World javelin champ Keshorn Walcott: My career all down to science

WORLD Javelin champion Keshorn Walcott says the secret of his longevity in the sport, which saw him become Olympic champion as a teen and then world champ 13 years later, is all down to science.

Speaking at the World Javelin Conference in Kuortane, Finland, on November 20, he shared with coaches and administrators exactly how long-term, science-based training helped carry him from through the highs and lows of his decade-long career.

Walcott and his new coach, Klaus Bartoniezt, gave a presentation titled, Long-Term Training Methods: From Olympic Gold to World Champion, in which Walcott reflected his long career, highlighting how he had grown in the sport, sharpened his technique, and stayed committed in the demanding men’s javelin event.

Walcott, who won Olympic gold in London in 2012, bronze in the Rio Olympics in 2016, and finally his first World Athletics Championships gold earlier this year, said the title of his presentation at the conference reflected the truth of his journey.

“I spoke on my athletic experience from guesswork to science, because for the majority of my career everything was kind of being done from the dark,” he told Newsday during a telephone interview on Friday.

Delivering his joint address to over 100 international coaches and administrators, Walcott spoke on the shift in his preparation over the years – how he planned sessions, monitored quantity and quality, and how technique gradually became the core of improvement.

After chasing a podium spot at World Champs level for 13 years, Walcott switched from his initial double-Olympic medal-winning coach Ismael Lopez Mastrapa, to Bartonietz, in the latter half of 2024.

After almost a year under the new coach's watch, Walcott won a historic gold medal at the World Champs in September, becoming the nation’s first athlete to be crowned Olympic and World champion. He landed the spear an impressive 88.16 metres, staving off the world’s best throwers.

During his address at the conference, he said, “I highlighted the things I did before, how I would prepare for training, how I would train, how I would go about doing everything – in terms of the quantity, the quality, the when, the how – and I spoke mostly about transferring from what I knew before to what I know now and the changes we made through the technique.”

He told the audience how his early training had relied more on instinct than structure and science.

Walcott said coach Bartoniezt placed special emphasis on the block leg (the front leg that plants firmly during the final phase of a throw). The coach believes in, "block harder, throw further" Walcott confirmed.

Together, they demonstrated how modern biomechanics underpinned their adjustments, with heavy focus on maximising leg force.

“Our whole presentation and demonstration was about making full use of the legs. Without the legs, there would be no real possibility of throwing far. We explained how we made the changes and the principles of how to apply the biomechanics to the throw.”

The Toco native also participated in a practical session featuring Finnish massage therapist Pentti Niemi, showing attendees how the shoulder is prepared for competition – particularly valuable for those coaching developing throwers.

For Walcott, the experience being at this conference was energising.

“It was a good experience for me. I always enjoy speaking about javelin and it’s easy for me. When I was asked to come and address them, I was excited. It was a new experience, and I’m sure it won’t be the last because I really enjoyed it,” he said.

Feedback was immediate and positive. “The coaches spoke afterwards and said they really enjoyed the presentation. They asked a lot of questions,” he added.

In the end, Walcott described the session as a full-circle reflection – the journey from 2012 to now, what changed, and what allowed him to stay competitive at the highest level for more than a decade.

“It was a good conference. It was more a combination – where I came from, from 2012 to now, and what changed. What I do differently. It was basically about longevity in the sport.”

And with his World Championship gold arriving 13 years after his Olympic triumph, Walcott summed it up by saying, “Winning a World Championships gold more than 13 years after winning Olympic gold – longevity is definitely a topic you can speak on.”

]