T&T’s men’s 4x100m, 4x400m and women’s 4x100m relay teams have qualified for the London Olympic Games set for July 27 to August 12. The teams were selected based on their top 16 rankings on the IAAF best relay performances listings by the July 2 deadline. The men’s sprint team is fifth with an average time of 38.40 seconds following its 37.91 clocking in the heats of last year’s World Championships in Daegu, South Korea and 38.89 at the 2011 CAC Senior Championships in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. Reigning Olympic gold medalists Jamaica are at number one ahead of arch-rival USA, France and Great Britain.
The T&T squad will include members of the national team which won silver at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. They are reigning Olympic 100m silver medallist Richard Thompson, recently crown national champion Keston Bledman, veteran Marc Burns and Emmanuel Callender. World Championships 200m finalist Rondel Sorillo and 20-year-old Jamol James have also been named.
St Kitts/Nevis is the third Caribbean team to have qualified in the event for London, and is at ninth in the standings.
The national men’s 4x400m outfit is 10th in the mile relay listings. The team has an average time of 3:01.05 following its national record run of 3:00:45 at the Sagicor/NGC Open Championships on June 24 and its 2011 CAC Championships silver medal performance of 3:01.65. The 4X400m squad includes the national record setting quartet of Renny Quow, Lalonde Gordon, Deon Lendore and Jarrin Solomon. Teenager Machel Cedenio and Ade Alleyne-Forte are the reserves on the team. USA, South Africa and Jamaica are the top three teams. Bahamas is the other Caribbean team to qualify. The women’s sprint team is at 11th with an average time of 43.28. The foursome sped to a national mark of 43.21 in the Bahamas on June 16 after clocking 43.35 earlier in the day. Semoy Hackett, Kai Selvon and Michelle-Lee Ahye were the other members of the team and have been named on the London contingent along with Reyare Thomas and Sparkle McKnight.
Relay teams qualified for London 2012
Men’s 4x100m
Jamaica, US, France, Great Britain, T&T, Brazil, Germany, Poland, St Kitts/Nevis, Hong Kong, Canada, Italy, Japan, China, Australia and Netherland
Men’s 4x400m
US, South Africa, Jamaica, Cuba, Russia, Belgium, Great Britain, Bahamas, Germany, T&T, Kenya, Venezuela, Australia, Dominican Republic, Japan and Poland
Women’s 4x100m
US, Jamaica, Ukraine, France, Germany, Nigeria, Netherlands, Russia, Brazil, Poland, T&T, Colombia, Japan, Switzerland, Bahamas and Belarus
Women’s 4x400m
US, Russia, Jamaica, Great Britain, Ukraine, Belarus, Czech Republic, France, Nigeria, Cuba, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Brazil, Poland and Turkey
-Clayton Clarke
Source: www.guardian.co.tt