NAAA to submit official Olympic track and field team to TTOC on Friday

THE National Association of Athletics Administrations of Trinidad and Tobago (NAAATT) will submit its final list of Olympic-bound track and field athletes to the TT Olympic Committee on Friday.

Thus far, nine athletes have confirmed participation at the Tokyo Games. NAAATT president assured on Thursday that they were in the final stages of submitting this nation’s final Olympic track and field team.

Upon submission, the team will be ratified by the TTOC before the entire official TT Olympic contingent is announced.

“We’re selecting the team tonight but it will have to go to the TTOC for ratification. They normally announce the whole team. Everything is on course so far and we have not encountered any issues,” said NAAATT president George Comissiong.

Two-time Olympic medallist Keshorn Walcott leads the unofficial track and field squad having surpassed the 85-metre qualification mark during a bronze medal display at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland in 2019. He launched the spear 86.09 metres.

Sprinters Kyle Greaux and Jereem Richards also confirmed their Tokyo tickets for the men’s 200-metre event back in 2019. The Olympic qualification standard for this event is 20.24 seconds.

In May, Greaux clocked 20.15 seconds at the Pure Athletics meet in Florida while Richards sped to a 20.14 seconds performance at the National Senior Track and Field Championships at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo two months later.

Also securing qualification at the Pure Athletics meet was Tobagonian and four-time Olympian Kelly-Ann Baptiste. She earned a Tokyo pick by dipping below the qualifying time (11.15s) in the women’s 100m. Baptiste clocked 11.14 seconds.

Additionally, in July 2019, Tobago’s Andwuelle Wright surpassed the qualification mark (8.22m) in the men’s long jump. At the North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) Games in Mexico, Wright leapt to an 8.25m and set a new national record.

Three months later, quarter-miler Machel Cedenio bettered the 44.90 metre qualification standard of 44.90 seconds in the men’s 400m by stopping the clock on 44.41 seconds at the IAAF World Championships in Qatar.

Another Tobagonian Dwight St Hillaire also secured men’s 400m qualification by clocking 44.74 seconds at the Pepsi Florida Relays in Florida on April 3.

Meanwhile multisport athlete Tyra Gittens will make her Olympic debut in the women’s long jump. During a multiple record-breaking performance at the South Eastern Conference (SEC) Games in May, she leapt 6.96 metres, exceeding the 6.82 metre standard.

And on June 5, sprinter Michelle-Lee Ahye booked an Olympic spot by clocking 10.96 seconds (season-best) in heat three of the women’s 100 metres at the NACAC Games Invitational in Florida.