Wright to jump start TT's World Champs campaign

THE 2019 IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) World Championships kicks off tomorrow in Doha, Qatar and 15 athletes (nine male, six female) will represent TT in various track and field events over the next ten days.

Andwuelle Wright will compete in the men's long jump qualifiers at 9.30 am tomorrow.

He will go up against athletes from Guyana, Australia, China, Spain, South Africa, Japan, Greece, Cuba and the US. The athletes must achieve a jump of 8.15m, or at least be among the 12 best performers, to advance in this event. Wright's personal best and season's best currently stands at 8.25m, which was set at the Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) Under-23 Championships in Mexico. This performance landed him a spot in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

The team arrived, in Doha, on September 19 where they spent some time in a camp organised by the National Athletic Association of TT (NAAATT) before being taken to their hotel.

Many of the athletes also competed in and medalled at the Pan American Games, in Peru, in August, including Keshorn Walcott, Jereem Richards and Machel Cedenio, among others.

TT earned two medals, at the 2017 Championships, in London. The men's 4x400 metre relay team consisting of Richards, Cedenio, Jarrin Solomon and Lalonde Gordon copped gold and set a national record of two minutes, 58.12 seconds. Richards later earned bronze in the men's 200m final.

The Championships end on October 6.

TT team (events in brackets):

Men: Kyle Greaux (200m); Jereem Richards (200m, 4x400m relay); Machel Cedenio (400m, 4x400m relay); Darren Alfred, Deon Lendore, Onal Mitchell, Asa Guevara (4x400m relay); Keshorn Walcott (javelin); Andwuelle Wright (long jump).

Women: Kamaria Durant, Mauricia Prieto (200m, 4x100m relay); Kelly Ann Baptiste (100m, 4x100m relay); Reyare Thomas, Semoy Hackett (4x100m relay); Portious Warren (shot put).

Technical Staff: Dexter Voisin (manager); Wendell Williams (coach - long jump); Ian Carter, Charles Joseph (coach - sprints and relays); Ismael Lopez Mastrapa (coach - throws); Dr Anyl Gopeesingh (doctor); Anthony Walcott, Nicole Fuentes (medical).