Sunday, August 23, 2009

Jamaica at the 12th IAAF Championship - Part 2


Let me start out by saying nothing can take away from the fact that Usain Bolt deserves all the congratulations and accolades that are being offered. He is a phenomenal athlete who in time will probably go down as the best ever. I cheered along with everyone else wanting him to beat the world records, we werent worried about Tyson Gaye beating him, we knew that would not happen. We were cheering Asafa Powell to beat Gaye, and for Steve Mullings to also medal in the 200M.
Three athletes however struck a deep chord with this writer and their victories meant more to me than anything else.


SHELLY-ANN FRASER

This young lady won the 100M at the Jamaica Trials and went on to win Gold at the 2009 Olympics in Beijing and yet the discussion in Jamaica was always "Kerron can beat Shelly, Kerron is faster, Kerron will win Gold in Berlin". I never once believed that Kerron Stewart would beat Shelly-Ann Fraser. Taking nothing away from Kerron who has done extremely well on the European circuit and as far as I know is still unbeaten in the 100M, but the determination that I saw on this young lady's face and the pure unadulterated joy in her celebration will stay with me for a long time.

Shelly obviously doesnt have the "top end" speed that Kerron Stewart and others have, but her lightning quick start is her weapon and she uses it unmercilessly. I am sure she has heard all the discussions around her, all the predictions that she will be beaten by Kerron Stewart and she could have allowed that to affect her, but she hasnt. She took to the track and did what she did best "Get a lightning fast start and then hang on for dear life".

I was not surprised when she won the Gold - Congratulations Shelly Ann Fraser.




MELANIE WALKER

Melanie Walker can be easily described as "the people's champion". She's the one who when being interviewed calmly and comfortably drops into the Jamaican vernacular and speaks her mind. Take nothing away from Kerron, Usain or Shelly-Ann's interviewing skills but Melanie always first and foremost call out to all the "ghetto people dem from Maxfield Avenue" and inspires them with her words to "hold their heads up and strive for what you want in life".

TVJ got her on the telephone just after her win and asked her what would she say to inspire people looking on and everybody in the office at the time stood transfixed, there was the ocassional snicker when she used "raw ghetto slang" but there was almost not one dry eye when she was finished and I felt pretty damn inspired after listening to her.

She's a true champion who ran an exceptional race in the Olympics and who came to Berlin and out ran an athlete who everyone expected to beat her. Again, I had no such doubt, I knew she would have won. Jamaicans, no matter if they are from Maxfield, Waterhouse, Tivoli Gardens, Rema or Liguanea and Manor Park all love winning.

Congratulations to Melanie Walker - The People's Champion



BRIGITTE FOSTER-HYLTON

Brigitte Foster-Hylton for me is the athlete that inspired me most. Similar to Veronica Campbell (another favourite of mine) she has gone out year after year and done her best. There have been times when she has been injured at critical times, lost her rhythm in the finals or just not run well enough to win and she has never complained and gotten bitter over it.

She stuck it out through a period in time when it was obvious that they were competing against athletes who were getting medical assistance and this situation caused the retirement of hurdler Gillian Russel (another favourite of mine) way to early in her promising career, Brigitte soldered on, determined to be a champion.

After disappointment in Beijing, Brigitte decided to retire, but was convinced by her coach to give it one more try and this time was the charm. At 34 years old she ran the race of her life and won. In an era of the 22 years old Champion, she's an inspiration for people like me who left 22 years old nearly two decades ago.

I cried when she won that race. I cried in joy for Brigitte and Deloreen Ennis-London who won bronze, I cried for Michelle Freeman, Gillian Russel, Grace Jackson, Merlene Ottey and others who would have mined Gold a long time ago if the playing field had been level.

Jamaica comes away from these games with 13 medals, and most importantly with inspiration. A whole new generation of athletes are being inspired by what is happening now and are training 6 days a week for hours on end, so that they can emulate their heroes, so they can be like Usain or Asafa or Melanie or Shelly-Ann or Kerron or Shericka, etc. etc.

Jamaica at the 12th IAAF Championship




I am sure that this is an event that Jamaicans both at home and away have been following for the past 9 days. We are a country that is slightly smaller than the state of Connecticut yet we have been able to produce sportsmen/women and academics who have risen to the pinnacle of their chosen profession. Bob Marley is a name that is easily recognised all over the world and is on parr with Cocoa-Cola, Mickey Mouse, Superman and Tarzan as names that transcends languages.

Jamaica has been winning medals at world games since the 1930s and really came of age in 1948 Olympics when Arthur Wint won our firts Gold Medal. Later on in Helsinki in 1952 Wint, Les Laing, HerbMcKinley and George Rhoden teamed up for gold in the 4X400M relay and led the charge that had Jamaica reaching 13th on the medal table.

Lennox Miller (father of American sprinter Inger Miller), Donald Quarrie, Merlene Ottey, Grace Jackson, Juliet Cuthbert, Bert Cameron, Ray Stewart, Beverly McDonald, Winthrop Graham, Deon Hemmings, James Beckford, Sandie Richards, Michelle Freeman, Lorraine Fenton and many others that I am not remembering now are some of those who became world beaters or who at least challeneged for the titles. We followed their exploits cheering them on in victory and commiserating with them in defeat.

We were the perenial challengers and runners-ups to the United States and during the late 80s words started filtering out in many circles about athletes using performance enhancing drugs. Throughout the 90s and into the new millennium technology caught up with many drug cheats and slowly but surely the playing field finally levelled and Jamaica started winning GOLD MEDALS galore.




ENTER USAIN BOLT

Usain Bolt stormed the athletics world like a category 5 hurricane breaking records and winning hearts with his playful antics and I am sure driving the US Athletic Association into perpetual insomnia. To Jamaicans who follow atheltics from the high school level, we were extremly surprised but now shocked. We all knew that Usain Bolt would have been a world beater, we just didnt know how complete his victories would be. I want to give kudos to Usain Bolt for his double record breaking run and congratulate all the athletes who competed and helped Jamaica to 2'nd place on the medal tables with:

Gold - 7
Silver - 4
Bronze - 2

Total - 13

behind the USA who had 22 medals overall (10 Gold, 6 Silver, 6 Bronze)

As I sit here watching the closing ceremonies I reflect on the performances over the past 9 days and realise that certain performances have had a more profound effect on me than others and as great as Usain Bolt's runs have been, those are not the ones that have brought a tear to my eye.

more to come

Congratulations to all the Athletes in Berlin, Germany. Those who competed and won, those who competed and didnt, and those that trained with the team and offered support (Hello Sherone Simpson - hope to see you running soon)