Trinidad and Tobago's Cleopatra Borel closed off her 2012 campaign with silver in the women's shot put, at the Rieti 2012 IAAF World Challenge meet, in Italy, yesterday.

The Mayaro thrower produced an 18.52 metres heave to secure the runner-up spot, behind two-time Olympic champion Valerie Adams. The New Zealand field athlete threw the iron ball 20.77m—seven centimetres further than her 20.70m winning effort at the London Games, last month.

Borel had the satisfaction of beating 2012 Olympic silver medallist Yevgeniya Kolodko for the third time this season. The Russian copped third spot yesterday with a 17.81m throw.

Emmanuel Callender was also on show in Italy, yesterday. The T&T sprinter finished fifth in the men's 100 metres dash in 10.23 seconds. Christophe Lemaitre, of France, topped the field in 10.04, beating veteran St Kitts and Nevis sprinter Kim Collins (10.09) into second spot. Norway's Jaysuma Saidy Ndure (10.14) and Jamaican Lerone Clarke (10.15) finished third and fourth, respectively.

Callender, a member of the men's 4x100m team that bagged bronze at the London Games, grabbed 100m gold at the Bigbank meet, in Talinn, Estonia, in late August. He clocked 10.24 seconds.

Borel also tasted victory in Europe recently, the reigning Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games champion striking gold in Rovereto, Italy, last Tuesday, with an 18.82m heave—her best throw this season. Two days earlier, she was second in Padova, Italy with an 18.71m effort.

"I am satisfied," Borel told the Express, yesterday. "Things were not going so well towards the middle of the season—injuries, and things were really difficult. I'm happy I did this circuit. It motivates me to keep going, putting me in a better state of mind for next year.

"Coming into today's meet," the T&T thrower continued, "for the first time all year I felt tired. I felt I was running out of gas, so I'm surprised to throw this well."

Borel threw 18.36m to finish 13th in the qualifying competition at the London Olympics. She was just nine centimetres short of a berth in the 12-woman final.

After the final, however, Belarusian thrower Nadzeya Ostapchuk was stripped of her gold medal following a positive drug test, and Borel was promoted to 12th.

"I've put that behind me," said Borel, "and looking forward. Nothing can make up for missing out on an Olympic final, because I can't say I have four more years."

The 33-year-old field athlete said she felt a sense of justice when she heard that Ostapchuk had tested positive.

"Within the group of female shot putters, we always knew. I always suspected her. I felt cheated, and I felt justice. I felt she cheated me for ten years, from lots of stuff. For her to get caught was good for the sport."

Borel, who has been based in the United States for her entire athletics career, has decided to move back to T&T. In the build-up to the 2013 World Championships, in Moscow, Russia, she will be coached by Ismael Lopez, the man who guided 19-year-old javelin thrower Keshorn Walcott to gold at the London Olympics.

"After the Olympics," Borel explained, "I was questioning everything, including my own ability. Now, I feel I can carry on. I felt like I was done, but Ismael has been encouraging me. He planted the seed in my head that I can go on for a couple more years.

"I'm really excited—we're hosting the CAC Championships next year. There's support at home, I'll be close to family, and the weather is what I like," Borel ended. "No winter."