Tweet
OLYMPICS | TRACK AND FIELD
Sprinters put Jamaica on the fast track
Asafa Powell, until recently the World's Fastest Man, isn't even the fastest man on his island now.
Posted on Thu, Jun. 26, 2008
reprint print email
Yahoo! Buzzthe_miami_herald:http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/story/583399.html Facebook Digg del.icio.us AIM
BY MICHELLE KAUFMAN
kaufman@MiamiHerald.com
function PopupPic(sPicURLx, sHeight, sWidth) { var sPicURL = "/sports/v-morephotos/story/583399.html"; y=Math.floor((screen.availHeight-sHeight)/2); x=Math.floor((screen.width-sWidth)/2); window.open(sPicURL,"slideshow","width="+sWidth+", height="+sHeight+",top="+y+",left="+x+",scrollbars =auto,resizable=yes").focus(); }
ALESSANDRA TARANTINO / AP
Former 100 record-holder Asafa Powell will compete against current record-holder Usain Bolt this weekend in Jamaica.
» More Photos
FAMOUS JAMAICAN OLYMPIC SPRINTERS
Arthur Wint: Jamaica's first Olympic gold medalist (400 meters) at the 1948 Games in London, edging countryman Herb McKenley. He was also a member of the world-record-breaking, 1,600-meter-relay, gold-medal team at the 1952 Olympics. "The Gentle Giant'' won silvers at 800 meters in the 1948 and 1952 Olympics.
Herb McKenley: "Hustling Herb,'' as he was known, won four Olympic medals . . . gold in the 1,600 relay in 1952, silvers in 400 meters in 1948
and 1952, and silver at 100 meters in 1952.
Merlene Ottey: The "Queen of Track'' won nine Olympic medals between 1980 and 2000. She won three silvers (100 and 200 in 1996 and
400 relay in 2000), and six bronzes (200 in 1980, 1984 and 1992; 100 in 1992 and 2000; and 400 relay in 2000). Moved to Slovenia in 2000 after a feud
with the Jamaican track federation and has competed for Slovenia since 2002.
Donald Quarrie: Competed in five Olympics. In 1976, won gold in the 200 and silver in the 100. In 1980, won bronze in the 200, and in 1984,
won silver in the 400 relay.
Sanya Richards: Moved from Jamaica to Fort Lauderdale at age 12, and attended St. Thomas Aquinas High. Won gold at the 2004 Olympics
for the U.S. in the 1,600 relay. Was undefeated at 400 meters from 2005-07, and is favored to win the 400 at the Beijing Olympics.
Veronica Campbell-Brown: Reigning Olympic 200-meter and 100-meter world champion. Owns four Olympic medals . . . gold in the 200 and 400 relay in 2004, silver in the 400 relay in 2000 and bronze in the 100 in 2004.
2008 OLYMPIC FAVORITES
Asafa Powell and Usain Bolt, who have run seven of the fastest 10 recognized times in history over 100 meters. Bolt set the 100-meter world record last month in 9.72 seconds, breaking Powell's record of 9.74 set last September.
-- MICHELLE KAUFMAN
Asafa Powell, until recently the World's Fastest Man, isn't even the fastest man on his island now. That's what happens when you're a Jamaican sprinter: No matter how fast you are, there's some kid running uphill in the Blue Mountains, training on the spectacular beaches, hungry to replace you as the next national hero.
Usain Bolt, 21 and six-foot-five, last month ran 100 meters in 9.72 seconds, breaking Powell's world record of 9.74 set in September 2007. Powell and Bolt hold seven of the 10 fastest recognized times over 100 meters. This weekend, they go head-to-head for the first time at that distance at the Jamaican Olympic Track and Field Trials in Kingston. It promises to be a sizzling showdown, one that has drawn media-credential requests from England, the United States, Japan, Italy, France, and all over the Caribbean.
It's almost as if the Beijing Olympic organizers should cancel the 100-meter men's final, pay for the United States' Tyson Gay to fly to Jamaica and award the Olympic gold medal there this weekend.
Powell added a spark to the race when he said on Sunday: ``Bolt is my main rival. It's great how all the Caribbean runners are doing -- Darrel Brown and Marc Burns of Trinidad, and Usain Bolt. Tyson Gay is the only person outside the Caribbean who can challenge us right now.''
TRADITION
Jamaica, with a population of fewer than 3 million, has produced a remarkable number of Olympic track medals -- seven golds, 24 silvers, 19 bronzes. In the 100-meter final at the 1984 Olympics, five of the eight finalists were Jamaican by birth or descent.
The Jamaican medalist list reads like a track-and-field Who's Who: Arthur Wint; Herbert McKenley; Lennox Miller; Donald Quarrie; George Rhoden; Merlene Ottey; Sanya Richards and Veronica Campbell-Brown, who recently ran the world's fastest time in the women's 100 meters.
Then there's Donovan Bailey and Ben Johnson, who were born in Jamaica but raced for Canada. And Linford Christie, who left Jamaica for England at age 7.
''We have a tremendous sprinting tradition, dating back 100 years, and kids who grow up here develop a deep passion for the sport,'' said Bolt's coach, Glen Mills. ``Soccer is probably our most popular sport, but track and field is right behind it, and from an international achievement standpoint, it's No. 1. I'd guess we win more Olympic track medals per capita than any other country.''
`WILD ATMOSPHERE'
Jamaica's success in the sport is no accident. It is the product of a well-oiled national track federation that begins to groom sprinters from the time they are in elementary school. Children as young as 6 compete in relay races and mini-Olympics.
Surely, there is no high school track meet in the world as competitive as CHAMPS, the Jamaican interscholastic championship, founded in 1910. More than 2,000 athletes compete in the annual spring event, and it attracts a sellout crowd of 35,000. Coaches from most of the top U.S. colleges show up to recruit.
''It's a wild atmosphere at CHAMPS,'' said Davian Clarke, a former University of Miami runner and Olympian from Jamaica. ``For three days the stadium is packed, standing room only.''
In 1911, the 100-yards CHAMPS winner was a young man named Norman Manley, who won the race in 10 seconds. He also won at 220 yards in 23 seconds, which would have been good enough to have made the finals in the 1908 and 1912 Olympics. But Manley chose not to pursue track. Instead, he became a Rhodes Scholar and a statesman. The Kingston airport is named after him.
EARLY MEDALS
The tradition continued, and Jamaica got the world's attention in the late 1940s. In 1948 and 1952, while still a British colony, Jamaica won three Olympic gold medals and five silvers in track and field.
The Jamaican 4x400 relay team in 1952 not only won, but shattered the world record by 4.3 seconds. McKenley ran the third leg in 44.6 seconds, still one of the fastest legs of all time.
They celebrated in their dorm room that night by drinking whiskey out of a toothbrush tumbler with the Duke of Edinburgh, according to Olympic historian David Wallechinsky. The next day was declared a national holiday in Jamaica, and fans celebrated in the streets.
Jamaican track champions are still revered on the island. When Bolt flew back after breaking the world record, he was met at the airport by a throng of screaming fans and TV crews. The prime minister was on hand, too.
IDEAL CONDITIONS
Jamaica's young sprinters also are celebrated every year at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, which the Jamaican team has dominated since the 1960s.
The top Jamaican high-school and amateur runners show up at the meet every year and fans fly up from Jamaica to wave black, gold, and green flags from the stands.
''In our country, the top athletes typically leave track early and go to football or basketball, but in Jamaica, they stick with track and become huge stars,'' said UM track and field coach Mike Ward. ``. . . They take their track seriously.''
Clark said Jamaica's terrain makes it the perfect training ground for sprinters. Kids run barefoot on the beaches of Bull Bay to strengthen their legs and then train in the mountains to work on endurance.
Many of the best sprinters train on grass tracks, which are not as hard on the knees and legs.
''We don't need fancy weight rooms or expensive tracks,'' Clark said. ``The goal of every kid I knew in Jamaica was to become an Olympic track champion. We love our cricket and soccer, but there is something very special about Jamaican track and field. I think there are six high-school kids there now who ran [the 100 meters] in 10-flat last year. I can't imagine that's happening anywhere else in the world.''
var comment_headline=$('#storyBody > h1:first').text ();Join the discussion
The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from personal comments and remarks that are off point. In order to post comments, you must be a registered user of MiamiHerald.com. Your username will show along with the comments you post. Not a registered user? It's Free! Register here. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.
Recent Comments
Post Your Comment
Sprinters put Jamaica on the fast track
Asafa Powell, until recently the World's Fastest Man, isn't even the fastest man on his island now.
Posted on Thu, Jun. 26, 2008
reprint print email
Yahoo! Buzzthe_miami_herald:http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/story/583399.html Facebook Digg del.icio.us AIM
BY MICHELLE KAUFMAN
kaufman@MiamiHerald.com
function PopupPic(sPicURLx, sHeight, sWidth) { var sPicURL = "/sports/v-morephotos/story/583399.html"; y=Math.floor((screen.availHeight-sHeight)/2); x=Math.floor((screen.width-sWidth)/2); window.open(sPicURL,"slideshow","width="+sWidth+", height="+sHeight+",top="+y+",left="+x+",scrollbars =auto,resizable=yes").focus(); }
ALESSANDRA TARANTINO / AP
Former 100 record-holder Asafa Powell will compete against current record-holder Usain Bolt this weekend in Jamaica.
» More Photos
FAMOUS JAMAICAN OLYMPIC SPRINTERS
Arthur Wint: Jamaica's first Olympic gold medalist (400 meters) at the 1948 Games in London, edging countryman Herb McKenley. He was also a member of the world-record-breaking, 1,600-meter-relay, gold-medal team at the 1952 Olympics. "The Gentle Giant'' won silvers at 800 meters in the 1948 and 1952 Olympics.
Herb McKenley: "Hustling Herb,'' as he was known, won four Olympic medals . . . gold in the 1,600 relay in 1952, silvers in 400 meters in 1948
and 1952, and silver at 100 meters in 1952.
Merlene Ottey: The "Queen of Track'' won nine Olympic medals between 1980 and 2000. She won three silvers (100 and 200 in 1996 and
400 relay in 2000), and six bronzes (200 in 1980, 1984 and 1992; 100 in 1992 and 2000; and 400 relay in 2000). Moved to Slovenia in 2000 after a feud
with the Jamaican track federation and has competed for Slovenia since 2002.
Donald Quarrie: Competed in five Olympics. In 1976, won gold in the 200 and silver in the 100. In 1980, won bronze in the 200, and in 1984,
won silver in the 400 relay.
Sanya Richards: Moved from Jamaica to Fort Lauderdale at age 12, and attended St. Thomas Aquinas High. Won gold at the 2004 Olympics
for the U.S. in the 1,600 relay. Was undefeated at 400 meters from 2005-07, and is favored to win the 400 at the Beijing Olympics.
Veronica Campbell-Brown: Reigning Olympic 200-meter and 100-meter world champion. Owns four Olympic medals . . . gold in the 200 and 400 relay in 2004, silver in the 400 relay in 2000 and bronze in the 100 in 2004.
2008 OLYMPIC FAVORITES
Asafa Powell and Usain Bolt, who have run seven of the fastest 10 recognized times in history over 100 meters. Bolt set the 100-meter world record last month in 9.72 seconds, breaking Powell's record of 9.74 set last September.
-- MICHELLE KAUFMAN
Asafa Powell, until recently the World's Fastest Man, isn't even the fastest man on his island now. That's what happens when you're a Jamaican sprinter: No matter how fast you are, there's some kid running uphill in the Blue Mountains, training on the spectacular beaches, hungry to replace you as the next national hero.
Usain Bolt, 21 and six-foot-five, last month ran 100 meters in 9.72 seconds, breaking Powell's world record of 9.74 set in September 2007. Powell and Bolt hold seven of the 10 fastest recognized times over 100 meters. This weekend, they go head-to-head for the first time at that distance at the Jamaican Olympic Track and Field Trials in Kingston. It promises to be a sizzling showdown, one that has drawn media-credential requests from England, the United States, Japan, Italy, France, and all over the Caribbean.
It's almost as if the Beijing Olympic organizers should cancel the 100-meter men's final, pay for the United States' Tyson Gay to fly to Jamaica and award the Olympic gold medal there this weekend.
Powell added a spark to the race when he said on Sunday: ``Bolt is my main rival. It's great how all the Caribbean runners are doing -- Darrel Brown and Marc Burns of Trinidad, and Usain Bolt. Tyson Gay is the only person outside the Caribbean who can challenge us right now.''
TRADITION
Jamaica, with a population of fewer than 3 million, has produced a remarkable number of Olympic track medals -- seven golds, 24 silvers, 19 bronzes. In the 100-meter final at the 1984 Olympics, five of the eight finalists were Jamaican by birth or descent.
The Jamaican medalist list reads like a track-and-field Who's Who: Arthur Wint; Herbert McKenley; Lennox Miller; Donald Quarrie; George Rhoden; Merlene Ottey; Sanya Richards and Veronica Campbell-Brown, who recently ran the world's fastest time in the women's 100 meters.
Then there's Donovan Bailey and Ben Johnson, who were born in Jamaica but raced for Canada. And Linford Christie, who left Jamaica for England at age 7.
''We have a tremendous sprinting tradition, dating back 100 years, and kids who grow up here develop a deep passion for the sport,'' said Bolt's coach, Glen Mills. ``Soccer is probably our most popular sport, but track and field is right behind it, and from an international achievement standpoint, it's No. 1. I'd guess we win more Olympic track medals per capita than any other country.''
`WILD ATMOSPHERE'
Jamaica's success in the sport is no accident. It is the product of a well-oiled national track federation that begins to groom sprinters from the time they are in elementary school. Children as young as 6 compete in relay races and mini-Olympics.
Surely, there is no high school track meet in the world as competitive as CHAMPS, the Jamaican interscholastic championship, founded in 1910. More than 2,000 athletes compete in the annual spring event, and it attracts a sellout crowd of 35,000. Coaches from most of the top U.S. colleges show up to recruit.
''It's a wild atmosphere at CHAMPS,'' said Davian Clarke, a former University of Miami runner and Olympian from Jamaica. ``For three days the stadium is packed, standing room only.''
In 1911, the 100-yards CHAMPS winner was a young man named Norman Manley, who won the race in 10 seconds. He also won at 220 yards in 23 seconds, which would have been good enough to have made the finals in the 1908 and 1912 Olympics. But Manley chose not to pursue track. Instead, he became a Rhodes Scholar and a statesman. The Kingston airport is named after him.
EARLY MEDALS
The tradition continued, and Jamaica got the world's attention in the late 1940s. In 1948 and 1952, while still a British colony, Jamaica won three Olympic gold medals and five silvers in track and field.
The Jamaican 4x400 relay team in 1952 not only won, but shattered the world record by 4.3 seconds. McKenley ran the third leg in 44.6 seconds, still one of the fastest legs of all time.
They celebrated in their dorm room that night by drinking whiskey out of a toothbrush tumbler with the Duke of Edinburgh, according to Olympic historian David Wallechinsky. The next day was declared a national holiday in Jamaica, and fans celebrated in the streets.
Jamaican track champions are still revered on the island. When Bolt flew back after breaking the world record, he was met at the airport by a throng of screaming fans and TV crews. The prime minister was on hand, too.
IDEAL CONDITIONS
Jamaica's young sprinters also are celebrated every year at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, which the Jamaican team has dominated since the 1960s.
The top Jamaican high-school and amateur runners show up at the meet every year and fans fly up from Jamaica to wave black, gold, and green flags from the stands.
''In our country, the top athletes typically leave track early and go to football or basketball, but in Jamaica, they stick with track and become huge stars,'' said UM track and field coach Mike Ward. ``. . . They take their track seriously.''
Clark said Jamaica's terrain makes it the perfect training ground for sprinters. Kids run barefoot on the beaches of Bull Bay to strengthen their legs and then train in the mountains to work on endurance.
Many of the best sprinters train on grass tracks, which are not as hard on the knees and legs.
''We don't need fancy weight rooms or expensive tracks,'' Clark said. ``The goal of every kid I knew in Jamaica was to become an Olympic track champion. We love our cricket and soccer, but there is something very special about Jamaican track and field. I think there are six high-school kids there now who ran [the 100 meters] in 10-flat last year. I can't imagine that's happening anywhere else in the world.''
var comment_headline=$('#storyBody > h1:first').text ();Join the discussion
The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from personal comments and remarks that are off point. In order to post comments, you must be a registered user of MiamiHerald.com. Your username will show along with the comments you post. Not a registered user? It's Free! Register here. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.
Recent Comments
- Michele,Thanks for your "fair & balance" reporting for...
- Kudos to you Michelle, for giving real 'sports news'. I always...
- Jamaica has always been the trail-blazer when it comes to track and...
- Hip Hip Hooray
Post Your Comment
Comment