Tweet
Foreign journalists bowled over by Champs
KAYON RAYNOR, Senior Observer staff reporter raynork@jamaicaobserver.com
Monday, April 06, 2009
'Extra special' was the overwhelming response of the majority of the 40 international journalists who covered last week's 99th staging of the ISSA GraceKennedy Boys' and Girls' Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston.
Public relations manager of the IAAF, Laura Arcolio (centre), and journalists Mattias Schneider of Stern Magazine (left), Leon Mann of the BBC (second left), Connie Aitcheson of Sports Illustrated (second right) and Jen-Denis Coquard of L'equipe (right) covered the 99th ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys' and Girls' Championships last weekend. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)The consensus was that the local high school championships explained why local athletes such as Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt, Veronica Campbell, Melaine Walker and Shelly-Ann Fraser do so well internationally.
Leon Mann of the BBC says the atmosphere which prevailed at the National Stadium compares favourably to any international sporting event.
"It's certainly something special in terms of the number of people attending and in terms of the organisation of an event and the unique atmosphere. I was at the World Cup in Germany and the Euro finals in Portugal and the Olympics in Beijing and I have to say that the atmosphere here even goes a bit further than that," Mann said.
"This really goes to show that what you're doing here in Jamaica is quite special and kind of answers the cynics who said 'Jamaica's success is all about drugs'. Well actually, if people come here and see the development, see what's going on, see how important athletics is to these young people, then it kind of addresses that issue directly," Mann added.
Jen-Denis Coquard of L'equipe in France, who is among a group of 20 journalists in Jamaica for the IAAF's Day in the Programme on Usain Bolt, said: "I'm very impressed to see all these people at a young (age group) competition and the level of performances. We can just imagine about the future of Jamaican athletics when we see all these impressive performances."
Connie Aitcheson, a Jamaican-born journalist with Sports Illustrated, who was observing the ISSA-organised championships for the first time, agreed with Coquard.
"I'm impressed with the participants and the fans and the history that they know. I knew that I would see passion, but I didn't think I would see passion with knowledge, that's what I'm impressed about," Aitcheson reasoned.
Public relations manager of track and field's world governing body, the IAAF, Laura Arcolio, said 'Champs' could rival many international meets.
"The finals of the 100 metres... were amazing. I can't believe how quick they get their feet on the ground and I'm also impressed with the reaction of the crowd and I love the way every supporter (wears) their colours and that's what we need over Europe - the ability to relate to a team, which is so strongly felt here in Jamaica," Arcolio stated.
Mattias Schneider with the Stern Magazine out of Germany said he had never experienced such an atmosphere in all his travels.
"From the standpoint of atmosphere, this is by far the best that I've seen because it's the whole crowd that is getting into it. I never experienced something like this, especially in track and field," said Schneider, who covered the Beijing Olympics last year.
source
KAYON RAYNOR, Senior Observer staff reporter raynork@jamaicaobserver.com
Monday, April 06, 2009
'Extra special' was the overwhelming response of the majority of the 40 international journalists who covered last week's 99th staging of the ISSA GraceKennedy Boys' and Girls' Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston.
Public relations manager of the IAAF, Laura Arcolio (centre), and journalists Mattias Schneider of Stern Magazine (left), Leon Mann of the BBC (second left), Connie Aitcheson of Sports Illustrated (second right) and Jen-Denis Coquard of L'equipe (right) covered the 99th ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys' and Girls' Championships last weekend. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)The consensus was that the local high school championships explained why local athletes such as Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt, Veronica Campbell, Melaine Walker and Shelly-Ann Fraser do so well internationally.Leon Mann of the BBC says the atmosphere which prevailed at the National Stadium compares favourably to any international sporting event.
"It's certainly something special in terms of the number of people attending and in terms of the organisation of an event and the unique atmosphere. I was at the World Cup in Germany and the Euro finals in Portugal and the Olympics in Beijing and I have to say that the atmosphere here even goes a bit further than that," Mann said.
"This really goes to show that what you're doing here in Jamaica is quite special and kind of answers the cynics who said 'Jamaica's success is all about drugs'. Well actually, if people come here and see the development, see what's going on, see how important athletics is to these young people, then it kind of addresses that issue directly," Mann added.
Jen-Denis Coquard of L'equipe in France, who is among a group of 20 journalists in Jamaica for the IAAF's Day in the Programme on Usain Bolt, said: "I'm very impressed to see all these people at a young (age group) competition and the level of performances. We can just imagine about the future of Jamaican athletics when we see all these impressive performances."
Connie Aitcheson, a Jamaican-born journalist with Sports Illustrated, who was observing the ISSA-organised championships for the first time, agreed with Coquard.
"I'm impressed with the participants and the fans and the history that they know. I knew that I would see passion, but I didn't think I would see passion with knowledge, that's what I'm impressed about," Aitcheson reasoned.
Public relations manager of track and field's world governing body, the IAAF, Laura Arcolio, said 'Champs' could rival many international meets.
"The finals of the 100 metres... were amazing. I can't believe how quick they get their feet on the ground and I'm also impressed with the reaction of the crowd and I love the way every supporter (wears) their colours and that's what we need over Europe - the ability to relate to a team, which is so strongly felt here in Jamaica," Arcolio stated.
Mattias Schneider with the Stern Magazine out of Germany said he had never experienced such an atmosphere in all his travels.
"From the standpoint of atmosphere, this is by far the best that I've seen because it's the whole crowd that is getting into it. I never experienced something like this, especially in track and field," said Schneider, who covered the Beijing Olympics last year.
source
I'll send some hot girls to warm U
Comment