St Fort keen to dip below 11 seconds

The 19-year-old stopped the clock at 11.56 seconds to win the 100-metre final last Saturday and, two days later, ran 23.99 seconds to take the 200m gold medal.

During a welcome ceremony at the VIP Lounge, Piarco International Airport on Tuesday, St Fort reflected on her successful weekend at the CARIFTA Games and said she will continue strive to improve and seek to dip below 11 seconds in the 100m and 23 seconds in the half-lap. St Fort has a 100m personal best of 11.19 achieved in 2015 and has stopped the clock at 23.55 in the 200m in 2014.

“I’m definitely looking forward to breaking 11 (seconds) and breaking 23 (seconds). Those have been my biggest goals since last year and I wouldn’t stop until I get it,” she declared.

St Fort, who is currently competing at the IAAF World Relays in the Bahamas, has her eyes set on more gold medals and in particular the 2017 Pan Am Jr Championships title.

“Pan Am Juniors, of course, defending my 100 metres title, and that’s about it,” she said, when asked about her goals for this year. The Pan Am Jr Championships will be staged in Lima, Peru from July 21-23 and St Fort will have fond memories of crossing the line first in 11.31 seconds in the 2015 edition at Edmonton, Canada.

Discussing her 2017 CARIFTA Games she said: “The experience was really (good). My teammates made it so much better. They were encouraging us, and that definitely got me through the double this year.” Asked to elaborate on the forms of encouragement, on and off the track, she said, “On the track, they were all there, always there, as much athletes as possible.

Off the track, they (technical staff) made sure and kept everybody focused and also kept the energy very light, so we all had the ability to do our best.” While indicating that she was not at 100 percent physically, St Fort said she makes no excuses.

“I was a bit under the weather and my voice was (somewhat) gone. I want to prove that, even under any circumstances, I’ll still compete and that’s exactly what I did,” she said.

St Fort has been under the guidance of sprint legend Ato Boldon since 2015 and expounded on their relationship.

“Being trained by Ato Boldon is a great experience. It’s very easy because he relates to us as athletes, because he did everything that we’ve done already. So anything I may feel or anything that may be (discussed), I can always consult with him. I’m constantly consulting with him,” she said.

Does she look up to him as a coach or as one of TT’s greatest ever sprinters? “Both,” she responded. “He’s a coach and an athlete. At present, it really doesn’t matter. We all go through the same trials, the same upsand- downs.” However, she was quick to point out, “if I don’t do anything for the sport, I hope to be the best role model I can be.” St Fort has a Trinidadian mother and she noted she had little or no aspiration of representing any other nation than the red, white and black.

“(My dad) definitely knew I was going to represent Trinidad from small because I used to watch the Olympics and I would say ‘mummy I’m going to represent Trinidad and Tobago’.

And my roots are here. My father knows my roots are here and he was like ‘this is the perfect choice.’” She said she frequently visits her relatives who are based in Couva.

“This is the best choice for me and the perfect choice. Trinidad and Tobago is the best country and I’m glad I’m representing the best country,” she declared.