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THE SUCCESS at the World Athletics Championships of Keshorn Walcott, who won gold in the men's javelin and Jereem Richards, who took silver in the men's 400-metre race, is a welcome reminder that the elite athletes continue to work hard at their profession.
Jehue Gordon, a director of the National Association of Athletics Administrations, travelled with the team to Japan for the championships and believes Mr Walcott's performance positions him as the greatest track and field athlete in TT's history.
There are other athletes who have more medals, but there is merit in considering Mr Gordon's evaluation of the 13 years since Mr Walcott took gold at the Olympics in 2012.
The Toco-born athlete collected a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and managed physical setbacks before acquiring a new coach and roaring back to form in Japan last week.
It's tempting to indulge in medal comparisons, weighing the relative significance of the gold, silver, and bronze hauls of our athletes in international competitions, but doing so misses the reality of life for an elite athlete, which demands daily commitment to training, strict adherence to diet, continued discipline, and an obsessive commitment to triumph over peers from other nations with the same goals.
The difference, beyond the talent of individual athletes, is the depth and continuity of support for sport by a country, and TT need look no further than the considerable impact that institutional support and training have had on Jamaican talent.
While Jamaica fields athletes in several sports, the country is best known in international sport for track and field, specifically sprinting.
Jamaica has consistently held school athletics programmes for more than 100 years, embedding a culture of sporting competition early for athletic aspirants.
The previous administration sought insight into the Jamaican model with a ministerial-led delegation to the country, but there wasn’t any substantive follow-through.
It seems, however, that World Championships medals have had a ripple effect in government, with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar pledging full support for TT athletes, describing such spending as a national investment.
It echoes a promise she made in her first term as PM, 15 years ago, when her government feted Mr Walcott with the country’s highest national award, a financial reward, and housing for his Olympic gold.
A statement from the Office of the Prime Minister last week also noted that, "sport is not a pastime; it is a pillar of national development, shaping character, building unity, and instilling confidence."
This message should be shared with state enterprises, especially the National Gas Company, around which there’s disquiet over reports it has withdrawn funding from athletics following its troubling suspension of support for the steelband community.
The PM's commitment to supporting national athletes is important and there should be more industrious accountability from local sporting bodies.
With the National Policy on Sport (2017-2027) set to expire soon, we hope funding for elite athletes and development is prioritised when this document is being reviewed, so the next generation of athletes can reach their championship potential.
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