Richard Thompson’s win in the 100-meter dash at the Trinidad and Tobago national championships was impressive considering the circumstances that surrounded him.The former LSU star sprinter was involved in a car accident in January, setting his training routine back several weeks.And now Thompson is one of six former LSU track and field athletes who will compete in the 2009 IAAF World Championships on Aug. 15-23 after picking up his first career Trinidad and Tobago national title June 21.”We were worried about whether or not we would be able to catch up,” said LSU coach Dennis Shaver, with whom Thompson still trains. “While I still feel he’s a little bit behind, certainly for him to give that kind of an effort in Trinidad, both he and I were very pleased with it.”Shaver said the former LSU athletes who qualified for the World Championships will begin training in Baton Rouge in late July before heading to Berlin.He said some of the athletes will participate in competitions in Europe for several weeks until they return to Louisiana.”There’ll be about probably an eight to 10 day period there that they’ll be here kind of resting a little bit from running in Europe and will be training here,” Shaver said.Thompson had a whirlwind 2008 season, winning the NCAA championships in the 60- and 100-meter dashes as well as the silver medal in the 100-meter dash at the Beijing Olympic Games.Despite the rough start to 2009, Thompson’s bounce back to win the 100-meter dash championship in 10.01 seconds, 0.02 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Aaron Armstrong, surpassed his 2008 finish.”It was a very exciting time for him because last year, he was unable to accomplish that,” Shaver said. “He was the runner-up.”Shaver said he doesn’t think Thompson is feeling any lingering effects from the accident.”Part of the reason is because we were very cautious about how we progressed,” Shaver said. “We really didn’t even let him get under a squat rack until about eight weeks after the wreck.”Shaver said Thompson should focus more on training and preparation before the World Championships instead of competing in meets.”He did the rehab work that he needed to over that eight-week period so that we could get back to work,” Shaver said. “As a result, that’s what’s given him a chance I guess now to actually be able to possibly run right at a PR again.”Thompson wasn’t the only former LSU athlete to shine at the Trinidad and Tobago national championships.Kelly-Ann Baptiste, the 2008 NCAA champion in the 100-meter dash for the Lady Tigers, won the women’s 100-meter dash with a Trinidad and Tobago record-time of 10.94 seconds. Her time also ranks No. 5 in the world this year.”It was I think a tremendous breakthrough for her in her first year out of the collegiate system and becoming a professional,” Shaver said. “I’m extremely happy with the progress that she’s continued to make training here with us.”Former Tiger hurdler Isa Phillips also won a championship of his own in Jamaica on June 27. He beat out four-time defending champion Danny McFarlane for the 400-meter hurdles title with a 48.05-second time, No. 2 in the world this year.Shaver said both Baptiste and Phillips would benefit from competing in several more meets before heading to Berlin.”They’re going to be running a couple competitions a week, starting this next week over in Europe, and training what little they can in between those competitions,” Shaver said. “I think that’s the best thing for them.”One former Lady Tiger who will compete for the U.S. at the World Championship is Muna Lee.Lee, a 20-time All-American at LSU, finished second at both the 100- and 200-meter dash at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on June 25-28.Shaver said Lee will not participate in very many competitions before the World Championships because she is competing in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes.”That’s eight races that you’re going to run probably in about five days, six days at the most,” Shaver said. “You’ve got to go into that competition fairly rested and feel really good or you’re not going to be able to perform at your highest level in both events when you reach that final.”The other two former LSU athletes who will compete at the World Championships are Walter Davis of the U.S. (triple jump) and Nickiesha Wilson of Jamaica (400-meter hurdles).—-Contact Robert Stewart at [email protected]