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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><SPAN class=TopStory>CAC champ dreams of Olympic glory</SPAN>
<SPAN class=Subheadline></SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>BY PAUL A REID Observer writer
Sunday, August 20, 2006
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<P class=StoryText align=justify>MONTEGO BAY - Four years ago Xavier Brown was dreaming of World Cup glory and his idol was former Reggae Boyz midfielder Theodore Whitmore.<P class=StoryText align=justify>His dreams were fuelled while representing St James High in the ISSA daCosta Cup and a goal he scored against Bellefield in the quarter-finals at Jarrett Park to take them to their first and only semi-final.<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=330 align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN class=Description>Xavier Brown (right) wins the men's 200-metre event at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Cartagena, Colombia, on July 28. At left is Andrew Hinds, from Barbados, who won the bronze medal. (Photo: AP) </SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>These days, the 23 year-old Brown is still using his feet to forge ahead, but this time it's with his God-given speed that he is doing the talking. His sports idol is IAAF High Performance Centre training partner Kim Collins, the former 100-metre World Champ.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Brown was the only Jamaican track athlete to win an individual gold at the recent Central American (CAC) Games held in Cali, Colombia, when he won the 200m. He now sets his sights on making a career out of the sport.
The rangy athlete, who describes himself as a "late bloomer", said choosing track over football was not easy, but one that he realised was best for him.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Brown was spotted by Fitz Coleman - head of the IAAF High Performance Centre - at the National Club Meet in 2003 when he placed sixth in the 100m final and was invited to join them.
Competing at the meet was a stroke of luck for him, as after representing St James High at Western Champs some years earlier, he had pushed track and field onto the back-burner.<P class=StoryText align=justify>It was only after he was invited to represent St James at the regional SDC meet in 2003 that he dusted off his spikes and gave it a go. And even with little training, he managed to win the sprint double at the meet held in Hanover and qualified for the Nationals.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Despite being a part of the powerful HPTC group, he was not convinced track was for him, especially as he would be sore for days after hard training. Before he could make up his mind to leave, however, and return to Montego Bay, where he said he was content to play football for one of the local teams, Glen Mills, his present coach, intervened.<P class=StoryText align=justify>He said Mills had a long talk with him and managed to convince him that he should give himself a chance to see how far he could go in the sport. A number of sessions watching films of great Jamaicans, including Donald Quarrie, he said, further convinced him to stick with athletics.<P class=StoryText align=justify>These days Brown lines up against world-class talents such as Collins, World Junior 200m record-holder Usain Bolt; British 100m sprinter Dwayne Chambers and Olympic relay medallist Aleen Bailey in training on a daily basis.
The CAC Games was Brown's first international meet, and he said he was very nervous.<P class=StoryText align=justify>A number of his team-mates and officials, however, helped to calm him and advised him to take it step by step, round by round, and things would take care of themselves.<P class=StoryText align=justify>After being narrowly beaten into second place by Colombian Hawar Murillo in the semi-final, Brown was a surprise winner of the gold medal.<P class=StoryText a
<SPAN class=Subheadline></SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>BY PAUL A REID Observer writer
Sunday, August 20, 2006
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<P class=StoryText align=justify>MONTEGO BAY - Four years ago Xavier Brown was dreaming of World Cup glory and his idol was former Reggae Boyz midfielder Theodore Whitmore.<P class=StoryText align=justify>His dreams were fuelled while representing St James High in the ISSA daCosta Cup and a goal he scored against Bellefield in the quarter-finals at Jarrett Park to take them to their first and only semi-final.<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=330 align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN class=Description>Xavier Brown (right) wins the men's 200-metre event at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Cartagena, Colombia, on July 28. At left is Andrew Hinds, from Barbados, who won the bronze medal. (Photo: AP) </SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>These days, the 23 year-old Brown is still using his feet to forge ahead, but this time it's with his God-given speed that he is doing the talking. His sports idol is IAAF High Performance Centre training partner Kim Collins, the former 100-metre World Champ.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Brown was the only Jamaican track athlete to win an individual gold at the recent Central American (CAC) Games held in Cali, Colombia, when he won the 200m. He now sets his sights on making a career out of the sport.The rangy athlete, who describes himself as a "late bloomer", said choosing track over football was not easy, but one that he realised was best for him.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Brown was spotted by Fitz Coleman - head of the IAAF High Performance Centre - at the National Club Meet in 2003 when he placed sixth in the 100m final and was invited to join them.
Competing at the meet was a stroke of luck for him, as after representing St James High at Western Champs some years earlier, he had pushed track and field onto the back-burner.<P class=StoryText align=justify>It was only after he was invited to represent St James at the regional SDC meet in 2003 that he dusted off his spikes and gave it a go. And even with little training, he managed to win the sprint double at the meet held in Hanover and qualified for the Nationals.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Despite being a part of the powerful HPTC group, he was not convinced track was for him, especially as he would be sore for days after hard training. Before he could make up his mind to leave, however, and return to Montego Bay, where he said he was content to play football for one of the local teams, Glen Mills, his present coach, intervened.<P class=StoryText align=justify>He said Mills had a long talk with him and managed to convince him that he should give himself a chance to see how far he could go in the sport. A number of sessions watching films of great Jamaicans, including Donald Quarrie, he said, further convinced him to stick with athletics.<P class=StoryText align=justify>These days Brown lines up against world-class talents such as Collins, World Junior 200m record-holder Usain Bolt; British 100m sprinter Dwayne Chambers and Olympic relay medallist Aleen Bailey in training on a daily basis.
The CAC Games was Brown's first international meet, and he said he was very nervous.<P class=StoryText align=justify>A number of his team-mates and officials, however, helped to calm him and advised him to take it step by step, round by round, and things would take care of themselves.<P class=StoryText align=justify>After being narrowly beaten into second place by Colombian Hawar Murillo in the semi-final, Brown was a surprise winner of the gold medal.<P class=StoryText a
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