The 2024 Paris Olympics is just about three months away and honestly, there must be a sense of tremendous trepidation and concern among our sporting leaders about the readiness of the team. After no medals at the Tokyo Olympics, this country cannot afford another session of despair and sadness with no returns in medals.
It has not been a generally promising build-up for our main contingent of track and field athletes over the last few years at World Championships with no medals. And while it is safe to say that the sports of athletics have gone backwards in results since 2020 or the last Olympics in Tokyo, many blamed COVID-19 but the truth is, there has been a decline in the talent pool in track and field. Facing this reality is the greatest obstacle to any executive finding a response and a resolution.
At the Games in Paris from July 26 to August 11, the horizon for medals in athletics looks bleak, notwithstanding our relay teams will be endeavouring shortly at the World Relays to either maintain or secure places at the Olympics and give us all hope for some reward, individually we appear razor thin, apart from two-time Olympic medallist Keshorn Walcott (who has been recovering from injury), likewise leading T&T athlete Jereem Richards who has also been making a gradual return to the track after a long absence through injury.
Then there is the evergreen and strong-willed Michelle-Lee Ahye but alas after that, there is no one that appears to be able to have any chance of individual medal glory, based on times and recent performances. We can hope for someone to come forward in the next few weeks, but that would appear to be wishful thinking.
The absence of Machel Cedenio on the 4x400 metres relay team at the World Relays is a major concern for me and I sincerely hope many others, this young man has too much talent and has to be given every fair opportunity by those in authority. I am always wary when officials are quick to write off talented athletes who do not walk the same path as them or are aligned with coaches close to an association.
But less I digress and talk about the state of coaching in this country and become very upset by some of the methods and ideas which appear to be outdated and simply “OLD”.
Suffice it to say that I believe that there are a lot of young coaches available such as Keston Bledman who need to be given a proper opportunity to lead a young brigade forward and allowed to throw out new ideas and new thinking.
We have Jehue Gordon a World champion, a very intelligent young man who can inspire and bring confidence to young athletes, give him and Bledman more power, more influence, pass the Baton and stop holding on too long.
Ato Jabari Boldon has tirelessly spoken on these matters much more eloquently than me, and no one appears to be listening so I guess the obvious question is —Why should they listen to me?—And the truth is I do not expect them to but I want them to know that everyone is seeing their “petty coats” (my words and spelling).
However, there is a bright side to the upcoming Olympics and it involves cycling and swimming.
In cycling, the continued efforts of elite sprinting cyclist Nicholas Paul suggest he will be competitive and with racing luck on the cycling track be able to reverse the awful memories of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics fallout from poor officiating. This time around, he is more experienced and likewise the expected team around him, so T&T look on expectantly and prayerfully in both the Keirin and his pet event, the Match Sprint.
In swimming, T&T has Dylan Carter, who was our first athlete to qualify for the 2024 Olympics which has allowed Dylan and his team to prioritise certain areas of his training regime and techniques over the various swimming styles and distances.
The name Dylan Carter now carries with it, a rightful recognition among his peers over the last few years in particular and through the improvements he has made under his team led ably by locally-based coach Dexter Brown.
Notably, both Carter and Paul have the indomitable support of their parents in all their travels and travails, and I must note, that this is critical in any, and all success on many occasions for the majority of our successful sportsmen
So, in Nicholas Paul (cycling) and Dylan Carter (swimming), we trust and likewise in Keshorn Walcott, Jereem Richards and Michelle-Lee Ahye we trust in athletics but where are the others?