Khalifa St. Fort (L) alongside Candace Hill (C) and Jana Kirkland (R) as they receive their 100m Medals at the 9th IAAF World Youth Championships - photo by Image of Sport

KHALIFA ST. FORT, A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH

By:  Noel ‘Bravo’ Francis for DyeStat Florida

One of the most heart-warming stories arising from the 9th IAAF World Youth Championship was that of 100m silver medalist Khalifa St. Fort (11.19) of Trinidad & Tobago. The wonderfully gifted athlete made tremendous improvement to becoming the eighth fastest youth ever in July 2015. St. Fort’s performance in Cali, Colombia was also the fastest non-USA time in youth history. She is now 0.02 away from her country’s national junior record which is 11.17 seconds, held by 2011 World Championship 100m bronze medalist Kelly-Ann Baptiste.

The young Trinidad & Tobago sprinter’s meteoric rise was not by happenstance as she was conditioned and mentored by one of the world’s best sprint gurus, Ato Boldon, at the time of her success. Boldon, a World Champion and renowned NBC sports broadcast analyst took St. Fort under his wings at a critical point in her career. The American born St. Fort was a diamond in the rough at that stage. 

It was actually her father who approached Boldon in 2014 to guide his young daughter, whom he felt was not progressing enough at her school, St. Thomas Aquinas High in Fort Lauderdale. “Her father came to me because he was thoroughly frustrated ... She is actually the fourth, not the first person from that program to show up at my door needing extra help in the last 5 years," Boldon said.

The young sprinter could not have gotten a better person to work with as Boldon is a two-time World Junior Champion, two-time NCAA Champion, 200m World champion and four-time Olympic medallist. The former Trinidad & Tobago representative and IAAF ambassador is pleased to be working with such a humble, intelligent and coachable athlete like St. Fort. “She is a coach's dream because she is intelligent, and willing to work and work until she drops. I actually have to be very careful with not pushing her too hard. I am a believer that most coaches over work and I go in the other direction. She hasn't had a single injury of any kind under me and we don't use a physio of any kind. That, to me, is my biggest accomplishment with her - keeping her in perfect condition”.

As the months progressed it was evident that under Boldon’s tutelage St. Fort kept improving by shaving chunks off her previous best times. She made an emphatic statement when she won the 2015 Golden South Classic 100m in a new personal best of 11.43 seconds defeating the best sprinters in Florida. This victory ensured St. Fort lined up against the nation’s elite sprinters in the Adidas Dream 100 at the Adidas Grand Prix in New York on June 13, 2015. She placed third in New York with a time of 11.62 seconds running into a strong (-1.5 m/s) headwind. St. Fort thrives on great competition which was evident at the World Youth Championship where she ran a personal best in every round of the 100m. St. Fort also broke and held the World Youth Championship 100m record temporarily before favorite and champion Candace Hill lowered the mark twice in the semi-final and final.  

Interestingly, St. Fort shares similarities with her coach at this stage of her career. Both were 17 years old at their country’s junior trials prior to the Olympic Games the following year. She is also likely to attend his alma mater the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) next year. Her parents, a Trinidadian mother and an American father are firm on education and demand that she achieves acceptable grades before running track. On May 23, 2015, Khalifa St. Fort responding to a question about academics in a post-race interview told DyeStatFL “It is grades before athletics; if my grades slip I would not be able to run”. St. Fort is a brilliant all-round athlete with a 4.8 GPA average something which her coach adds “I've never even met anyone with a GPA that high”.

Boldon who shares a special bond with St. Fort, like a father and daughter, has meticulously plotted her path to the next level. She has two major championships for the remainder of the 2015 season. St. Fort recently received confirmation from the Trinidad and Tobago Athletics Federation that she has been chosen to participate at the IAAF World Championship in Beijing, China in August. She will also compete at the Pan American Junior Games in Edmonton, Canada scheduled for July 31-August 2, 2015. However, prior to those two major competitions, St. Fort is expected to be among a group of elite athletes from all over the country at this year’s 4-day Nike Elite Camp in Portland.

Next year will be a busy one for the St. Fort team and plans are already in place for the Carifta Games – the Caribbean’s premier junior championship, World Junior Championship in Kazan, Russia in addition to her country’s Olympic trials and the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. The sky is the limit for the fearless, hardworking and smart Khalifa St. Fort.

About the Author:

Noel ‘Bravo’ Francis is a very exciting and creative freelance sports writer from Jamaica specializing in the fields of athletics and cricket. His colourful down to earth yet professional personality makes him a favourite amongst athletes and fans. Readers are often exposed to his detailed knowledge and passion which usually increase their interest in the athletes, events and the sport overall. He has a first degree in Banking & Finance and works in the financial industry. Contact Noel at [email protected]

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