Antoine looking to take on Tokyo

With memories of the 2016 Olympic Games still lingering in the minds of millions, eyes are on 2020 in Tokyo and the same holds true for Romario Antoine. The 22-year-old is laying a foundation for a road to the next iteration of the most prestigious tier of sporting excellence with recent performances on the local scene making up the mortar.

Putting up three new records within the last few weeks, Antoine has made a name for himself as an up-and-coming field athlete. With his most recent accolades including new marks in the Shot Putt and Discus at the Louis Lynch Games, it was his record at the 2017 Joseph Payne Memorial Classic in the Discus that saw him copping the Most Outstanding Field Athlete Award.

The Elite Distance Club member was presented with his award this past Monday at the MQI showroom by Organiser Charles Walcott, who said that he was happy for the former Deighton Griffith and The St. Michael School student. Walcott, who held one of the records knocked down by Antoine at this past weekend’s Louis Lynch Games since 2005, explained that he saw no reason why the sky could not be the limit for the youngster.

“I am excited! I thought that by now, the record would have been broken. When I read the newspaper I was really excited for Romario. If you have watched his progression over the year; going to the CARIFTA Games, winning a CARITA medal. This season, he has opened up really well at the Joseph Payne Memorial Classic, breaking the Men’s Discus record by a significant margin with a nine-metre difference. I am looking forward to bigger and better things for Romario. My thinking is 2020 Olympics. I see no reason why his focus can’t be towards that over the next four years,” Walcott said.

MQI has been a sponsor for the Classic for all seven years since its inception and Group Marketing Manager, Margaret Hoyte, said that her company was pleased to play its part. “We are really proud to be a part of this event yet again. We like to support the youth, support sports, and this is something that we work closely with most associations to help develop the youth,” she said.

The man of the hour is a man of few words and said that his training and competition in the United States, where he pursued tertiary education, was life-changing. Noting that his current training is tough, Antoine pointed out that he was right on track to achieve his goals. “I think every athlete’s dream is to go Olympics, but I just want to be great,” he said. (MP)