Reigning double Olympic silver medallist Richard Thompson is among 20 local athletes who have attained the qualifying standards for the 30th Olympics Games set to begin on July 27 in London, England. Thompson, who sped to silver in the men’s 100m finals in Beijing, China four years ago, has attained the sprint event A standard of 10.18 no fewer than nine times in 2011 with his quickest clocking, a national record mark of 9.85 seconds set in taking his third straight national crown at the Hasely Crawford stadium on August 13. The former Queen’ Royal College student is one of seven local sprinters to dip under the A standard. Keston Bledman(9.93), Armstrong(10.07), Marc Burns (10.09), Emmanuel Callendar (10.12), Darryl Brown (10.13) and Rondel Sorillo (10.17) are the others  and will be gunning for the three spots at this year's National Championships in June to determine who will represent T&T in the individual event in London.


The seven will no doubt form the nucleus of the men’s sprint relay team aiming at improving on the silver won in Beijing. Sorillo also made the grade in the men’s 200.  World Junior champion Jehue Gordon (400m hurdles), 2009 World championships bronze medallist Renny Quow (400m) and Mikel Thomas (110m hurdles) are the other male A standard qualifiers. Sorillo blazed past the 20.55 mark for the men’s 200 with a 20.16 posting in winning last year’s national title on August 14. The 2011 World Championships finalist has gone under the barrier no less than three occasions.

Gordon is the lone local to better the 49.50 mark in the one lap hurdle event getting under the 49 second barrier on four occasions in 2011. His quickest is 48.66 which he achieved in Berlin, Germany on September 11. Quow ran faster than the 45.30 standard at the World Championships in Daegu, South Korea last August clocking 44.84 in the heats. Thomas dipped under the 13.52 mark for the 110m hurdles speeding to a personal best of 13.48 at the Texas Relays on March 31 earlier this year. Local athletes have until July 8 to get their target times and distances (unless otherwise stipulated by the NAAA).  


Several of these athletes have made their marks in 2011. It would be interesting to hear of the plans of the NAAA to ensure the qualifiers maintain form and get into high level  competitions/meets to enable them to be competitive and are medal contenders in come London.
Are we going to see relay teams at the Penn Relays at the end of this month? Would athletes who have been just short of the standards (Quincy Wilson-men’s discus, Ayanna Alexander-women’s triple jump and Keshorn Walcott-men’s javelin) be given opportunities to compete at top level meets and get top level training as well as funding?


List of T&T who have already attained the Olympic standards.
A maximum of three (3) A standard qualifier or only one (1) B standard qualifier can compete.
Olympic qualifying period - May 1, 2011 to July 8, 2012

Men
100 (A-10.18/B-10.24)
Richard Thompson
9.85/10.01/10.03/10.05(2)/10.06/10.08/10.09(2)/
Keston Bledman
9.93/10.05/10.06/10.09 (2)/10.12
Aaron Armstrong 10.07
Marc Burns 10.09
Emmanuel Callendar 10.12
Darryl Brown 10.13
Rondel Sorillo 10.17
200 (A-20.55/B-20.65)
Rondel Sorillo 20.16/20.34/20.41
400 (A-45.30/B-45.90)
Renny Quow 44.84
Lalonde Gordon 45.51
Zwede Hewitt 45.51
Deon Lendore 45.56
110m Hurdles (A-13.52/B-13.60)
Mikel Thomas 13.48
400m Hurdles (A-49.50/B-49.80)
Jehue Gordon 48.66/48.75/48.92/48.98

-Clayton Clarke

Source: www.guardian.co.tt