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Michael Johnson lauds Jamaica/Bolt
October 2, 2008Track & Field - News
Four-time Olympic Gold medalist, American Michael Johnson, says that Jamaica’s performance in Beijing is not a surprise. He also says track and field now rides on Bolt’s image. Below is a review which was published in the English newspaper “The Daily Telegraph” on Wednesday - www.telegraph.co.uk
Olympic years always bring out the best in the true champions and expose those who are not quite ready for prime time.
By Michael Johnson
Tyson Gay, Allison Felix, Sanya Richards, Asafa Powell and Blanca Vlasic all established themselves as the best in the world after Athens 2004, dominated their events and gave themselves the opportunity to become individual Olympic champions. They all failed in Beijing, and that was not good for the sport. Athletics needs stars who are world figures because of their dominance.
Usain Bolt, of course, is such a figure now. He came to Beijing to run in three events and left with three gold medals and three world records. With his performances in the 100 metres, 200m, and 4 x 100m relay he established himself as the undisputed fastest man in the world and a sportsman who has transcended track and field to become a celebrity known all over the planet.
It was a very different Olympics for athletics, with the Americans losing some of their traditional dominance in the sprints. They still managed to finish on par with their normal medal haul, thanks to medals in non-traditional events like the women's hammer. The tiny nation of Jamaica gained worldwide attention through Bolt, Melanie Walker in the 400m hurdles, and a clean sweep in the women's 100m.
Jamaica have come under scrutiny because of their unprecedented medal haul and the fact that they do not have an independent drug-testing agency. That is a problem that needs repairing quickly, especially given all the recent doping scandals in this sport. But to be fair, it should also be noted that the Jamaicans have not come from nowhere. They have always been strong and have always been in position to win gold medals in the sprints, hurdles and relays based on a long tradition of athletics being the national sport.
The other big difference in Beijing was that, for the first time, athletics took a back seat to swimming and gymnastics. Take Bolt out of the equation and athletics would not have a chance of regaining the status it once had.
The British athletics squad had performed well below expectations in 2004, but then had promising performances at the European, Commonwealth, and 2007 World Championships. However, they again failed to bring home the medals on the biggest stage – Christine Ohuruogu was the lone gold medallist.
Looking ahead to London 2012, the Americans will certainly want to re-establish their dominance of the sprints but will have a tough time of it with the Jamaicans now inspiring a whole new generation of their athletes to train harder and believe they can win Olympic gold.
The British team will have to take a very hard and serious look at restructuring their programme, taking those athletes who are identified as potential medallists and putting them in situations that are proven to help athletes reach and perform to their potential.
I do not believe that expertise exists in the UK at this point and there is not enough time to develop it. British athletes must train harder and smarter in order to stay healthy, compete more on the international circuit to gain top level experience and develop a tougher attitude to compete with the American, Caribbean and African athletes who generally approach competition with a tougher attitude and approach.
The Jamaicans will not be the only team the Americans and the British will have to battle with. Other small nations such as Trinidad and Tobago, the Bahamas and Nigeria have always been positioned to get athletes into finals and will be inspired by what they saw from the Jamaicans this year.
Looking ahead to 2012, it could prove even more difficult to win athletics medals for Americans and Britons than in Beijing or Athens.
www.michaeljohnsonmotivation.com
October 2, 2008Track & Field - News
Four-time Olympic Gold medalist, American Michael Johnson, says that Jamaica’s performance in Beijing is not a surprise. He also says track and field now rides on Bolt’s image. Below is a review which was published in the English newspaper “The Daily Telegraph” on Wednesday - www.telegraph.co.uk
Olympic years always bring out the best in the true champions and expose those who are not quite ready for prime time.
By Michael Johnson
Tyson Gay, Allison Felix, Sanya Richards, Asafa Powell and Blanca Vlasic all established themselves as the best in the world after Athens 2004, dominated their events and gave themselves the opportunity to become individual Olympic champions. They all failed in Beijing, and that was not good for the sport. Athletics needs stars who are world figures because of their dominance.
Usain Bolt, of course, is such a figure now. He came to Beijing to run in three events and left with three gold medals and three world records. With his performances in the 100 metres, 200m, and 4 x 100m relay he established himself as the undisputed fastest man in the world and a sportsman who has transcended track and field to become a celebrity known all over the planet.
It was a very different Olympics for athletics, with the Americans losing some of their traditional dominance in the sprints. They still managed to finish on par with their normal medal haul, thanks to medals in non-traditional events like the women's hammer. The tiny nation of Jamaica gained worldwide attention through Bolt, Melanie Walker in the 400m hurdles, and a clean sweep in the women's 100m.
Jamaica have come under scrutiny because of their unprecedented medal haul and the fact that they do not have an independent drug-testing agency. That is a problem that needs repairing quickly, especially given all the recent doping scandals in this sport. But to be fair, it should also be noted that the Jamaicans have not come from nowhere. They have always been strong and have always been in position to win gold medals in the sprints, hurdles and relays based on a long tradition of athletics being the national sport.
The other big difference in Beijing was that, for the first time, athletics took a back seat to swimming and gymnastics. Take Bolt out of the equation and athletics would not have a chance of regaining the status it once had.
The British athletics squad had performed well below expectations in 2004, but then had promising performances at the European, Commonwealth, and 2007 World Championships. However, they again failed to bring home the medals on the biggest stage – Christine Ohuruogu was the lone gold medallist.
Looking ahead to London 2012, the Americans will certainly want to re-establish their dominance of the sprints but will have a tough time of it with the Jamaicans now inspiring a whole new generation of their athletes to train harder and believe they can win Olympic gold.
The British team will have to take a very hard and serious look at restructuring their programme, taking those athletes who are identified as potential medallists and putting them in situations that are proven to help athletes reach and perform to their potential.
I do not believe that expertise exists in the UK at this point and there is not enough time to develop it. British athletes must train harder and smarter in order to stay healthy, compete more on the international circuit to gain top level experience and develop a tougher attitude to compete with the American, Caribbean and African athletes who generally approach competition with a tougher attitude and approach.
The Jamaicans will not be the only team the Americans and the British will have to battle with. Other small nations such as Trinidad and Tobago, the Bahamas and Nigeria have always been positioned to get athletes into finals and will be inspired by what they saw from the Jamaicans this year.
Looking ahead to 2012, it could prove even more difficult to win athletics medals for Americans and Britons than in Beijing or Athens.
www.michaeljohnsonmotivation.com
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