Keston Bledman, HBM (born 8 March 1988) is a Trinidad and Tobago sprinter.

Early career His mother lived in the US, and Bledman attributes his athletic success to wanting to do well enough to qualify for the national team and earn a visa. He was recruited by Gunness Persad, who became his coach, at Pleasantville Senior Comprehensive sportsday. His first international competition was the 2005 World Youth Championships, where he won an individual bronze. His athletics idol is Hasely Crawford who won the 100 m at the 1976 Olympics for Trinidad and Tobago.

Career On 7 July 2007, at the 2007 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships in São Paulo, Brazil, he upset the Jamaican Yohan Blake in the 100 meters, finishing in 10.32 seconds (−1.1 m/s wind).

Bledman represented Trinidad and Tobago at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. He competed at the 4 × 100 m relay together with Marc Burns, Aaron Armstrong and Richard Thompson. He was the lead off man. In their qualification heat they placed first in front of Japan, the Netherlands and Brazil. Their time of 38.26 was the fastest of all sixteen teams participating in the first round and they qualified for the final. Armstrong was replaced by Emmanuel Callender for the final race and they sprinted to a time of 38.06 seconds, the second time after the Jamaican team, winning the silver medal. In 2022, Bledman and his teammates received the gold medal due to Jamaica's Nesta Carter testing positive for the prohibited substance methylhexaneamine.

He ran in the first round, but not the final of the men's 4 × 100 m at the 2009 World Championships where Trinidad and Tobago won silver.

On 4 June 2011, Bledman ran 9.93 over 100 m in Clermont, Florida, to become the 78th athlete to cross the 10-second barrier. He won his first national title in June 2012 by beating Richard Thompson over 100 m and ran a personal best time of 9.86 seconds,Lawrence, Kwame (25 June 2012). Bledman wins Trinidad and Tobago title in 9.86. IAAF. Retrieved on 9 July 2012. which is currently tied for the 27th fastest ever. At the 2011 World Championships, he qualified for the 100 m final as one of the fastest losers in the semi-final.

He was also a member of the relay team that won a silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He was part of the Trinidad and Tobago team 4 × 100 m team that won the bronze at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. He ran in the 100 m and the 4 × 100 m at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Personal bests Distance Time venue 100 m 9.86 s (+1.4 m/s) Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago (23 June 2012) 200 m 20.73 s Lappeenranta, Finland (3 August 2008)

International competitions Representing 2005CARIFTA Games (U-20)Bacolet, Trinidad and Tobago8th100 m10.79 (+1.7 m/s)1st4 × 100 m relay41.05World Youth ChampionshipsMarrakesh, Morocco3rd100 m10.552ndSprint medley relay 1:52.512006CARIFTA Games (U-20)Les Abymes, Guadeloupe2nd100 m10.57 (0.0 m/s)Central American and CaribbeanJunior Championships (U-20)Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago2nd100 m10.39 (+1.5 m/s)4th4 × 100 m relay40.80World Junior ChampionshipsBeijing, China7th100 m10.47 (-0.5 m/s)54th (h)200 m25.57 (-0.6 m/s)2007CARIFTA Games (U-20)Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands2nd100 m10.41 (+1.2 m/s)Pan American Junior ChampionshipsSão Paulo, Brazil1st100 m10.322nd4 × 100 m relay40.11Pan American GamesRio de Janeiro, Brazil9th (sf)100 m10.344th4 × 100 m relay39.23World ChampionshipsOsaka, Japan22nd (qf)100 m10.332008Central American and Caribbean ChampionshipsCali, Colombia10th (sf)100 m10.381st4 × 100 m relay38.54Olympic GamesBeijing, China1st4 × 100 m relay38.062009Central American and Caribbean ChampionshipsHavana, Cuba6th100 m10.291st4 × 100 m relay38.73World ChampionshipsBerlin, Germany2nd (h)4 × 100 m relay38.472010NACAC U23 ChampionshipsMiramar, United States4th100 m10.19 (+1.7 m/s)Central American and Caribbean GamesMayagüez, Puerto Rico7th100 m10.321st4 × 100 m relay38.242011Central American and Caribbean ChampionshipsMayagüez, Puerto Rico1st100 m10.052nd4 × 100 m relay38.89World ChampionshipsDaegu, South Korea8th (sf)100 m10.146th4 × 100 m relay39.012012Olympic GamesLondon, United Kingdom9th (sf)100 m10.042nd4 × 100 m relay38.122013World ChampionshipsMoscow, Russia11th (sf)100 m10.087th4 × 100 m relay38.572014World RelaysNassau, Bahamas2nd4 × 100 m relay38.04Commonwealth GamesGlasgow, United Kingdom14th (sf)100 m10.243rd4 × 100 m relay38.102015World RelaysNassau, Bahamas7th4 × 100 m relay38.92Pan American GamesToronto, Canada4th100 m10.123rd4 × 100 m relay38.69World ChampionshipsLondon, United Kingdom50th (h)100 m10.752016Olympic GamesRio de Janeiro, Brazil23rd (h)100 m10.206th (h)4 × 100 m relay37.9612017World RelaysNassau, Bahamas11th (h)4 × 100 m relay39.44World ChampionshipsLondon, United Kingdom29th (h)100 m10.269th (h)4 × 100 m relay38.612018World Indoor ChampionshipsBirmingham, United Kingdom26th (h)60 m6.79Commonwealth GamesGold Coast, Australia12th (sf)100 m10.30 –4 × 100 m relayDQCentral American and Caribbean GamesBarranquilla, Colombia12th (sf)100 m10.354th4 × 100 m relay38.902019Pan American GamesLima, Peru8th100 m10.432nd4 × 100 m relay38.46 1 Disqualified in the final.

Track records As of 9 September 2024, Bledman holds the following track records for 100 metres. LocationTimeWindspeedm/sDate Arima 10.08 0.0 10 May 2014 Mayagüez 10.05 –0.5 15 July 2011 Orlando 9.89 +0.9 26 May 2012 Sotteville-lès-Rouen 10.02 +0.6 6 July 2015 Toronto 9.95 +2.8 21 July 2015

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