Spurce: newsday.co.tt
Ephraim Serrette, president of the National Association of Athletics Administration (NAAA) is hoping to see improvement from each of this country’s athletes at the IAAF World Youth Championships which gets underway on Wednesday in Lille, France.
Serrette, although noting that he believes this country can pick up a couple medals, said he will be pleased if all the athletes at least record personal bests in their respective disciplines.
We’ve sent the best team we could. We have a CARIFTA double gold medallist in Machel Cedenio who is ranked top 10 in the world in his age group. The relay team stands a good chance at medalling too. We expect the athletes would do their best. They are competing against the best in the world so that would motivate them. They are on the world stage. From my experience in 2005 when I managed a team even though some guys didn’t make a final they did their personal best and that is all we can really ask of them,” he said.
Also on the national team is Jereem Richards of Quantum Track and Field Academy who will be competing in the 200m.
Memphis Pioneers’ Reuben Walters, who will feature in the 110-metre hurdles and Hezekiel Romeo, the national Under-18 shot put record holder are in France as well.
Kernesha Spann of Neon Trackers will line up for the girls Under-20 400m hurdles. Shaunna Downey of Burnley Athletic Club will compete in the discus while 100m sprinters Onika Murray of Quantum and Chelsea Charles of Petrotrin Palo Seco are there too.