Trinidad and Tobago’s javelin stalwart Keshorn Walcott is setting his sights on a promising 2025 season, as he hinted at strategic changes to his coaching staff in pursuit of longer throws and an elusive World Athletics Championships medal.

Reflecting on the past year, Walcott, a four-time Olympian, believes 2024 went as well as it could despite significant challenges, which have forced technical adjustments aimed at refining his performance for the upcoming season.

“2024 was good. Starting out with the challenge of having surgery and going into the season with a bit of an unknown factor, I believe the season went as best as it could have gone,” Walcott said.

“I know everybody might have been disappointed, including myself, about not getting a medal at the Olympics, but, at the end of the day, I’m still proud about what was accomplished for the season,” he added.

Walcott, who won Olympic gold in 2012 and bronze in 2016, finished seventh in the men’s javelin final at the Paris Games in August, after he returned to competition just two months shy of the global multisport showpiece. This was due to surgery for an Achilles tendon injury, which resulted in a grueling 10-month recovery.

With that rough patch now behind him, Walcott plans to return to the circuit in May 2025 with a firm belief that the additions to his coaching staff could play a pivotal role in finally securing a World Championship podium finish, an achievement that has eluded him in six prior attempts.

“I’ve included some additional coaching to my team. We have been making a lot of changes in terms of technical and overall training itself. The method has changed. We’re just looking for a different overall season and result. Things have been going well, and I’m happy with training and the progress so far,” Walcott shared.

While the 31-year-old was reluctant to reveal specifics about the new members of his coaching team, he expressed optimism about the direction of his preparations.

Walcott’s World Championship performances have been a mixed bag, with his best result being seventh in 2017, and though nearing the twilight of his career, he remains determined to leave no stone unturned in his remaining competitive years.

His first target on that trajectory will be next year’s World Athletics Championships, scheduled for September 13–21 in Tokyo, Japan.

 “Yes, Keshorn is almost to the twilight of his career, and I’m not going to hide the fact that my career is coming to an end. We can’t do this forever, but I’m planning to enjoy and do the best that I can for the next couple of years while I am able to,” he declared.

“The goal is always to throw far and get a medal at the World Championships. Things are going in the right direction. So far with training, it’s early, so we still have a long way to go until September. I have time,” Walcott noted.

Beyond his competitive aspirations, Walcott has also moved to foster the next generation of athletes through his Golden League Athletics series. The first of seven legs launched on December 7 provided local athletes with a platform to compete, track progress, and develop their potential.

The next leg is slated for early January, and the grand finale is tentatively set for March.