Portious Warren, Jerod Elcock kick-start World Champs campaign

TRINIDAD and Tobago shot putter Portious Warren and sprinter Jerod Elcock will compete on day one of the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, USA, on Friday.

Warren will line up in Group B of the women’s shot put qualification phase from 8.05 pm TT time.

A total of 15 athletes are in Group B and 14 in Group A.

Warren will have to throw a distance of 18.90 metres to qualify for the final or at least finish in the top 12 to advance.

Her personal best in the event is 18.75m achieved at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics last year.

Warren will be the second athlete to throw in Group B.

Chinese shot putter Lijiao Gong, who is the two-time defending world champion, is in Group B along with Jamaican Danniel Thomas-Dodd.

Thomas-Dodd earned a silver medal at the 2019 World Championships.

Elcock will represent TT in the men’s 100m heats from 9.50 pm. Elcock has been given a bye and is not required to run in the preliminary round which starts at 3.30 pm.

Keshorn Walcott, Michelle-Lee Ahye and Jereem Richards are in the 11-member TT team.

Two-time Olympic medallist Walcott, who is one of TT’s medal contenders, will compete in the men’s javelin.

2018 Commonwealth 100m gold medallist Michelle-Lee Ahye will line up in the women’s 100m event.

Richards, who is also a 2018 Commonwealth gold medallist in the 200m event, will vie for medals in the 200m and 4x400m relay events.

TT TEAM

Jerod Elcock (men’s 100m), Eric Harrison (200m), Jereem Richards (men’s 200m, men’s 4x400m), Dwight St Hillaire (men’s 400m, men’s 4x400m), Asa Guevara (men’s 4x400m), Shakeem McKay (men’s 4x400m), Kashief King (men’s 4x400m), Keshorn Walcott (men’s javelin), Michelle-Lee Ahye (women’s 100m), Portious Warren (women’s shot put), Tyra Gittens (women’s long jump)

Officials

Dexter Voisin (team manager), Charles Joseph (coach), Keston Bledman (coach), Ismael Lopez Mastrapa (coach), Nicole Fuentes (massage therapist), Keisha Fraser (massage therapist), Dr Alban Merepeza (physiotherapist)