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Beyond the sprint...
On The Sporting Edge
Paul Reid
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Jamaica's failure to medal in the sprints at last week's 6th IAAF World Youth Championships was big news here in Italy where members of the media, spectators and officials were expecting a carryover from the Beijing Olympics. One of the running jokes here was that Jamaica had medalled in the discus, the first time ever at a global championships, but was unable to even crack the top three in any of the six sprint events.
Traves Smikle
While Traves Smikle's bronze medal in the discus in a new National Youth Record 61.22m might be fodder for jokes here, it is certain that his achievements will give the Jamaican throwing fraternity more ammunition to clamour for more funding and places on national teams. Smikle's breakthrough was a massive leap for throwers who have over the years begged and beseeched the authorities for more attention. Most of them are of the view they are not given enough encouragement.
And they might be right. While the sprinters have been given the lion's share of attention, not that they have not earned it, mind you, the 'others' have cultivated an attitude of "us against them."
Combined with K'Don Samuels' National Junior Record 4.80m effort at the Penn Relays in April, Smikle's success here can be seen as a baby step for the so-called non-traditional events in our track and field. It was not so long ago that the women's 400m hurdles was not thought of as an event at which we could succeed. Not so anymore with 2 Olympic gold medals since 1996, the Olympic record and three medals at the World Youth level, including a silver here last week. With some luck there could have been a fourth.
Let's not forget that it was at the insistence of the likes of Mike Olivier and Eldemire Smith at St Elizabeth Technical that got the JAAA to start giving some attention to the women's 400m hurdles that led to this kind of success.
Maybe the throwers as well as the middle and long-distance runners will need these kinds of 'godfather' figures to plead their cases to the powers that be before they can start enjoying some recognition. Traves Smikle and K'Don and their coaches have proven that there is a lot more to Jamaica's track and field the 100m, 200m and 400m.
At the recent trials we saw a trio of young male long and triple jumpers steal the spotlight on the final day and they were rewarded with places on the team to the World Championships. It is time to start investing in the so-called non-traditional events, and who knows what we might unearth in say another three years or so,? Could we maybe have a medal in, say, the steeplechase?
Beyond the sprint...
On The Sporting Edge
Paul Reid
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Jamaica's failure to medal in the sprints at last week's 6th IAAF World Youth Championships was big news here in Italy where members of the media, spectators and officials were expecting a carryover from the Beijing Olympics. One of the running jokes here was that Jamaica had medalled in the discus, the first time ever at a global championships, but was unable to even crack the top three in any of the six sprint events.
Traves SmikleWhile Traves Smikle's bronze medal in the discus in a new National Youth Record 61.22m might be fodder for jokes here, it is certain that his achievements will give the Jamaican throwing fraternity more ammunition to clamour for more funding and places on national teams. Smikle's breakthrough was a massive leap for throwers who have over the years begged and beseeched the authorities for more attention. Most of them are of the view they are not given enough encouragement.
And they might be right. While the sprinters have been given the lion's share of attention, not that they have not earned it, mind you, the 'others' have cultivated an attitude of "us against them."
Combined with K'Don Samuels' National Junior Record 4.80m effort at the Penn Relays in April, Smikle's success here can be seen as a baby step for the so-called non-traditional events in our track and field. It was not so long ago that the women's 400m hurdles was not thought of as an event at which we could succeed. Not so anymore with 2 Olympic gold medals since 1996, the Olympic record and three medals at the World Youth level, including a silver here last week. With some luck there could have been a fourth.
Let's not forget that it was at the insistence of the likes of Mike Olivier and Eldemire Smith at St Elizabeth Technical that got the JAAA to start giving some attention to the women's 400m hurdles that led to this kind of success.
Maybe the throwers as well as the middle and long-distance runners will need these kinds of 'godfather' figures to plead their cases to the powers that be before they can start enjoying some recognition. Traves Smikle and K'Don and their coaches have proven that there is a lot more to Jamaica's track and field the 100m, 200m and 400m.
At the recent trials we saw a trio of young male long and triple jumpers steal the spotlight on the final day and they were rewarded with places on the team to the World Championships. It is time to start investing in the so-called non-traditional events, and who knows what we might unearth in say another three years or so,? Could we maybe have a medal in, say, the steeplechase?
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