He is?the fastest junior in this country and he is going where no schoolboy has gone before.
Levi Cadogan broke new ground yesterday when he signed a two-year deal with Adidas, the renowned German manufacturer of sports shoes, clothing and accessories.
Cadogan, 18, the silver medallist in the 100-metre dash with a lifetime best of 10.25 seconds in the under-20 division at last month’s CARIFTA Games in Martinique, becomes the youngest Barbadian athlete to go pro.
He is charting new territory by bypassing the United States collegiate system and attempting to go pro while still home-based.
“It’s a major step but I am ready for it. It is the biggest jump-off point of my career and I am looking forward to it. I?have a come a long way with divided sporting interests, cricket and track and field. My father pushed me in the direction of cricket and mother likes track. I am happy,” said a delighted Cadogan, flanked by his father Bernhard, mother Destiny and coaches Gabriel Burnett and Alwyn Babb.
Mum Destiny said: “People will remember this moment. My son is going to break new ground as a home based athlete. We are prepared to try new things to get new results.”
The contract, which stretches to the end of 2016, was negotiated by Codrington Elite Performance, a sports management firm, operated by former Barbados athlete Joseph Codrington.
“It is not only an equipment contract. He has an annual retainer and that is unprecedented for any schoolboy coming out of Barbados in track and field that I am aware of.
“All of the equipment that is necessary for training and competition will be provided to him. They do it in two large shipments a year. He will get one in the early part of the year, maybe like April to make sure he has the competition ready for the outdoor season, and then he gets one in the fall.
“The equipment is going to be in tens of thousands [of dollars] in terms of value. Each year it changes in terms of some of the colours for competition,” he said.
Last weekend Cadogan wore the Adidas colours at a meet in Trinidad and?Tobago at the Haseley Crawford Stadium but his first official outing as a pro will either be in the French city of Cayenne on May 31 or in Halifax, Canada on June 14.
Cadogan, who also won CARIFTA bronze in the 200 metres, must wear the Adidas clothing during promotions but when he is representing Barbados will have to be outfitted in Mizuno gear as this country has a contract with the American-based manufacturer. However, his footwear has to be Adidas.
Codrington, a former United States-based athlete – he had a scholarship at Eastern Michigan University – said that Cadogan has the chance to take the sport in a new direction.
“I am hoping that what he has done on the track will inspire other youngsters in Barbados. I know we have the talent. It is not just Jamaica,” Codrington said.
Burnett said he admired Cadogan’s parents for insisting their son go pro and skip the collegiate route.
“Going though the collegiate ranks, that is what I wanted for Levi. Miss Cadogan and I had our battles about that but when I realised that is not what his parents or he wanted, I gave up pursuit.
“He had plenty of offers. Even this year when we went to Florida, high schools went after him. I?just had to tell him that is not the route we are going.”