Keshorn Walcott, the new Pan American junior (under-20) record holder in the javelin, will be on centre-stage at the National Junior Track and Field Championships, this weekend.
Walcott produced an 80.11 metres effort to strike gold at the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) centennial anniversary meet, in Havana, Cuba, on Sunday, the monster throw earning him the Pan Am junior record and 15th spot on the all-time world under-20 performance list.
The Toco field athlete is also the Trinidad and Tobago junior and senior, Central American and Caribbean (CAC) junior and North America, Central America and Caribbean (NACAC) junior record holder.
This weekend's Championships will be staged at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain and Walcott will be on show in the boys' under-20 javelin, scheduled for two p.m. on Sunday.
In April, at the 2012 Carifta Games in Bermuda, Walcott completed a hat-trick of boys' under-20 javelin victories. On Sunday, he will do battle with the athletes who earned silver and bronze in Bermuda, Barbadians Nicolai Bovelle and Janeil Craigg.
Walcott was one of six T&T gold medallists at Carifta 2012. The other five will also compete at the National Junior Championships.
Girls' under-17 shot put champion Chelsea James is listed for action in the girls' under-18 shot put and discus events. Boys' under-17 discus gold medallist Kenejah Williams will bid for honours in the boys' under-18 shot put and discus. Boys' under-17 long jump winner Andwuelle Wright competes in the boys' under-18 long jump.
Mark London, who grabbed Carifta gold in the boys' under-20 800 metres, is the favourite this weekend in both the boys' under-20 800m and 1500m events.
And Jonathan Farinha is hoping to add the national boys' under-18 200m crown to the under-17 200m title he earned in Bermuda. Farinha has been drawn in the third of nine first round heats. In the championship race, he is expected to square off against Machel Cedenio in what promises to be a half-lap classic.
Cedenio is tipped for gold in the under-18 400m.
World Indoor Championship men's 4x400m bronze medallist, Jereem Richards will also be on show this weekend. He will see action in the boys' under-20 200m and 400m events.
And Kernesha Spann will bid for the girls' under-20 400m/400m hurdles double.
Many of the athletes competing this weekend will be eyeing selection for the June 29-July 1 CAC Junior Championships in San Salvador, El Salvador and the July 10-15 World Junior Championships in Barcelona, Spain.
Action at the Crawford Stadium starts at nine a.m. tomorrow and Sunday.
-Kwame Laurence
Source: www.trinidadexpress.com