Tweet
Simone Facey: Much Respect!
One positive thing that emerged from the controversy surrounding the Jamaican women’s 4x100-meter relay team last week was the fact that Simone Facey, a long-time representative for our country, got her first IAAF World Championships gold medal at the senior level.
As I watched the very lovely Simone being introduced in the starting block on Saturday, my mind flashed back in time to the 2001 Carifta Games in Barbados, where I saw Simone for the first time (and a young, 14-year-old Usain Bolt as well). At that 2001 Carifta meet, Simone won the gold medal in the 100-meter dash (was it the Under-17? I cannot remember), and then returned and anchored Jamaica to a win in the 4x100-meter relay.
For whatever reason, Simone did not represent Jamaica at the 2002 Carifta Games, a meet which Anneisha McLaughlin and Usain Bolt (and to a much lesser extent Jermaine Gonzales) dominated. Thankfully, four months later Simone was again on Jamaica’s team, this time at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Kingston.
We all no doubt remember that awesome 4x100-meter relay team that won the gold medal in a new World Championships record, running what was at that time the second fastest junior women’s relay time in history (43.40 seconds). That fantastic team, with Sherone Simpson on lead-off, Kerron Stewart on back stretch and Anneisha McLaughlin on curve, was anchored by Simone. I still have in my mind the picture of a proud Simone Facey taking the victory lap with the Jamaican flag fluttering in her hands.
(Incidentally, and for the history buffs among us, the silver medal USA 4x100-meter team (43.66) was comprised of Lauryn Williams on first leg, Ashlee Williams on back stretch, Shalonda Solomon on curve, and Marshavet Hooker on anchor.)
The sprint relay, of course, was not Simone’s only contribution for Jamaica at that 2002 IAAF World Championships, as she was also the silver medal winner behind Lauryn Williams in the 100-meter dash. Kerron Stewart placed third.
If my memory is correct, Berlin (last week) was not the only time Simone represented us as a member of the senior women’s 4x100-meter relay team. As far as I can remember, she also ran on the 4x100-meter team in the semi-finals in Osaka, Japan.
Finally, Simone was the 2008 NCAA 200-meter champion, running for Texas A&M University.
Much respect to a proud and dependable Jamaican athlete
!
As I watched the very lovely Simone being introduced in the starting block on Saturday, my mind flashed back in time to the 2001 Carifta Games in Barbados, where I saw Simone for the first time (and a young, 14-year-old Usain Bolt as well). At that 2001 Carifta meet, Simone won the gold medal in the 100-meter dash (was it the Under-17? I cannot remember), and then returned and anchored Jamaica to a win in the 4x100-meter relay.
For whatever reason, Simone did not represent Jamaica at the 2002 Carifta Games, a meet which Anneisha McLaughlin and Usain Bolt (and to a much lesser extent Jermaine Gonzales) dominated. Thankfully, four months later Simone was again on Jamaica’s team, this time at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Kingston.
We all no doubt remember that awesome 4x100-meter relay team that won the gold medal in a new World Championships record, running what was at that time the second fastest junior women’s relay time in history (43.40 seconds). That fantastic team, with Sherone Simpson on lead-off, Kerron Stewart on back stretch and Anneisha McLaughlin on curve, was anchored by Simone. I still have in my mind the picture of a proud Simone Facey taking the victory lap with the Jamaican flag fluttering in her hands.
(Incidentally, and for the history buffs among us, the silver medal USA 4x100-meter team (43.66) was comprised of Lauryn Williams on first leg, Ashlee Williams on back stretch, Shalonda Solomon on curve, and Marshavet Hooker on anchor.)
The sprint relay, of course, was not Simone’s only contribution for Jamaica at that 2002 IAAF World Championships, as she was also the silver medal winner behind Lauryn Williams in the 100-meter dash. Kerron Stewart placed third.
If my memory is correct, Berlin (last week) was not the only time Simone represented us as a member of the senior women’s 4x100-meter relay team. As far as I can remember, she also ran on the 4x100-meter team in the semi-finals in Osaka, Japan.
Finally, Simone was the 2008 NCAA 200-meter champion, running for Texas A&M University.
Much respect to a proud and dependable Jamaican athlete
!
Comment