Dominican triple jumper, Thea Lafond, says she is in the best form of her life and believes anything is possible as she heads into the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Thea will begin her quest for Olympic Gold on Friday in the Women’s Triple Jump Event which starts at Friday July 30th, at 6:05am Friday morning Caribbean Time.
This is Thea’s second go at the Olympic Games; she participated in 2016 in Rio as an unqualified athlete.
She did not let her disappointing showing at Rio deter her, and she went through a rigorous training program which has since seen her elevated to one of the top jumpers in the world.
Lafond credited her coaching staff led by Aaron Gadson and physiotherapist Kala Flagg for the work put in over the past few years to turn her into a medal hopeful at the 2020 games.
The triple jumper is also grateful for the support given to her by the Dominica Olympic Committee.
Lafond and 800 meter runner Dennick Luke are back at the Olympic Village after spending the earlier part of the week at a PanAm Sports-organized training camp in a bio secure facility in Japan.
While Lafond, the 2018 Commonwealth Games bronze medalist, will compete in Triple Jump on Friday, July 30, Dennik Luke will run in the 800 meter event on Saturday July 31st. The event starts at 8:50pm (Friday night Caribbean Time June 30th)
In the videos below, Lafond speak with the Dominica Olympic team’s press attaché, Garvin Richards.
Meanwhile, President of the Dominica Olympic Committee Billy Doctrove, has urged the athletes to give it their all and leave everything they have on the track and jumping area.
He told them that his minimum expectation is for each athlete to obtain at least personal bests in their respective events. However, he said they should not restrict themselves to personal bests but look to secure even bigger results at the games.
Acting General Secretary and Athletes Rep Brendan Williams told the athletes to be proud of the fact that they are now Olympians.
Williams, a former athlete himself who represented Dominica in high jump, reminded the athletes that they were in Japan as a result of hard work and dedication.
He urged them to use the games as a tool to further build on their bright careers.
You performed immaculately; you flew over the line like an asteroid flying across the sky’s.
As an asteroid descending out of the asteroid belt, between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, bursting through earths atmosphere as a meteor; and landed beautifully!
For such great qualifying performance I the critic king must congratulate you on such a great performance!
Try to improve for the finals.
I saw your takeoff and landing, you are better than good; you are great!
Wow, a poet as well! A direct copy and paste of Google. Don’t tell us that once you even performed at Shakespeares Globe in London. But then again I recall a play there that had a character in it playing a donkey. Was that you, you old Donut?
I told you before, you are a jack of all trades and master of none. Even a Poet you are… Never mind, in my book you are just a Donut.
Wait to see if you can translate the best form of your life into a MEDAL.
WISH YOU SUCCESS!
It is nice to see a Dominican athlete training at the Olympics Games but I cannot help but wonder where in Dominica do they train and with what? And please no rubbish political comments, this is a genuine question and concern. Because while I can see what FIFA has done for football in Dominica, I have not yet seen what is the value and purpose of the Dominica Olympic Committee, except when it is time to travel you see and hear of them. Olympics is a continuous preparation that never stops. What we see at these games is a result of continuous work, not just for the occasion. I am not sure that the DOC in Dominica understands that! Please correct me if I am wrong.
@Truth be Told: From what I’ve heard these athletes are none resident Dcans. They train off island but represent their country. Does this answer your question?
What has FIFA done for football in Dominica, asking a question
@Truth Be Told
If only you were Dominican, you would have known that since 2004 when liar Skerrit became PM, sports have been on the decline. Just ask the liar, Skerrit, who has been his sports ministers from 2004.. Then ask him about the state of the DGS grounds, the Pottersville savannah, Geneva playing field, etc, etc, etc…. Skerrit as leader, is an embarrassment, and a square peg in a round hole..It’s not just sports that has declined though, but all the other sectors.
So 80% of the blame is squarely on the shoulder of the liar Skerrit and 20% on the Dominica Olympic Committee.
I HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION!!!
Lie Be Told, with a performance like that whether the kid trained in Dominica or elsewhere, I am sure she did not train on rock stones.
And by the way what you saw in Tokyo; she was not in training, she was jumping to qualify for the finals, where there is a strong probability that she could become the first athlete in history to gain a gold medal in Olympics sports for Dominica.
And by the way don’t give that damn corrupted crook Roosevelt Skerrit any credit for her success!
Remember you doh can jump eh; caus, caus, caus you too ole.
But I ole boy here can jump like wan kangaroo eh!
Hahahahahahaha!