While the Northwestern State seasons are over for the athletes, journeys are just beginning for athletes aiming to reach the Olympics.

 

Three athletes who finished their Demons career in recent weeks are aiming to reach the world’s biggest meet—the Olympics in Paris, which start July 26.

 

Zachaeus Beard (United States) and Diamante and Djimon Gumbs (British Virgin Islands) can make their mark in respective meets, starting Friday.

 

The twins begin their meet at the British Virgin Islands Championships on Friday in the men’s hammer and men’s javelin. The hammer kicks it off at 4:30 p.m.

 

Then both twins compete in the javelin Friday at 6 p.m.

 

Diamante also is competing in the shot put, while Djimon is taking part in the javelin, shot put, discus and hammer.

 

The men’s discus starts at 3 p.m. on Saturday, while the men’s shot put starts at 5:30.

 

The twins are being coached by NSU head coach Mike Heimerman.

 

In the U.S., Beard heads back to Oregon and the same track that he earned First Team All-American on earlier this month.

 

Beard runs in the 100-meter dash at 8:22 p.m. on Saturday.

 

Among the athletes he is competing against are former Tennessee sprinter and one of the fastest men in the world Christian Coleman as well as former Texas A&M-Commerce speedster J.T. Smith.

 

The finals in the event are at 9:49 p.m. on Sunday.

 

Beard ran his wind legal personal best at the NCAA East Regional, clocking a 10.04 to earn him a trip to nationals, where he earned his First Team All-American spot.

 

His overall best is a time of 10.00, which he ran at the Corky/Crofoot Shootout, which he clocked in April.

While it is cut-and-dry for Beard about how he makes the Olympics, it is not as much so for the Gumbs twins.

 

For Djimon in the shot put, the Olympic standard is 21.50. However, there is a new way to qualify, based on the points system. Depending on where an athlete finishes and what meet he or she goes to, the athlete earns a certain number of points.

 

If the athlete is ranked in the top 32 in the world, they earn an automatic berth to Paris.

 

Currently, Djimon ranks 70th in the men’s shot put in the world rankings with 1128 points. The 32nd-ranked athlete in points in the event is Argentina’s Nazareno Sasia with 1213 points.

 

From there, Djimon is hoping to go to Jamaica’s Olympic trials and rack up points in hopes of representing his home country in the Olympics.

 

Diamante ranks 428th in the shot put with 925 points.

 

In the discus, Djimon currently ranks 155th in the world discus rankings with 1012 points. Juan Caicedo is currently in 32nd place with 1184 points.

 

The twins aim to continue to add points when they travel to Jamaica for its championships later in the month, as they try to reach the Olympics.