Another T&T/Texas A&M athlete, Janeil Bellille was third in the women’s 400m hurdles in 58.94.

At the adidas/Steve Scott Invitational, in California, T&T’s Magnolia Howell finished fourth in the women’s 400m in 55.17 seconds.

In Texas, Marcus Duncan was fourth in the Longhorn Invitational men’s 100m “B” race in a wind-assisted 10.55. Baylor University’s Dannielle Davis clocked a windy 13.99 to finish first in her section and 14th overall in the women’s 100m hurdles.

Last Monday, at the South Florida Multi-Cultural Games, T’Keyah Dumoy won the women’s 200m in a wind-aided 24.32 seconds. In the 100m “B” race, the Florida International University (FIU) sprinter was second in a windy 11.93.

And two Saturdays ago, in Arkansas, Arkansas State University’s Kashef Daniel cleared the bar at 2.11m to finish third in the Red Wolf Open men’s high jump.

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American sprinter has also returned silver medal he won with the USA 4x100 metre relay team at the 2012 London Olympics

American sprinter Tyson Gay has been banned for one year and forfeited the Olympic silver medal he won as part of the United States 4x100 metres team in London after testing positive for an anabolic steroid last summer.

Gay, the joint second fastest sprinter in history after Usain Bolt, had been facing the maximum two-year suspension but had his punishment halved after providing “substantial assistance” to the United States Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) during their investigation.

In a statement released on Friday, Usada said Gay had returned adverse findings for an anabolic steroid on three occasions – once from an in-competition urine sample and twice from out-of-competition samples – though the three failed tests were treated as a single offence because they were carried out in quick succession.

His one-year ban has been backdated to June 23, 2013 – the day his first sample was collected at the US Championships in Des Moines, Iowa – which means he will be eligible to compete again as early as next month.

Usada did not provide details about how Gay came to test positive for a heavy-duty steroid, though it has been reported that he blamed a cream supplied to him by an Atlanta-based anti-ageing practitioner.

The athlete apparently told investigators that he had been using the product since July 15, 2012, which means all his results since then, including the Olympic 4x100m relay final, have been annulled.

Under the rules of the International Association of Athletics Federations, the other members of the American relay quartet – Tell Kimmons, Justin Gatlin and Ryan Bailey – now stand to be stripped of their medals.

That means Trinidad and Tobago will be promoted from third to second place, with France moving up into the bronze medal position.

Gay made a tearful admission of his guilt on July 14 last year – the same day that Jamaican former world record-holder Asafa Powell was also revealed to have failed a drug test.

Gay, who immediately withdrew himself from the rest of the season, said at the time: “I basically put my trust in someone and I was let down.”

The fact that Gay was banned for just one year for an anabolic steroid while Powell was given an 18-month ban for a minor stimulant contained in a supplement will raise some eyebrows, though the World Anti-Doping Code allows for a 50 per cent cut in the length of a suspension if an athlete cooperates fully with an investigation.

In the Usada statement, chief executive Travis T. Tygart said: “We appreciate Tyson doing the right thing by immediately withdrawing from competition once he was notified, accepting responsibility for his decisions and fully and truthfully cooperating with us in our ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding his case.”

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If you are or have ever been enthusiastic about physical culture like myself, then chances are that at some point in your sport or exercise regime you have had to deal with plateaus, fatigue and injury.
Many athletes hit plateaus and then desperately endeavour to train harder and harder to improve, grinding through nagging strains and fatigue, embracing the pain to earn the gain, but instead end up with such things as injury, overtraining and adrenal fatigue.
Proper training is simply about seeing results and the prevention and mitigation of injury. Whether you are training to lose body fat, gain muscle or win an Olympic gold medal the principals for being healthy and making progress are the same.
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t actually get stronger or fitter from your workout. In fact a hard workout has a lot of negative effects on your body, it literally breaks you down. A hard workout raises your blood pressure, leaves you physically weaker, lowers your immune system-- leaving you more inclined to get sick, creates inflammation in your body and suppresses levels of important hormones.
However, the human body has an innate ability to heal itself, our bodies are resilient things and it is in their nature to adapt to the hard work out so that it won’t break us down as badly next time.
This adaptation and recovery happens if we allow our bodies to get sufficient rest after hard training. So you aren’t actually getting better, stronger, fitter or faster in training but rather in the time spent resting and recovering from training.
Training is a catabolic process that breaks down our muscles, but provides the stimulus for the anabolic process of recovery. This process of recovery is hard work for our bodies and requires long deep sleep and proper nourishment, without both together we won’t recover.
If hard workouts are enthusiastically followed up with more hard workouts, this recovery process is not being allowed to happen and the body keeps tearing itself down more and more. This is outwardly manifested by getting more tired, noticeably weaker, and slower. It should not be about what you can do in training, but rather what you can recover from and keep doing.
In sports where we often train way more than is necessary to burn fat and maintain good health with the intention of forcing our bodies to continually adapt so that we can be successful in competition.
How do we know if we have crossed that very fine line between doing the perfect amount of training and doing too much? An excellent way of answering this question is to ask your body. I ask my body how much hard training it can take almost every morning when I wake up by taking my resting heart rate.
To make this easier I have an app on my smartphone called “Instant Heart Rate” that tells me my heart rate when I put my finger over the camera lens. To do this I recommend you take your heart rate every day for a normal, healthy week or so to give you an idea of its usual range.
Now if you find that on one morning your heart rate has jumped up by more than six beats per minute, that’s your body telling you to back off and take a rest to allow it to get the extra test that it needs to recover fully and not break you down further.
This elevation in the resting heart rate is due to a “flight or flight” response from the sympathetic branch or our nervous system because our body is over-stressed and is switching over into survival mode.
This is the opposite of the “rest and digest” response from the parasympathetic nervous system early that should be running things early in the morning. When this happens and it will, it doesn’t mean that you need to take a day off training, but rather think about it as recommending you work in instead of work out.
“Working In” is a term I like to use to describe my recovery workouts. A couple days a week I have designated recovery days, that fall predictably when my body will need some extra rest. The goal is to accelerate recovery and actually to cultivate energy by doing some light exercise that leaves me feeling energised and won’t make me tired the following day.
I am sure that on these days despite not training hard, I am still improving. On my recovery days I keep my heart rate below 120 bpm because it is scientifically proven that light aerobic work has actually been shown to help recovery by accelerating the healing process and the excretion of waste from the cells.
This effect can be obtained from even a good walk. In these low intensity work in days I focus obsessively on perfecting my technique through slow deliberate movements and drills. I often still go to the gym but instead of lifting weights I focus solely on improving my flexibility and mobility.
The fitter and stronger you are, the more emphasis you should place on your recovery because the great extent of your fitness and strength allows you to train at a higher intensity which tears you body down more in a single workout than a person of normal fitness and strength can.
Ultimately it is our ability to recover that dictates how hard we can train and our rate of improvement. Unfortunately this speed at which we can recover is set at a cellular level and is due to the luck of the draw from genetics. We have no control over it and it diminishes in our old age.
I have swum with many teammates that could recover exceptionally quickly, and it took me years to stop comparing myself to them in regards to this aspect and to listen to my own body. To sustain improvement
I try to build in enough rest in my programme’s work to rest ratio to attain an improvement of 1-3 per cent every time I hit the gym, because if I haven’t recovered and rebuilt by body what is the point of tearing it down more just to get more tired.
To conclude I want to leave you with a visual image that reiterates the principles that I been discussing. Visualise a yin yang sign. Yang represents the concept of expelling energy and yin is its opposite of drawing energy in.
Since yin means to draw energy in, it is manifested as rest, and when rested, down at the bottom of yin, that dot of yang down there becomes the seed of the training that follows.
This training which is yang, expels energy, leading to tiredness and the desire for rest which is represented by the dot of yin in the thickest yang portion of the circle. This dot of yin in the hang becomes the seed of the yin recovery phase that follows.
Training flows into rest, and rest into training, like this the cycle continues around the circle. The harder you train, the more you need to recover, and the more recovered you are, the harder you can train.
Training and recovery, though opposites are mutually dependent on each other and go together like yin and yang. Train hard, rest hard physical culturalists!
@georgebovell

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Outgoing Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC) Executive Committee members have had their  automatic right to vote in Elections taken away .This change came about at the 67th Annual General Meeting(AGM) of the national Olympic committee .

The motion for the required change to the TTOC Constitution received   the  unanimously  support of the national sport organisations  and TTOC executive Committee members in attendance .

To be eligible to vote outgoing Elected Executive Committee members  must now be a duly accredited delegate representing a financial and voting member affiliate. The Election of Officers of the Committee is held in the year following the conclusion of the Olympic Games.  Election of Officers took place last year. The next election will be held in 2017.

The change removing the automatic right to vote is a significant one with respect to sport governance and the notion of free and fair election of sport leaders.

Member National Sport Organisations also received , considered and approved the 2013  Annual Report and the Audited Financial Statements. The AGM was  held on Tuesday 29th April 2014  at Olympic House 121 Abrecromby Street .

April 29 - Rio de Janeiro's preparations for the 2016 Olympics and Paralympics have been described as "the worst I have experienced" by  John Coates, vice-president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The Australian, a member of the IOC's Coordination Commission for Rio 2016, has finally made public what many senior figures within sport have been warning privately for many months now.

Coates claimed that preparations for Rio 2016 are even "worse than Athens", the 2004 Olympics and Paralympics that then IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch handed a "yellow light" warning too because they were so chaotic.

Coates had first warned of serious problems with Rio's preparations last September shortly after being elected as vice-president at the IOC Session in Buenos Aires.

But Coates, a close ally of IOC President Thomas Bach, admitted that they are stuck now with RIo de Janeiro because it is too late to move the Games.

Attending an Olympic Forum in Sydney today, Coates told delegates construction in Rio de Janeiro has not commenced on some venues, infrastructure is significantly delayed and water quality is a major concern just two years out from the Games.

"The city also has social issues that need to be addressed," he said.

"The IOC has formed a special task force to try and speed up preparations but the situation is critical on the ground.

"The IOC has adopted a more hands on role, it is unprecedented for the IOC but there is no plan B.

"We are going to Rio."

Among the IOC Taskforce sent to Rio is a construction project manager.

"We have become very concerned, they are not ready in many many ways," said Coates, who is also head of the IOC Coordination Commission for Tokyo 2020. .

"We have to make it happen and that is the IOC approach, you can't walk away from this."

The attack on Rio follows criticism from the Association of Summer International Olympic Federations (ASOIF) at SportAccord International Convention in Belek earlier this month.

Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes has also been criticised by Francesco Ricci Bitti, President of ASOIF, after he claimed that several international federations were making unrealistic demands.

Among those singled out were tennis, the sport Ricci Bitti oversees as head of the International Tennis Federation, which he called "inaccurate and unfair".

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President Bach again calls for those involved in conflict to ‘have a direct personal dialogue’.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon signed a historic agreement today at the UN Headquarters in New York aimed at strengthening collaboration between the two organisations at the highest level.

The agreement underlined that the IOC and the UN “share the same values of contributing to a better and peaceful world through sport.”

The IOC, which was granted UN Observer Status in 2009, has long enjoyed strong ties with individual UN agencies, working with them globally on a number of initiatives that use sport as a tool for development and peace. Today’s agreement means the IOC will now work with the UN Secretariat on a range of projects around the world.

Speaking at the announcement, IOC President Thomas Bach said, “Sport can change the world, but it cannot change the world alone. When placing sport at the service of humankind, we need and we want partnerships with other payers in society. The Olympic Movement is willing and ready to make its contribution to the most laudable efforts of the United Nations to maintain and build peace and to bring along social change.”

Read President Bach’s full speech here.

The agreement, which was signed in the presence of the President of the General Assembly, recognises the goal of the IOC and the Olympic Movement to contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating youth through sport without discrimination of any kind.  It also calls for respect of the autonomous organisation of sport.

The two organisations call for sporting initiatives to promote social integration and economic development, including:

a)   Access to sport for all among communities, in particular the most disadvantaged and marginalised populations
b)   Quality physical education in school settings
c)   Youth empowerment, education and skills development
d)   Girls’ and women’s empowerment
e)   Peace-building and community dialogue
f)    Healthy life-styles promotion
g)   Environmental sustainability

Within this framework, the IOC, together with National Olympic Committees, International Sports Federations, Organising Committees and individual athletes, will work together with UN member states, UN Special Envoys, Special Advisors and Goodwill Ambassadors, UN Specialised Agencies and UN Funds.
“The first-ever Memorandum of Understanding between our organisations is a logical step after years of ever closer collaboration in using sport to promote development and peace,” said Secretary-General Ban. “Sport has great power to bring people together, improve public health and promote teamwork and mutual respect.”

On the occasion of the signing it was also announced that IOC Honorary President Rogge was appointed as the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Youth Refugees and Sport. The overall objective of the role will be to support the United Nations Secretary-General in advancing peace, development and an inclusive society through sport. On substantive issues, the Special Envoy will work closely with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

In his speech the IOC President reiterated his plea from the opening and closing ceremonies for the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi when he called on political leaders of the world to “respect the Olympic message of goodwill, of tolerance, of excellence and of peace.” He once again urged all those implicated in confrontation to act on the Olympic message of dialogue and peace.

“Please have the courage to have a direct personal dialogue at the highest level in the spirit of mutual respect, good will and peace,” he said.

Accompanying President Bach were IOC Honorary President Jacques Rogge, IOC member in Norway and Olympic champion Ole Einar Bjørndalen, United States Olympic Committee Secretary General Scott Blackmun and US Olympic marathon runner Meb Keflezighi.

The delegation took part in a meeting convened by the United Nations Secretary-General on Sport for Development and Peace at the United Nations Headquarters, marking the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, the first edition of which took place on 6 April.

Keflezighi, a silver medallist at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and most recently the winner of the Boston Marathon on 21 April, spoke of how sport changed his life after he was first exposed to organised sport after moving to the United States from Eritrea at the age of 10.

“Sport is its own school of life, and some say I have earned a PhD. Sport taught me self-discipline, commitment and perseverance. It taught me that success is achieved in small steps, through hard work and lessons learned from your mistakes,” Keflezighi said. “In addition to these life skills, sport gave me something else that was extremely important to a refugee from a war-torn country. Sport gave me hope. I want to commend the IOC and the UN for using sport to bring hope to refugee camps and peace to regions plagued by violence. I know that these efforts are making a difference.”

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Barcelona's Dani Alves reacted to having a banana thrown at him during Sunday's dramatic 3-2 win at Villarreal by peeling it and then taking a bite.

He was about to take a corner when the banana landed on the pitch.

"We have suffered this in Spain for some time. You have to take it with a dose of humour," Alves said.

"Barcelona wishes to express its complete support and solidarity with Dani Alves following the insults he was subject to," a club statement read.

"Barcelona urges all clubs to continue fighting against the blight on the game which any kind of aggression against a sportsperson on the basis of their race represents.''

Former Barca striker Gary Lineker praised the actions of Alves. "Picked it up, peeled it, ate it and proceeded to take the corner," he tweeted.  "Top response."

The ex-England striker added: "Utterly brilliant reaction from Alves. Treat the racist berk with complete disdain!"

Neymar, a club-mate of Alves and a fellow Brazil international, and Manchester City and Argentina forward Sergio Aguero also displayed their solidarity with the player by publishing photographs of themselves eating bananas.

Compatriots Hulk, Fred and Lucas Leiva also lent support via their social media accounts, with Liverpool midfielder Lucas writing on Twitter:  "Congratulations on your attitude yesterday. We are together on this fight against racism."

Tottenham and Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor said on Twitter:  "Massive respect to danid2ois, there is no place for Racism in Football. #saynotoracism."

Spurs duo Nacer Chadli and Moussa Dembele were also pictured eating bananas with a message supporting the fight against racism.

The Spanish media  reported that match referee David Fernandez Borbalan made a note of the incident and that the country's football association, RFEF, will meet on Tuesday to discuss the matter.

Alves has been a regular target of racist abuse during his 12 years in Spain with both Sevilla and Barcelona.

In January 2013, he complained of racist abuse  following a Copa del Rey semi-final match against Real Madrid.

"We aren't going to change things easily," he added.

Referring specifically to Sunday's incident, which took place on 75 minutes, he said: "If you don't give it importance, they don't achieve their objective."

Alves, 30, was involved in Barca's first two goals as they came from 2-0 down against Villarreal to win 3-2 at El Madrigal.

His cross was deflected into the Villarreal net by Gabriel Armando on 65 minutes. Then another cross was deflected home by Mateo Musacchio 13 minutes later.

Lionel Messi then sealed the comeback seven minutes from time to reach the 40-goal mark in all competitions for the fifth straight season.

The win leaves Gerardo Martino's Barcelona side second in the table, four points behind leaders Atletico Madrid and two ahead of Real Madrid.

Barca and Atletico have three matches left, but Real, who play Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-finals on Tuesday, have a game in hand. Atletico face Chelsea in the second semi-final on Wednesday.

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Youth Olympic Games-bound swimmers, Kristin Julien and David Mc Leod were in record breaking form as they claimed two of four individual gold medals, and six overall for T&T on the opening night of finals at the 29th Carifta Swimming Championship on Tuesday night.

Competing at the Piscina Olimpico Roly Bislik, Oranjestad, Savaneta in Aruba, Julien, who lived up to her top seed billing in the 15-17 girls 50 metres backstroke with a 30.86 seconds clocking in the heats, just ahead of Jamaican Danielle Boothe (31.27), returned in the afternoon session to claim gold in 29.84 seconds, bettering the 2012 previous best Carifta time of 30.05 set by countrywoman, Kimberlee John-Williams.

Julien's time was also faster than the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games A standard qualifying time of 29.99. Second was Suriname's Brienne Renfurm in 30.59 followed by Guadeloupe's Charlotte Backovic (30.62) and Boothe (30.91), who all attained the Youth Olympic Games B standard time of 31.42 while T&T's Ariel Cape was fifth in 31.94.

One event later, Mc Leod, who in the morning heats touched the wall in 26.93, to better the Youth Olympic Games A qualifying standard of 27.19 for the 15-17 boys 50m backstroke, once again dominated his rivals with a new Carifta record and World Championship B (26.41) qualifying mark of 26.31 in winning gold ahead of team-mate Jabari Baptiste (27.51) and Bahamian Dionisio Carey (28.01). Both Baptiste and Carey achieved for the second time on the day, the Youth Olympic Games B standard time of 28.14.

The other T&T gold medal winners on the first day were Justin Samlalsingh, Jada Chai, and the 11-12 girls and 15-17 boys 4x100m freestyle relay teams.

Samlalsingh sped to T&T's first gold on the night when he won the 13-14 boys 50m backstroke in 28.42, ahead of Antigua & Barbuda's Noah Mascoll-Gomes (28.82) and Aruban Patrick Groters (28.89).

Chai swam to her first gold of the meet in the 11-12 girls 100m butterfly in 1:08.31, beating Bermuda's Emma Harvey (1:08.61) and Aruban Elisabeth Timmer (1:10.47), respectively, while the other T&T entrant in the final, Vrisnelit Faure was fourth in 1:12.23.

Chai also took bronze in the 50m backstroke in 32.79 behind the record breaking duo of Bermuda's Harvey (31.93) and Danielle Titus of Barbados, who stopped the clock in 32.02 while T&T's Jahmia Harley was eighth in 34.22. Harvey and Titus were faster than the 2012 record of 32.26 set by Jamaican Angara Sinclair.

The 11-12 girls girls 4x100m freestyle quartet of Deshor Edwards, Harley, Faure and Chai, swimming the anchor-leg then combined for gold in 4:22.73, just ahead of Bermuda (4:22.93) while a distant third was Aruba (4:27.22).

Mc Leod also picked up relay gold when he swam the lead-off for the 15-17 boys 4x100m freestyle squad which also included Joshua Ramkissoon, Jeron O'Brien and Baptiste in clocking 3:35.81 well clear of Martinique (3:37.30) and Bahamas (3:40.55).

However, the 13-14 boys combination of Osaze Riley, James Gillette, Christopher Mohammed and Kael Yorke had to settle for silver in 3:47.05, six hundredths of a second behind champion Jamaica (3:46.99) while Martinique took third in 3:47.88.

Yorke also added a bronze in the 100m butterfly in 1:00.61, to trail Bermuda winner Jesse Washington (58.77) and Guadeloupe's Samuel Mannette (1:00.07).

Other T&T swimmers who competed in finals but did not make it to the medal rostrum were Faure (3:02.51) and Sabrina David (3:04.99) who were fifth and seventh respectively in the 11-12 girls 200m backstroke, and Baptiste, who ended joint fifth with Suriname's Wayne Denswil, both clocking 58.83 in the 15-17 boys 100m butterfly.

At the end of day one T&T led the medal table with ten (six gold, two silver, two bronze) medals followed by Bahamas with 13 (four gold, five silver and four bronze), Barbados with eighth (three gold, four silver, one bronze), Aruba with 13 (three gold, three silver, seven bronze) and Suriname with six (three gold, one silver, two bronze).

However, Bahamas led on the points table with 149 after 26 events followed by T&T (124.5), host Aruba (124), Martinique (113) and three-time defending champion Guadeloupe with 101.

Last year, T&T swimmers ended second on the medal table with 51 medals (22 gold, 16 silver and 13 bronze), 13 behind Guadeloupe (17 gold, 28 silver and 19 bronze) while Aruba was third with 50 (21 gold, 17 silver and 12 bronze).

But the Mark Pouchet-coached T&T contingent is without seven of its top swimmers who brought in 23 of the 47 medals won last year in Jamaica including Dylan Carter, Joshua Romany, Alexandria Donahue, Tyla Martin, Andre Goin, Joshua Ramkissoon and Rebecca Marshall due to other commitments.

The Carifta Championships is also serving as an official qualifying meet for the 16th FINA World Championships 2015 which will be held in Kazan, Russia and has been approved as a qualifying meet for Central American and Caribbean Games (CAC) in Veracruz, Mexico and the Youth Olympic Games.

Yesterday, on the second morning of heats, T&T had 18 swimmers qualified for finals in the 200m freestyle, 50m butterfly, 100m backstroke and 400m medley relay while today, the 200m individual medley (IM), 50m breaststroke, 100m freestyle, 200m butterfly and 800m freestyle relay events take place.



Medal table after Day One (26 events)

Teams*Gold*Silver*Bronze*Total

T&T*6*2*2*10

Bahamas*4*5*4*13

Barbados*3*4*1*8

Aruba*3*3*7*13

Suriname*3*1*2*6

Jamaica*2*4*3*9

Guadeloupe*2*3*2*7

Martinique*1*2*4*7

Bermuda*1*1*0*2

French Guyana*1*1*0*2

Curacao*1*0*2*3

Antigua & Barbuda*1*0*0*1

Cayman Islands*0*1*0*1

British Virgin Islands*0*0*1*1

Top Points table after Day One (26 events)

Bahamas – 149 points

T&T – 124.5

Aruba – 124

Martinique -113

Guadeloupe – 101

Suriname – 93.5

Jamaica – 81

Barbados – 74

Curacao – 44

Cayman Islands – 36

Bermuda – 34

French Guyana – 29

Antigua & Barbuda – 19

Bermuda – 16

Cayman Aquatics – 13

US Virgin Islands – 9

Grenada – 7

British Virgin Islands - 6

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Trinidad and Tobago team manager Dexter Voisin was a satisfied man at the end of the 2014 Carifta Games, in Fort de France, Martinique. T&T finished second on the medal table with six gold medals, seven silver and 12 bronze. Jamaica produced yet another dominant performance, topping the table with 42 gold medals, 34 silver and 12 bronze, for a grand total of 88.

For T&T, the 2014 haul represented an improvement of five medals—25 as opposed to 20 in Nassau, Bahamas last year, a total that included eight gold medals, two silver and ten bronze. “The performances were very encouraging,” Voisin told the Express on Monday night.

“The mere fact that we had a lot of younger athletes means that we have a bright future. Twenty-five medals at the end of Carifta...very promising, a lot of good performances. We should leave here satisfied. Every year, we strive for excellence and improvement. This year was an improvement. “And then,” the manager continued, “some of the athletes were very disappointed in their performances, based on the goals that they would have set.

“The organisational part of the Games was not at the best. We had a lot of challenges. But as we told the athletes before we left, they have to learn to adapt to the different environment and situations because not all meets will be as smooth as we expect. At the end of the day, those who could adapt more came out on top.”

Voisin said he was particularly impressed with Machel Cedenio’s successful defence of his boys’ under-20 400 metres title. The 18-year-old quarter-miler clocked 45.95 seconds for a huge margin of victory in the one-lap final. “That is the performance that stood out,” said Voisin, “notwithstanding that we got five more gold medals.”

Kevin Roberts was also in a class by himself, the T&T athlete striking gold in the boys’ octathlon with 5,696 points--438 points more than the silver medallist. “Over the past couple years,” the manager explained, “Kevin had disappointing performances, so to come and basically dominate this year, it was a great achievement on his part. In terms of the combined events for Trinidad and Tobago, it’s very promising.”

The other T&T gold medallists at Carifta 2014 were Chelsea James in the girls’ under-18 shot put, boys’ under-20 javelin thrower Shakeil Waithe, Kayelle Clarke in the girls’ under-20 200m, and the boys’ under-20 4x400m combination of Asa Guevara, Nathan Farinha, Theon Lewis and Cedenio.

Clarke, who won the half-lap final in a wind-assisted 23.10 seconds, was thrilled with her success.

“I felt the performance was very good,” she told the Express. “I didn’t know what I would have come out in the race, but I gave it my all. My goal for the rest of the season is to continue winning in the 200 metres.”

Voisin is hoping for more success for T&T at the July 4-6 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Junior Championships in Morelia, Mexico, and the July 22-27 IAAF World Junior Championships in Eugene, Oregon, USA.

“Carifta is just the first indicator in terms of these meets later in the year, so it’s back to the drawing board for most of the athletes with regard to their personal coaches, their club coaches.

“We have to wait and see how they progress going on to the World Juniors because that’s a different level. But again, it’s very promising. If some of them continue with their training, and with improvement, we can see some good performances coming out of the World Juniors.”

Many of the top performers at Carifta 2014 will be on show at the World Juniors meet. The list includes Barbadian Akela Jones, who received the Austin Sealy Award for being the most outstanding athlete at the Games. She struck gold in the girls’ under-20 100m hurdles, high jump and long jump events. Jones was chosen as the Austin Sealy winner by the newly-formed Caribbean Alliance Sports Journalists Association (CASJA).

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PRESIDENT of the Trinidad and Tobago Cycling Federation, Rowena Williams, has lauded the efforts of the sport’s local fraternity following the successful hosting of this nation’s two biggest cycling events, the “Njisane Three-Day Cycling Festival” and Easter Grand Prix.

Over the past two weeks, the concrete tracks at the Arima Velodrome and Skinner Park, San Fernando, came alive with some of the world’s and TT’s most prolific riders going at it for top honours in various divisions.

With the likes of London Olympic Men’s Sprint silver medallist, Gregory Bauge (France), Czech Republic’s Tomas Babek and Mexico’s Daniela Gaxiola all in the mix, the local athletes were kept busy going up against several top regional and international talents on home-soil.

According to Williams, events such as these play an integral part in the overall development of our present and upcoming national representatives.

“These two events brought a lot of competition to our cyclists which has helped them boost their morale and where they have fallen short in their development,” she said. “The coaches also had open opportunities to identify weaker areas where more work should be put in. This gives them a chance to analyse and evaluate. I’m sure that the cyclists themselves were pleased with the amount of race-time they got on the track as well.”

The TTCF head admitted that the inclusion of such decorated riders augers well for the sport and its budding enthusiasts. She acknowledged the importance of motivating younger ones to join the sport of cycling, which has been receiving significant attention from the authorities and the public alike over the past few years. Williams also noted that the benefits from such internationally acclaimed events can only derive positive outcomes from a still developing national outfit.

“It boosts them all round and influences a lot of newcomers into the sport. Events such as these bring new blood into cycling. When parents bring their kids to the Easter Grand Prix or Njisane Three-Day Festival, they are visibly excited and want to be a part of cycling. It was an excellent experience and one that we look forward to putting on again in years to come,” Williams added.

As is customary with TT culture, the visiting riders were on the receiving end of great hospitality by locals. Williams lauded the local athletes for their constant overflowing camaraderie towards the visitors and was proud to see this nation’s representatives working together, sharing information and experience with the foreigners.

In conclusion, Williams stated, “Every time we bring international cyclists here, there is always a strong camaraderie amongst them and the locals. A lot of the visiting riders are always pleased to speak of our friendly nature, hospitality and warmth that us Trinbagonians offer.

On many occasions, the visiting riders don’t even want to go back.”

After two action-packed international events, the TTCF now returns to the local circuit for the upcoming National Championships scheduled to ride off next month. This meet, like the previous two, will be used by locals to prepare themselves ahead of the XX Commonwealth Games and other major meets that follow in the latter half of this year.

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Had Rodney “Mighty Midget” Wilkes, this country’s first Olympic medallist won his medals within the last 25 years, he would have been a celebrated hero. His funeral would have attracted the who’s who from both the sporting and non-sporting fraternity. He would have been known by politicians, the business community and the general public. The State would have awarded him large sums of money among other forms of recognition. He would have been a popular face in the media endorsing various forms products and would have been a household name with everyone knowing his accomplishments.

However, his accomplishments came at a time when sport was only important to those who had a vested interest in it. Those who resided outside the sporting arena viewed sports more as leisure activities and spectacle events such as friendly rivalry and a space to have a lime and a good time.

Sports was not seen as an important vehicle for sustaining a livelihood, achieving economic development through the establishment of a sport industry and or social development as in building social capital and correcting some of the social ills in the society. Sports was definitely a secondary institution in society. All athletes had to work to ensure that they had a livelihood.

Wilkes worked as an electrician. Training came after work. Facilities were not of the standards as they are today especially the ones that are made available to elite athletes. There was no elite athlete programme where funding is provided to meet the costs of training and other related expenses. Public and private sector organisations did not provide the same level of financial support as is provided today. Against this background, one cannot help but ponder over the greatness of his accomplishment.

There was a lot of outpouring of sympathy on the passing of Wilkes, especially the unfortunate conditions under which he resided. It was commendable that the Ministry of Sports provided a monthly stipend for him to meet his living and medical expenses in the latter part of his life as well as assist in his funeral expenses. The question we have to ask ourselves is how we respond to similar situations in the future. Should we return to our state of disinterest, wait and then go through the same ritual of lamenting that nothing tangible was ever done for our sporting heroes of the past? Or do we become proactive and find creative efficient ways to recognise our sporting heroes of yesteryear.

It is hoped that the latter is adopted and a working group is established comprising members of the Ministry of Sports, the Sports Company, Tobago House Authority, The Ministry of the People, Ministry of Social Development, First Citizen Sport Foundation, TTOC and the private sector. The purpose of this committee is to establish the way forward on providing assistance and service to these former national athletes.

For starters a registry and social status of all athletes who have represented the country across all sporting disciplines should be established. Such a registry should not be difficult as the respective national sporting bodies (NSB’s) and national sporting organizations (NSO’s) should be able to provide such information from their own records. Such a registry should not be limited to persons who have medalled. One of the major philosophical cultural challenges we face is that our society focus solely on winners. Therefore, persons who represent but do not medaled are shortchanged in their recognition if they receive any at all. Once a person represents the country she/he is a winner and that must never be underestimated or forgotten.

Once their social status have been identified, using the existing arms of the State, measures can be taken to ensure that the basic provisions that are offered are available to them. So for instance the registry would give data about the number of persons who are pensionable age, persons who may be employed, unemployed, suffering from any physical disability etc. Coverage of funeral expenses should be a given.

Sporting heroes can be skillfully marketed to their communities through local sporting clubs, community centres and schools. For instance, a national sporting quiz and or essay writing competition can be established challenging schools, parents and students to know their sports, sports history and sporting personnel. This can forge an academic sporting culture. The media can provide blurbs of sporting heroes from all disciplines so that their names become etched in the minds of our population.

The aforementioned are just suggestions as to how we can ensure that the sporting community is kept alive during and beyond their living years. It may not see the light of day but a vivid imagination is needed. Rodney Wilkes was promised a gym to be named after him, it can still happen posthumously. Let us make every effort to ensure our sporting heroines and heroes have a dignifying life to the best of our capabilities. It is time for the sporting community to become proactive.



Editor’s Note: Minister of Sport Anil Roberts commissioned The National Sporting Archive in 2013, a website that pays tribute to all the athletes who have represented T&T over the years. The archive is a work in progressed and can be accessed at: www.sportarchivestt.com

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What’s the difference between bluffing and actually doing and lip service and genuine commitment?

It doesn’t take much of a leap of imagination to realise the possibilities for Trinidad and Tobago to establish itself in the global sport world. It’s no secret that T&T has the talent and potential to be a genuine and consistent performer on the world and Olympic stage. We have potential for sport excellence and elite performance.

T&T can win gold medals on a regular and consistent basis and not merely by luck. We aren’t best of the rest but equal to the best and can stand on the winner’s podium with the best of the best.

Success means different things to different people. In the world of elite or high performance, sport success for many is defined as winning or put another way the goal is gold.

Whatever one may define it as, every human being wants success. Everybody wants the best this life can deliver. No one likes feeling second class or being described as mediocre.

There is a difference between believing you can achieve success and wishing for it.

Those who believe they can do and those who believe they can’t don’t.

Belief triggers the power to do.

Most self-improvement pundits claim that if you believe you can succeed and you will.

Think doubt and fail. Think victory and succeed. But is it that simple?

Positive thinking experts say that we are all products of our own thoughts.

So thought management is important.

Unsuccessful people suffer from a disease called excusitis.

The more successful the individual the less they rely on excuses.

Overcoming the barriers to success is achieved by making no excuses.

The goal is gold.


How do we overcome the hurdles and obstacles?

If for example we look back at the London 2012 Olympic Games, it’s safe to say that London 2012 will always be special. But don’t be fooled, there is a lot of unfinished business to take care of.

Anytime you represent your country, it is important. There is no room for complacency.

If the goal is gold, the bridge that leads to achievement is discipline, belief, passion and perseverance.

Success in the past does not guarantee success in the present or future, it simply fuels expectations.

Progress isn’t success. At the elite level of sport it’s a never ending process—the bar is always going up. You reach one level and the bar is always raised higher. Complacency will stifle consistent achievement.

Once you fall back into business as usual or rest on your laurels, the chasing pack will hunt and run you down because everyone is fighting to achieve the ultimate goal which is the gold. Reconditioning for success starts with raising the bar and going after more major accomplishments.

Ten or more Olympic Gold medals by the year 2024 or put another way ten or more Olympic champions by the year 2024 will be achieved if we believe that it can be accomplished.

Our sportsmen and women have what it takes, they are equal to the best and are world class performers.

It’s not about luck but planning and preparation.

We have to create the strategy and the structure that will allow our sportsmen and women to deliver on their potential and to motivate them to have the singular focus and hunger that will inspire in them the will to push themselves to the limits of their ability.

The Olympic Games are the ultimate in most sports. The ultimate quest is gold.

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Thirty-year-old Celine Lestrade was the only runner from Trinidad and Tobago (TT) who competed yesterday in the 118th edition of the Boston Marathon in the United States (US).

This year’s marathon was a significant one, as last year’s marathon was ruined after two bombs exploded near the finish line killing three spectators and injuring 264 people.

Last year, four TT runners escaped unhurt — Marlon Bascombe, 23, of Brooklyn, New York; Christopher Battoo, 25, of Brookline, Massachusetts; Ingrid Mathison, 50, of West Hempstead, New York; and Learie Lezama, 53, of St James, Trinidad, Due to the bombings, security was beefed up for yesterday’s marathon which saw 36,000 runners from across the world registered to compete.

To ensure a safe event, runners were asked to use clear plastic bags for their belongings and spectators were asked to leave strollers and backpacks behind. The Boston Athletic Association said more than 100 cameras were installed along the route and close to 50 observation points were set up to monitor the crowd.

According to the Boston Marathon website Lestrade, of Cocorite, who ran under bib number 11277 arrived at the 5k mark (3.1 miles) at about 10.50 am and completed the race at about 1.45 pm with a total time of 3:18:20. The website stated that Lestrade, placed 6002 out of the total runners who competed. Lestrade is no stranger to the local running circuit as she has competed and won many races. She has also represented TT in regional competitions. In 2010, she won the 11th edition of the Venture Credit Union Co-operative Society’s 5k Road Race. In 2011, she won the Granny Luces 15k in a time of just under one hour and one minute and the Scotiabank Women Against Breast Cancer 5k. Lestrade, in her teens, was also a swimmer.

The athlete is currently employed at BP Trinidad as a risk analyst. According to her LinkedIn profile, Lestrade attended the University of Toronto, where she received an Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree with distinction in Environmental Studies and Natural Resource Management and a minor in Political Science. She also holds the NEBOSH Level 6 National Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety.

Other Caribbean countries that were represented included Bahamas, which had two runners, one from Barbados, 19 from Bermuda and one from the Cayman Islands.

Winning the men’s division was Meb Keflezighi of the US. In the women’s division, last year’s winner Kenya’s Rita Jeptoo kept her title. In the wheelchair division, Tatyana McFadden of the US won for the second consecutive time in the women’s division while in the men’s Ernst Van Dyk of South Africa placed first.

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MINISTRY of Sport specialist badminton coach and multiple national champion, Solangel Guzman has been appointed to the position of Technical Director by the Trinidad and Tobago Badminton Association (TTBA) new executive board.

Guzman is also this country’s leading female athlete and one of the top players in the Pan American region. And whilst her list of athletic achievements is quite extensive, the former Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games 2006 champion also boasts of an impressive academic curriculum vitae.

An inspired Guzman expressed her commitment towards such a post and revealed that she is ready for the task ahead. Though she expects a challenging list of assignments, Guzman is well aware that this opportunity will certainly derive all-round benefit. The former Cuban athlete holds a Bachelor’s of Scienc in Physical Education and Sport (Manual Fajardo University - Havana, Cuba 2002-2009) and is a Level III badminton coach (TT). She has attained certificates in Planning of Sport Training, Sport Preparation, Massage Therapy and Shuttle Time Badminton Tutor. Some of her previous work experience also entails being Cuban national badminton team captain/ assistant coach (2004-2007) and Cuban national badminton team captain/ coach (2007-2009).

On her recent appointment, TTBA president Derwin Renales admitted that Guzman’s knowledge and experience of the sport should play an instrumental role towards the overall enhancement of badminton.

Renales stated, “We, the members of the TTBA executive and by extension the Trinidad and Tobago Badminton fraternity are truly elated to have Ms Guzman on board as the Technical Director. We are used to seeing her from an athlete’s perspective, however, I am certain that Solangel is a good fit for this post. Apart from being well trained, she also brings years of experience and she is an extremely enthusiastic and creative individual with a strong work ethic. Solangel also possesses a high level of Sport Science acumen that would definitely be a valuable asset to us. We welcome Ms Guzman and look forward to the level of badminton in Trinidad and Tobago being lifted to higher heights in 2014 and beyond.”

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The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) today hosted its first Olympic Academy since 1991 to advance the spirit of Olympism throughout the nation.

Held in the 1984 Games host city of Los Angeles, the event - supported by US Olympic and Paralympic Foundation chairman Gordon Crawford and jointly staged by legacy organisation the LA84 Foundation - brought together scholars, students, athletes, administrators, business experts and members of the media to create a forum for Olympic education and the exchange of ideas.

The theme of the Academy was "Athlete Development" and Scott Blackmun, the USOC's chief executive, explained exactly what he meant by that phrase.

"Our mission is relatively narrow," he said in his opening speech.

"We are focused on sustained competitive excellence at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

"We believe that our calling, our job within the global Olympic Movement, is to do the best that we can do to empower our American athletes to do the best that they can do."

Other speakers included International Olympic Committee member and USOC board member Anita DeFrantz, USOC sport performance chief Alan Ashley, USOC organisational excellence chief and 1984 Olympic 100 metres hurdles champion Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, and LA84 Foundation board member and 1960 Olympic decathlon champion Rafer Johnson.

Water polo Olympic champion Brenda Villa, London 2012 cycling silver medallist Dotsie Bausch and Paralympic sprinter Jarryd Wallace also spoke at the one-day event.

The original US Olympic Academy took place from 1977 to 1991 over three or four days on college campuses throughout the US.

Going forward, the USOC is now looking into whether the Academy could become a regular event once again.

"USOC leaders will now review participant feedback and discuss options for the viability of a US Olympic Academy," Lindsay Hogan, the USOC senior director of communications, explained.

"This was a successful first step in the assessment process."

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