OLYMPIAN Tyra Gittens-Spotsville opens Trinidad and Tobago’s campaign at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on September 13, when she lines up for the qualification round of the women’s long jump from 6.30 pm (TT time).

Gittens-Spotsville vies for a place in the September 14 final up against 17 others in group A of the qualifiers, with another 18 contesting group B.

Her personal best distance is 6.96 metres and her season’s best is 6.73m. Gittens-Spotsville will have her work cut out as several of her group A opponents have recorded stronger performances this season.

She, however, earned bronze at the North American Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) Games in mid-August with a 6.64m leap. The US-based jumper will be hoping to disturb the sand with an improved showing on the world stage.

Later that day, TT sprinter Leah Bertrand begins her women’s 100m quest in the heats from 7.30 pm. Bertrand runs out of lane six in heat six of seven. She vies for a spot in the semi-final on September 14, from 8.20 pm, with the medal race set for just under two hours later.

Also in action for TT on day two will be quarter-miler Jereem “The Dream” Richards, who lines up for the men’s 400m heats, from 6.35 pm.

The line-ups for the heats have not yet been confirmed and this is the only event that Richards would be competing in. The 400m semis speed off on September 16 from 9.35 pm, with the final set for September 18, from 10.10 pm.

And on September 17, two-time Olympic medalist Keshorn Walcott resumes his journey to grab an elusive Worlds medal, on his seventh attempt at this level.

Walcott begins men’s javelin qualification from 7.10 pm, with the finals launching off the following day at 7.23 pm.

Joining the athlete-quartet will be team officials Dexter Voisin (manager), Keston Bellman and Eric Claus (coaches), and Alban Merepeza (medic).

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