Olympic javelin gold medallist Keshorn Walcott says the Caribbean must do more to support the next generation of throwers, admitting that he’s disappointed by the lack of development in the region since his historic Olympic breakthrough in 2012.
“I'm a bit disappointed in my country, honestly,” Walcott told Sportsmax.TV. “I was hoping to have a lot more because we have the talent, but it's just like (we’re not) investing in the talent.”
Despite his own success and the emergence of others like Grenada’s Anderson Peters, Walcott said he expected to see more young athletes from Trinidad and Tobago rise in the event.
“I see the people from The Bahamas, the Andersons, the people coming up, and I would like to see more athletes coming out of my country in the javelin. But it’s a little bit disappointing for me,” he said.
Walcott pointed to the globalisation of javelin in recent years as a clear indicator that the playing field has opened up—and that countries outside the traditional European strongholds are now legitimate contenders.
He also noted how the standard of competition in the event has risen dramatically, especially over the past few years. “Going into any competition now nothing below 88 metres is going to get you anything,” the two-time Olympic medalist remarked.
“I believe that the year after Olympics… the level is always going to be higher because the pressure is a bit off. So if I see two people over 90 metres this year at the World Championship (in September), I would not be surprised.”
Reflecting on the 2024 Olympic final in Paris—arguably the most competitive men’s javelin event in modern Games history—Walcott acknowledged the intensity of the field.
“That was one of the more exciting competitions I've seen in a while... Any other Olympics in history, you cannot go to Olympics and not get a medal at 86 metres. That's crazy,” he declared.
Now entering the latter stages of his career, Walcott said he's ready to actively search for and mentor emerging javelin talent.
“Hopefully now that I'm coming later in my career, I can actually put some time into actually seeking and looking for some potential talent,” he said.
“I'm willing to help because I love the event and I just hope that the young guys come up because I want them to enjoy the same way I enjoyed it.”
As part of that effort, Walcott recently launched the Golden League, a grassroots initiative designed to promote track and field among youth in Trinidad.
“I started a small league in Trinidad trying to find athletes. We had some grass-root competitions… we call it the Golden League. We had a great turnout of athletes—400 athletes for competitions,” he said.
While the programme is not limited to javelin, he remains committed to looking out for his own event.
“It's something we were really trying to link together with not just track and field, but for all sports. But I'm track and field, so I have to look out for my people first,” he said.
For Walcott, developing javelin in the Caribbean is not just about national pride—it’s about ensuring that his legacy goes beyond medals. “I would love to see some more development… and more young guys doing it,” he concluded.