After the disappointment of star swimmer George Bovell III finishing seventh in yesterday's 50-metre freestyle final in the Olympic pool, Trinidad and Tobago's track and field athletes will pick up their country's medal hunt in a packed schedule today. Also featuring on the track, but in the cycling velodrome, will be outstanding sprinter Njisane Phillip who is looking to translate success at the hemispheric level to an international stage.
All eyes will be on national men's sprint champion Keston Bledman who is expected to heat up the track when he begins his hunt for precious gold in the blue ribbon men's 100-metres event. Joining him on that quest are double-Olympic silver medallist Richard Thompson and Rondel Sorillo.
Bledman ran a career-best time of 9.86 seconds in winning the men's 100m dash at the National Track and Field Championships in Port-of-Spain in June and will look to go even faster when he matches up against the best in the world in the heats from 12.30 pm (7.30 am T&T time). Thompson who finished second to Bledman at the local trials will use his past experience, coupled with his intensive training, to get to the medal round.
Sorrillo is newer to the dash but has proved he knows what it takes to get top results. T&T got a taste of what he can bring when he followed Bledman and Thompson, respectively, to bag the bronze at the National Championships. Sorillo confesses that the unpredictable weather in London has not been kind to him, but he is dealing with it.
"I can't concentrate on the weather, I just have to concentrate on what I have to do to execute a proper race," Sorillo said. "Training has been wonderful but I have to sharpen up on a few things...But it has been good." Sorillo is also competing in the 200m and is part of the 4x100m relay team. "I have competed in these three events at one meet before, so I am not worried," said Sorillo. "I can handle it."
T&T quartermilers Renny Quow, Lalonde Gordon and Deon Lendore will get their introduction to the track today, as well as they seek to reach the podium. Their event starts at 10.35 am (6.35 am). Quow, the most experienced of the trio, will line up in heat one, with Lendore next in heat two and Gordon will take his position in heat six as they all aim to progress to the semifinals.
"I am a lot more confident than last year and the year before that," said Quow, who picked up a slight hamstring injury before the Games. "I felt a twitch there," he said, indicating his right hamstring. "But I'm fine now. It's nothing serious." He had one request for the national community and it was: "Keep praying for us and we will deliver."
Cyclist Njisane Phillip will also be busy this morning at the velodrome when he enters the qualifying round of the men's sprint event from 10 am (5 am). A total of 17 riders will compete in the event. Leading up to today, Phillip has been putting in some good times in training and expects to peak at the right time. "I've been taking it one day at a time...Definitely a great accomplishment to get here to the Olympics," said Phillip, who sat on his bicycle during the interview.
He was very appreciative of all the support that has been coming his way as he looks for success in London at his first Olympic Games. "I want to thank everybody at home for the support-my sponsors, my family, everybody that has given me 100 per cent support and cheering me on."