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For the longest time, the United States reigned as the world’s undisputed sprinting power.
But at the Beijing Olympics last summer, Jamaica usurped the throne behind Usain Bolt’s remarkable three golds and three world records, a medal sweep of the women’s 100m and titles in the women’s 200m and 400m hurdles.
One thing is certain, the United States doesn’t take losing well and American athletes will be determined to avoid repeat indignity this summer at the World Championships in Berlin.
While strong performances in August will go long ways toward the U.S. achieving redemption, true reclamation of status can only happen in an old fashioned turf war.
That is why American sprinters are understandably energized over the proposed USA vs. Jamaica Challenge, which will begin in 2010. The meets, hosted by each country in alternating years, would feature male and female athletes from both nations competing in the 100m, 200, 400m, 100m/110m hurdles, 400m hurdles, long jump, and the 4x100m, 4x400m and sprint medley relays.
“I’m very excited about it,” Lauryn Williams said in a phone interview from the Florida Relays.”Our goal this year is to go out there at the World Championships and get our title back in the sprints and to definitely have some good American performances. But to have Jamaica and America on the track at the same time will be a really great opportunity.”
From the U.S. standpoint, there is certainly a measure of payback that it would like to deliver. But this Challenge is about more than oneupmanship. It is a unique opportunity to breathe some life into a sport that is close to flat-lining in the mainstream sporting consciousness.
“As one of the great sprinters in America,(this girl is believing her own hype) I want the opportunity to get back into the forefront and show the rest of the world that we are definitely one of the forces in the mix,” Williams said. “But what’s more important than that is how good it’s going to be for the sport. Jamaica and the United States are two countries that are king and queen in the sprints. To battle back and forth each year for supremacy is going to be something that draws interest and is going to be good for the sport.”
On paper, such a meet would seem to be a can’t-miss affair that should have marketing and television executives drooling in their boardrooms.
At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the U.S. and Jamaica collectively won 11 of 12 medals in the 100m and 200m; 16 of 18 in the 100m through 400m; and five of six medals in the 400m hurdles.
And the team rosters could include a veritable of who’s-who names in the sport:
Team USA Team Jamaica
Tyson Gay Usain Bolt
Walter Dix Asafa Powell
Darvis Patton Nesta Carter
Shawn Crawford Michael Frater
Wallace Spearmon Ricardo Chambers
LaShawn Merritt Danny McFarlane
Jeremy Wariner Isa Phillips
Angelo Taylor Yohan Blake
Bershawn Jackson Markino Buckley
Kerron Clement Shelly-Ann Fraser
Terrence Trammell Kerron Stewart
David Oliver Sherone Simpson
Miguel Pate Veronica Campbell-Brown
Lauryn Williams Novlene Williams
Marshevet Hooker Shericka Williams
Muna Lee Delloreen Ennis-London
Allyson Felix Melaine Walker
Torri Edwards Chelsea Hammond
Bianca Knight
Sanya Richards
Lolo Jones
Dawn Harper
Sheena Tosta
Brittney Reese
But therein lies one of the biggest potential challenge to the success of the Challenge: Is there enough money in either nation’s coffers to fund the greatest assemblage of track and field talent in the world?
“It’s going to be important for the athletes to put behind the money issue,” Williams said. “Of course we want to make money, but this is too big of an opportunity. We can’t afford to not get on the track because of money. All of the big names in the sprints are paid well and do very well for themselves. To make an issue about money will spoil this for the sport. (I agree with her here. I think they could offer all the athletes one set fee to all, so that they willcompete for national pride and not money). People need to think beyond what they are going to get in their own pockets and think about the good of the sport as a whole.”
Williams said that the only thing that could keep the Challenge from getting off the ground is money.
“I think it could be the biggest obstacle, but I hope not,” Williams said. “I hope athletes can look beyond it. I’m certainly going to push for people to realize that there are other things as important as the money, especially getting the meet up and running. Asafa Powell and Usain Bolt and Tyson Gay are all going to have to be on the line. Everyone’s going to have to show up. At the end of the day, it has to be about competitive spirit and bragging rights. This is one of the old-school things that the sport used to be about before money was introduced to it and it became a business.”
Jill Geer, Director of Communications for USA Track and Field, said that she was unsure how in-depth discussions between Doug Logan, the CEO of USA Track and Field, and Howard Aris, the head of the Jamaican Amateur Athletics Association, regarding finances have gone and that the event is too soon in the planning stages to determine what amount of compensation would be available to the athletes.
“Given that we are a year out from the event, it is a bit too early to discuss athlete compensation,” Geer said. “I don't know how specifically Doug and Howard may have discussed it. Any time a professional athlete competes, there is money involved, to be sure. But there are also creative ways to attract top athletes to compete, particularly in a national-team format. I am sure that both gentlemen will pursue any and all creative means necessary to put together a high-quality event.”
The eyes of the track and field world will certainly be fixed on this meet in 2010. If it is successful, the event could serve as a global model of how to grow the sport’s popularity outside of the World Championship and Olympic years.
“I definitely think this is a very good angle to take to get interest back in the sport,” Williams said. “People are very proud of their countries and are going to show up to support their countries. The more intimate you make the atmosphere, the more people are going to show up. Jamaica is not going to want to have more American fans then them, and American fans are not going to want to be outdone. That’s the way you’re going to get to fill up the stands.
“Making it more intimate, as opposed to having the meet watered down by 20 or 30 different countries and a bunch of different events is key. Focusing on where the power is, like the speed events for the U.S. and Jamaica, is going to draw interest. You can take that same angle and do it with distance running where people care about distance running, like Kenya and Ethiopia. I guarantee that people will be excited about it.”
Taken from JamaicaWin.com
But at the Beijing Olympics last summer, Jamaica usurped the throne behind Usain Bolt’s remarkable three golds and three world records, a medal sweep of the women’s 100m and titles in the women’s 200m and 400m hurdles.
One thing is certain, the United States doesn’t take losing well and American athletes will be determined to avoid repeat indignity this summer at the World Championships in Berlin.
While strong performances in August will go long ways toward the U.S. achieving redemption, true reclamation of status can only happen in an old fashioned turf war.
That is why American sprinters are understandably energized over the proposed USA vs. Jamaica Challenge, which will begin in 2010. The meets, hosted by each country in alternating years, would feature male and female athletes from both nations competing in the 100m, 200, 400m, 100m/110m hurdles, 400m hurdles, long jump, and the 4x100m, 4x400m and sprint medley relays.
“I’m very excited about it,” Lauryn Williams said in a phone interview from the Florida Relays.”Our goal this year is to go out there at the World Championships and get our title back in the sprints and to definitely have some good American performances. But to have Jamaica and America on the track at the same time will be a really great opportunity.”
From the U.S. standpoint, there is certainly a measure of payback that it would like to deliver. But this Challenge is about more than oneupmanship. It is a unique opportunity to breathe some life into a sport that is close to flat-lining in the mainstream sporting consciousness.
“As one of the great sprinters in America,(this girl is believing her own hype) I want the opportunity to get back into the forefront and show the rest of the world that we are definitely one of the forces in the mix,” Williams said. “But what’s more important than that is how good it’s going to be for the sport. Jamaica and the United States are two countries that are king and queen in the sprints. To battle back and forth each year for supremacy is going to be something that draws interest and is going to be good for the sport.”
On paper, such a meet would seem to be a can’t-miss affair that should have marketing and television executives drooling in their boardrooms.
At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the U.S. and Jamaica collectively won 11 of 12 medals in the 100m and 200m; 16 of 18 in the 100m through 400m; and five of six medals in the 400m hurdles.
And the team rosters could include a veritable of who’s-who names in the sport:
Team USA Team Jamaica
Tyson Gay Usain Bolt
Walter Dix Asafa Powell
Darvis Patton Nesta Carter
Shawn Crawford Michael Frater
Wallace Spearmon Ricardo Chambers
LaShawn Merritt Danny McFarlane
Jeremy Wariner Isa Phillips
Angelo Taylor Yohan Blake
Bershawn Jackson Markino Buckley
Kerron Clement Shelly-Ann Fraser
Terrence Trammell Kerron Stewart
David Oliver Sherone Simpson
Miguel Pate Veronica Campbell-Brown
Lauryn Williams Novlene Williams
Marshevet Hooker Shericka Williams
Muna Lee Delloreen Ennis-London
Allyson Felix Melaine Walker
Torri Edwards Chelsea Hammond
Bianca Knight
Sanya Richards
Lolo Jones
Dawn Harper
Sheena Tosta
Brittney Reese
But therein lies one of the biggest potential challenge to the success of the Challenge: Is there enough money in either nation’s coffers to fund the greatest assemblage of track and field talent in the world?
“It’s going to be important for the athletes to put behind the money issue,” Williams said. “Of course we want to make money, but this is too big of an opportunity. We can’t afford to not get on the track because of money. All of the big names in the sprints are paid well and do very well for themselves. To make an issue about money will spoil this for the sport. (I agree with her here. I think they could offer all the athletes one set fee to all, so that they willcompete for national pride and not money). People need to think beyond what they are going to get in their own pockets and think about the good of the sport as a whole.”
Williams said that the only thing that could keep the Challenge from getting off the ground is money.
“I think it could be the biggest obstacle, but I hope not,” Williams said. “I hope athletes can look beyond it. I’m certainly going to push for people to realize that there are other things as important as the money, especially getting the meet up and running. Asafa Powell and Usain Bolt and Tyson Gay are all going to have to be on the line. Everyone’s going to have to show up. At the end of the day, it has to be about competitive spirit and bragging rights. This is one of the old-school things that the sport used to be about before money was introduced to it and it became a business.”
Jill Geer, Director of Communications for USA Track and Field, said that she was unsure how in-depth discussions between Doug Logan, the CEO of USA Track and Field, and Howard Aris, the head of the Jamaican Amateur Athletics Association, regarding finances have gone and that the event is too soon in the planning stages to determine what amount of compensation would be available to the athletes.
“Given that we are a year out from the event, it is a bit too early to discuss athlete compensation,” Geer said. “I don't know how specifically Doug and Howard may have discussed it. Any time a professional athlete competes, there is money involved, to be sure. But there are also creative ways to attract top athletes to compete, particularly in a national-team format. I am sure that both gentlemen will pursue any and all creative means necessary to put together a high-quality event.”
The eyes of the track and field world will certainly be fixed on this meet in 2010. If it is successful, the event could serve as a global model of how to grow the sport’s popularity outside of the World Championship and Olympic years.
“I definitely think this is a very good angle to take to get interest back in the sport,” Williams said. “People are very proud of their countries and are going to show up to support their countries. The more intimate you make the atmosphere, the more people are going to show up. Jamaica is not going to want to have more American fans then them, and American fans are not going to want to be outdone. That’s the way you’re going to get to fill up the stands.
“Making it more intimate, as opposed to having the meet watered down by 20 or 30 different countries and a bunch of different events is key. Focusing on where the power is, like the speed events for the U.S. and Jamaica, is going to draw interest. You can take that same angle and do it with distance running where people care about distance running, like Kenya and Ethiopia. I guarantee that people will be excited about it.”
Taken from JamaicaWin.com
Paul Marin -19 is one thing, 20 is a whole other matter. It gets even worse if they win the UCL. *groan*. 
05/18/2011.MU fans naah cough, but all a unuh a vomit?-Lazie 1/11/2015