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Father, family, friends glow in Bolt's silver performance
Paul Reid, Observer writer
Friday, August 31, 2007
MARTHA BRAE, Trelawny - Usain Bolt's father, Wesley, and uncle, Albert Davis, are both satisfied with the silver medal the young Bolt won yesterday at the 11th IAAF World Championships in Osaka, Japan.
Bolt, the World and national junior record holder (19.93 seconds) and national senior record holder (19.75 seconds), won his first global senior medal when he finished behind American Tyson Gay in 19.91 seconds.
There were two former William Knibb athletes in the race as Marvin Anderson finished sixth in his first major final, just ahead of a third Jamaican Christopher Williams.
Bolt's former coach, Olympian Pablo McNeil, said he thought the former William Knibb runner had done "exceptionally well" and had high praises for Anderson, while a former teacher, Lorna Thorpe, said the entire school was proud of him.
The silver, according to the elder Bolt, atoned for the disappointment in 2005 in Helsinki when the then 19-year-old suffered an injury and pulled up mid-way the race, trotting home in eighth place.
Speaking to the Observer soon after Usain won the silver medal, the elder Bolt said he was "very proud" of his son's achievement.
Wesley, whose wife Jennifer is in Osaka with Usain, said he watched the race at home by himself and admitted that he was so nervous, "my heart almost came through my mouth especially when they false started".
Wesley said he expected the silver as "I said to myself I don't think he can beat Tyson Gay right now", but he added that he thought Usain could have clocked a faster time. "I did expect him to run a little faster than that, but I think the nerves played a part."
Up to when he spoke to the Observer, the elder Bolt said he had not been able to talk to Usain as getting through to Japan via telephone had been very difficult.
He said he had managed to talk to his wife, whom he described as "very joyful, as you would expect".
Wesley said he had been receiving calls from all over since the race, as many people had called to extend congratulations.
Davis, Usain's uncle (mother's brother), who is popularly known as 'Tilly', echoed Wesley's sentiments when he said he was not looking further than a silver medal. "A gold would have been a plus, but I was not expecting him to beat Tyson Gay."
Overall, however, he thought the performance was good, but said he thought Usain could have relaxed a bit more, "but he proved he is better than the rest and he came through and showed his true class to prove he is the second best 200m runner in the world".
Thorpe, who is the head of the William Knibb sports department and who taught Bolt while he attended the Martha Brae-based institution, was not surprised he got a medal.
"We are proud of him, from the moment he got to the final, you are talking about the final eight in the world, that was good."
She added: "We were looking for the gold, but we are satisfied with the silver, he will come back again."
Thorpe added that she thought he could have run faster, saying: "He could have run faster, but as I said we are satisfied and also Marvin as a former William Knibb student getting to the final was very good, plus Chris Williams, we are blessed to have three runners in the final."
McNeil, who helped condition both athletes while at William Knibb, was full of praise for both Bolt and Anderson.
While he said Bolt did "exceptionally well", he said he was "more pleased with Marvin as the expectation of Bolt is much higher, but for Marvin to come along and do so well, I am exceptionally proud of him".
McNeil said that from his experience with Bolt and from keeping an eye on his development, "I have never been worried about his speed ratio. I have always been concerned about his conditioning and state of mind."
Having gone four rounds against the "big boys" he said Bolt has shown he has come of age and "God's willing, next year we will see him stepping up further".
McNeil warned that if Bolt is added to the sprint relay and is put on the second leg, "it would be all over bar the shouting".
Paul Reid, Observer writer
Friday, August 31, 2007
MARTHA BRAE, Trelawny - Usain Bolt's father, Wesley, and uncle, Albert Davis, are both satisfied with the silver medal the young Bolt won yesterday at the 11th IAAF World Championships in Osaka, Japan.
Bolt, the World and national junior record holder (19.93 seconds) and national senior record holder (19.75 seconds), won his first global senior medal when he finished behind American Tyson Gay in 19.91 seconds.
There were two former William Knibb athletes in the race as Marvin Anderson finished sixth in his first major final, just ahead of a third Jamaican Christopher Williams.
Bolt's former coach, Olympian Pablo McNeil, said he thought the former William Knibb runner had done "exceptionally well" and had high praises for Anderson, while a former teacher, Lorna Thorpe, said the entire school was proud of him.
The silver, according to the elder Bolt, atoned for the disappointment in 2005 in Helsinki when the then 19-year-old suffered an injury and pulled up mid-way the race, trotting home in eighth place.
Speaking to the Observer soon after Usain won the silver medal, the elder Bolt said he was "very proud" of his son's achievement.
Wesley, whose wife Jennifer is in Osaka with Usain, said he watched the race at home by himself and admitted that he was so nervous, "my heart almost came through my mouth especially when they false started".
Wesley said he expected the silver as "I said to myself I don't think he can beat Tyson Gay right now", but he added that he thought Usain could have clocked a faster time. "I did expect him to run a little faster than that, but I think the nerves played a part."
Up to when he spoke to the Observer, the elder Bolt said he had not been able to talk to Usain as getting through to Japan via telephone had been very difficult.
He said he had managed to talk to his wife, whom he described as "very joyful, as you would expect".
Wesley said he had been receiving calls from all over since the race, as many people had called to extend congratulations.
Davis, Usain's uncle (mother's brother), who is popularly known as 'Tilly', echoed Wesley's sentiments when he said he was not looking further than a silver medal. "A gold would have been a plus, but I was not expecting him to beat Tyson Gay."
Overall, however, he thought the performance was good, but said he thought Usain could have relaxed a bit more, "but he proved he is better than the rest and he came through and showed his true class to prove he is the second best 200m runner in the world".
Thorpe, who is the head of the William Knibb sports department and who taught Bolt while he attended the Martha Brae-based institution, was not surprised he got a medal.
"We are proud of him, from the moment he got to the final, you are talking about the final eight in the world, that was good."
She added: "We were looking for the gold, but we are satisfied with the silver, he will come back again."
Thorpe added that she thought he could have run faster, saying: "He could have run faster, but as I said we are satisfied and also Marvin as a former William Knibb student getting to the final was very good, plus Chris Williams, we are blessed to have three runners in the final."
McNeil, who helped condition both athletes while at William Knibb, was full of praise for both Bolt and Anderson.
While he said Bolt did "exceptionally well", he said he was "more pleased with Marvin as the expectation of Bolt is much higher, but for Marvin to come along and do so well, I am exceptionally proud of him".
McNeil said that from his experience with Bolt and from keeping an eye on his development, "I have never been worried about his speed ratio. I have always been concerned about his conditioning and state of mind."
Having gone four rounds against the "big boys" he said Bolt has shown he has come of age and "God's willing, next year we will see him stepping up further".
McNeil warned that if Bolt is added to the sprint relay and is put on the second leg, "it would be all over bar the shouting".
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