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Baird breaks 28-year-old National Javelin Record
By Edison Jefford
The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guard Rank, Leslain Baird was knocking on the door of a national record for quite some time, often leaving his nearest rivals several metres behind as he literally competed against himself on local shores.
The phenomenon of having no local competitors in his league forced him to compete at Trinidad and Tobago’s National Championships last weekend where what was inevitable occurred; Baird broke the 28-year-old National Javelin Record.
Leslain Baird
Baird finished second in Trinidad at the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF) accredited meet with a throw of 65.32 metres, which surpassed Lionel Schultz’s 64.80m National Record that was set on September 18, 1985 in Georgetown.
Baird has mastered the art of Javelin throwing, and his most memorable performance in Guyana will have to be his deciding throw at the Inter-Services Annual Athletic Championships (ISAAC) in 2011 that handed GDF the title, defeating the Police.
“He’s a very, very talented athlete. I know if he gets the exposure, he’ll be a world-class javelin thrower. He needs the competition,” Robert Chisholm, GDF Track and Field Coach told Kaieteur Sport briefly when contacted yesterday.
Baird set a new personal record in the process, erasing his 60.78m 2011 mark. He placed second to Trinidad’s Shakiel Waithe, who had a throw of 65.63m. According to a GDF press release, the Coast Guard Rank said he learnt a lot competing in Trinidad.
“I observed his training techniques, some of which are very different from the ones we have here in Guyana. So there are a few things I have grasped and I will see how best I can work some of them into my own techniques,” Baird stated in the release, adding that he intends to continue his improvement.
Baird said the competition and the new record improved his confidence. He said he will certainly be aiming to compete against some of the biggest names in Javelin throwing, including Trinidad and Tobago’s Olympic Champion, Keshorn Walcott, who has a best throw of 84.58m, which got him the gold medal in London last year.
Baird said that his primary goal is to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games that will be held in the neighbouring, Brazil. The Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) has to request the ratification of Baird’s new National Record from the IAAF, which is normal procedure.
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