Former 200 metres world champion Ato Boldon believes that 21-year-old hurdler Jehue Gordon could become the second T&T athlete to win a gold medal at these Championships when he runs in the 400 metres final today.
Gordon will run from lane six in the event which will be contested at 1 pm (T&T time).
He will be up against Americans Kerron Clement (lane one) and Michael Tinsley (lane three), Senegal's Mamadou Kasse Hanne (lane two), Felix Sanchez of the Dominican Republic (lane four), Cuba's Omar Cisneros (lane five), Puerto Rico's Javier Culson (lane seven) and Emir Bekric (Soviet Republic) who will run from lane eight.
Boldon said yesterday that he held the view that Gordon had it in him to win a medal since the London Olympics. He said the experience of having reached the final last year and his continued improvement suggest that he is ready.
"Jehue is a very focused and dedicated individual and his progress this season has been timely and he appears to be learning all the time. I can not only see him getting a medal but in fact winning the whole thing and getting the gold. He is ready," added Boldon who is now one of the most respected athletics analyst in the world.
Boldon, a four-time Olympic medallist, is not convinced that athletes are affected by events outside of what happens on the track. " I believe that athletes are overall selfish persons who want to succeed and they are not affected by events outside of their own affairs. They all want to succeed, and I do not believe what happened in the T&T camp, will affect him."
Boldon said it was one of Gordon's strengths. "He is young but maturing quickly and he understands what needs to be done. Now he just has to go out there and execute which is not always the easiest thing."
Boldon said he was not surprised at the absence of a Trinidad and Tobago athlete in the mens 100 metres final.
"Nobody has really come forward this season with the times to suggest they could reach the finals and in some ways the results have demonstrated that. But that is not to say it is over for these guys as there is still the relays," said Boldon.
Boldon refused to get involved in the raging controversy surrounding Kelly Ann Baptiste. "Like everyone else, I am awaiting further information. We do not know the details, and until this is confirmed, let us wait and see. I know Kelly and she is my father's favourite female athlete, but we need to know more," said Boldon.
"We need to know the level of the infringement because there are minor ones where you just get a warning and then there are others where you can get long sentences. So this is important so before people discuss the matter, this needs to be clarified.
"It is like different penalties for jay walking and murder, so we should not be always so quick to make statements without all of the facts," warned Boldon.