Keshorn Walcott captures silver with season best throw in Finland

Trinidad and Tobago field athlete Keshorn Walcott captured silver in the men’s javelin event at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland on Tuesday.

The two-time Olympic medallist launched the spear a season best distance of 82.84 metres. He, however, finished a fair distance behind eventual winner Marcin Krukowski of Poland, who achieved 89.55 metres, a new personal best.

Rounding off the top-five finishers were Russia’s Rocco Van Rooyen (82.55 metres), Lithuania’s Edis Matusevicius (81.23 metres) and Finland’s Oliver Helander (80.82 metres) respectively.

Walcott continues to show good promise ahead of the Tokyo Games. In less than a month, he has earned three medals in as many meets since his recent return to European competition in over a year, owing to the pandemic.

On May 19, Walcott participated in his first top-flight competition for the 2021 season – Ostrava Golden Spike Games in Czech Republic – and threw to bronze with an 82.75 metre effort.

Four days later, he bagged silver with a distance of 77.78 metres at the 2021 Wanda Diamond League in Gateshead, England.

Walcott is currently based in Portugal and will remain in Europe until the start of the Olympic Games on July 23.

At the 2012 Games in London, England, Walcott secured TT’s second-ever Olympic gold medal by throwing 84.58 metres. Four years later, at the Brazil edition, he held on to bronze with an 85.38 metre performance.