Olympian Alvin Daniel sounds alarm: Trinidad and Tobago can't wait 20 years for another Jereem, Ato

Olympian and World Indoor Championship silver medallist Alvin Daniel says the National Association of Athletics Administrations (NAAA) and sporting administrators should not sit around and wait for TT to produce another athlete in the mould of new 400-metre national record-holder Jereem Richards.

At the Stade de France on August 7, Richards earned the praises and recognition of many around the region when he ran a blistering time of 43.78 seconds from lane nine in the men's 400m final to eclipse the previous 44.01 national record which was held by Machel Cedenio. Unfortunately, his run saw him finish fourth in an epic final, with Zambia's Muzala Samukonga just edging him to the bronze medal with a 43.74 finish. Samukonga ran a national record.

The Prime Minister, sport minister Shamfa Cudjoe-Lewis, four-time Olympic medallist Ato Boldon and Laura Pierre, TT's first female Olympian, were all among those who congratulated Richards.

On August 9, Richards returned to the Stade de France track with the 4x400m relay team as he tried to keep TT's hopes of getting a Paris 2024 Olympic medal alive. The fate of TT's 4x400m relay competition was sealed in the first semifinal heat, though, with the quartet of Richards, 18-year-old Jaden Marchan, Shakeem McKay and 36-year-old Renny Quow bringing up the rear in the eight-team field in three minutes, 6.73 seconds (3:06.73).

The TT relay team may have felt Murphy's Law was working against them in their heat, as first-leg runner Quow lost one of his shoes midway through his lap, with his team handing over the baton in eighth place after his 48.7 split. Richards ran the second leg, with Marchan then handing off to the runner McKay. TT's position in the race didn't improve and they finished more than five seconds behind the Polish team which finished seventh in 3:01.21.

Daniel joined in commending the 30-year-old Richards for his run, and he also acknowledged the valiant efforts of two-time Olympic medallist Keshorn Walcott, who placed seventh on the men's javelin final with a throw of 86.16m – his best throw since an 89.07m heave in June 2022. However, he pondered on what may follow for TT athletics.

"If Jereem stops running now, we don't really have much things going for us on the track right now," Daniel told Newsday. "Twenty years and 30 years after an athlete finishes (his/her career), that's how long it's taking for us to produce somebody else good.

"Let's not wait another 15 or 20 years before we see another Jereem or Ato or whoever is performing at a high level."

TT carried a 17-member contingent at the Paris Olympics in cycling, swimming and track and field, with as many as nine first-time Olympians in the mix.

On August 8, with veteran sprinter Michelle-Lee Ahye absent from the lineup, newcomers Akilah Lewis, Sanaa Frederick, Sole Frederick and Leah Bertrand, who advanced to the women's 100m semis, placed eighth in semifinal two as TT clocked a time of 43.99 seconds.

Not for the first time, Daniel questioned the steps being taken to help athletes transition from the Carifta level to the world stage. He called for the Ministry of Sport and Community Development and the Ministry of Education to come together with key stakeholders to ensure the system is reworked.

"We need to go back to the schools and we need to have proper systems in place. The athletes are working with what they have. Sometimes, it's not enough for them," Daniel said.

"We were world champions and world relay champions. Now, we don't have that big a depth in terms of athletes... My heart goes out to all the athletes. We will have to step it up or else we'll be left behind."

TT's last Olympic medal came at the Rio 2016 Games when Walcott grabbed bronze, following up his gold medal from London 2012.

In an interview with I95.5FM's Andre Baptiste, the outspoken Boldon added, "I'm tired of being in Olympic stadia and seeing my country be completely invisible – and we've been mostly invisible at these championships,"

Boldon said his previous warnings have been ignored. "I feel like I've stood on the bow of the ship enough and said, 'Iceberg ahead,' and now the ship has run aground."

Boldon said admitting there's a problem which needs to be fixed is the first step in steering TT track and field in the right direction. He again criticised NAAA officials.

"I will be listening if somebody wants to talk about how we rectify this and how we bring this ship back into open waters and the way it used to be."