For the first time in 20 years, Trinidad and Tobago will compete in an Olympic Games 4x400 metres final. But the four men expected to represent the Red, White and Black in today's 4.20 p.m. (T&T time) championship race are not satisfied with mere participation.
In fact, Ade Alleyne-Forte believes that the Americans–gold medallists in the event 16 times–can be beaten.
"They're most definitely vulnerable. We're like sharks in the water. We're smelling the blood and we're trying to go get it, trying to get our food. We need to eat too."
At the Olympic Stadium, yesterday, men's 400m bronze medallist Lalonde Gordon, Jarrin Solomon, Alleyne-Forte and 19-year-old Deon Lendore, running in that order, combined for victory in the first qualifying heat in three minutes, 00.38 seconds–a new national record.
"I'm happy we came out on top," said Gordon. "Looking forward to the final."
After a good start from Gordon, Solomon continued the fine work, earning T&T a five-metre lead halfway through the race. But Alleyne-Forte, who came into the team as a replacement for the injured Renny Quow, found the going tough, slipping to third. T&T were still third when anchorman Lendore came off the final turn, but he produced a strong run on the home straight, leaning at the line to hand his team victory by the narrowest of margins.
Lendore, who bowed out of the individual 400m event in the opening round after finishing fifth in his heat in 45.81 seconds last Saturday, produced an impressive 44.49 seconds split in yesterday's relay.
"From the open four, I saw I wasn't really in the shape I thought I would have been in, so I came out in the relay to try to measure myself, so I'll go into the final a little more confident. I didn't get the first part of the race, so I had a lot to do coming home. I didn't want to come in two or three. I wanted the first place in order to get a good lane, so it could be better for us when we go into the final."
T&T will start in lane four in today's medal race. Great Britain finished second to T&T in yesterday's opening heat, also in 3:00.38, while Cuba clocked 3:00.55 to earn the third automatic qualifying berth up for grabs.
South Africa's second leg runner, Ofentse Mogawane, fell during the race, and his team did not finish. However, it was determined that Kenyan Vincent Mumo Kiilu had cut across Mogawane. The Kenyans were disqualified, while the South Africans were given a spot in the final by the jury of appeal. Solomon was superb on the second leg for T&T, combining with Gordon to lay a solid foundation for the record run.
"I'm feeling really good," Solomon told the Express. "My body's in the best shape of my life."
The second heat was also a close contest. Bahamas won in 2:58.87, the same time clocked by second-placed United States.
But though no T&T team has ever run under three minutes, Solomon is certain T&T will be in the hunt for gold.
"We ain't really care about time. We just want to get the medal, so as fast as it takes to get that gold medal, that is what we're going to do."
Lendore is also determined to climb the podium. "I'm inspired by Lalonde. He inspired the whole team to try and get a medal too."
At 2.53 this afternoon (T&T time), T&T will bid for a men's 4x100m championship race lane. The track and field team manager, here in London, Dexter Voisin, said that Richard "Torpedo" Thompson will run the leadoff leg, handing off to Marc Burns. Emmanuel Callender performs third leg duties, while the anchor leg responsibility is Keston Bledman's.
T&T will run in lane four in the second of two heats, next to France, in five. United States have been drawn in lane seven.
Heat one will feature reigning Olympic champions, Jamaica.
At the 2008 Beijing Games, Jamaica won in a then world record time of 37.10 seconds, while T&T clocked 38.06 to earn silver.
Source: www.trinidadexpress.com
Keshorn Walcott is just 19, but he's already Trinidad and Tobago's most successful male field athlete in Olympic Games history.
Nineteen-year-old Keshorn Walcott continues to create history for Trinidad and Tobago, advancing to the Olympic final of men's Javelin Throw with a herculean effort in his third and last attempt of the qualifying phase in London yesterday. 
Semoy Hackett is very satisfied with her performances at the Olympic Games here in London, England.
Keshorn Walcott left it for late, but qualified for the Men’s Javelin final at the Olympic Games, with his last toss of 81.75 metres in the qualification round at the Olympic Stadium, yesterday in London, England. The debutant kept his nerves despite not getting the start desired and placed 10th in the competition which saw 44 throwers battling for a spot in the final scheduled for Saturday from 2.20 pm. In his first attempt, the world junior champion reached 78.91. He followed that up with an unimpressive 76.44. “I didn’t do what I came out to do. The distance wasn’t my best, hopefully when it comes back to the final I will get a better throw,” said, the soft-spoken Walcott. He admitted that the entire Olympic experience may have distracted him somewhat, diverting him away from his strategy for the opening round. “I was a bit anxious and a bit nervous so I was just a little off, but things worked out for the better, so I will come back and hopefully do better.
Fear not T&T, Olympic bronze-medallist Lalonde Gordon has given his assurance that T&T 4x400m relay team can prosper, even in the absence of quartermiler Renny Quow. Quow’s Olympic experience came to a premature end, without him even stepping on the track here in London, England. He left on Monday for the United States to tend to a hamstring injury which has been troubling him for some time now. Annette Knott, chef de mission yesterday confirmed that the 400 metres specialist will not take part in the 30th Olympiad. “We didn’t want to chance him getting further injuries so he went back to the US to do therapy on the injured harmstring,” she said. Today, the men’s relay team, which will consist of a combination of Gordon, Ade Alleyne-Forte, Jarrin Solomon, Deon Lendore and Machel Cedenio, will look to dominate at the Olympic Stadium, competing in the first of two heats at 6.35 am T&T time. “We have a good chance of medaling although we don’t have Quow,” said Gordon. “All the guys should go under 45 so we have a good chance.”