Grenadian gov’t praises Peters

ST GEORGE’S, Grenada (CMC):

Grenada’s government has lauded the achievement of Anderson Peters after his historic capture of the men’s javelin title at the IAAF World Championships in Doha, Qatar, on Sunday.

The gold medal was the first ever for Grenada in a field event at a World Championship and only the second gold overall, following on from Kirani James’ success in Daegu in 2011.

“On behalf of the government and people of Grenada, the Ministry of Youth Development, Sports, Culture, and the Arts congratulates Anderson Peters on capturing the gold medal in the men’s javelin at the 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships in Doha,” a statement said.

“We also wish to extend congratulations to Anderson’s family on this great achievement.

“Anderson Peters’ historic win has made him the first Grenadian to win a World Championships medal in the field events. He is also the second athlete in Grenada’s history to become a World champion, with Kirani James being the first.

“He concluded his 2019 athletics season undefeated as the two-time SEC Champion, two-time NCAA champion, NACAC Under-23 champion, and Pan-American champion.”

The statement added: “The ministry extends congratulations to coach Paul Phillip and the team officials who assisted Anderson Peters on the remarkable achievement.

“Their commitment and expertise continue to guide and ensure that our athletes have an opportunity to compete and succeed on the world’s stage.”

Peters measured 86.89m on his fourth attempt, which proved to be the winning mark, upsetting a field that saw defending World champion Johannes Vetter of Germany forced to settle for bronze with a throw of 85.37m.

Estonia’s Magnus Kirt clinched silver with a mark of 86.21m.

The 21-year-old Peters, a student at Mississippi State University in the United States, said he hoped his success served as an inspiration for the tiny Caribbean nation.

“I want to tell my fellow Grenadians that everybody can do it if I can do it,” he said. “It’s possible for everybody to become a World champion. You just have to want it as badly as I do.”

There was disappointment, however, for James, who could only muster a fifth-place finish in the men’s 400m final in a time of 44.54 seconds as Bahamian Steven Gardiner took gold in a national record 43.48.

His effort also came in for praise from government.

“Although James did not bring home a medal for Grenada, his return and performance showcased his resilience, especially with the recent passing of his mother, Ms Annie James,” read the statement.