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Usain Bolt, rise of the blade runners and tourism
Franklin JOHNSTON
Friday, September 16, 2011
The Hon Usain Bolt is a consummate athlete and artiste. He gives us great pleasure and we wish him well. He has top coaches, sponsors and money managers -I hope; the highest paid athletics champion of his generation. May he invest wisely, continue to be a credit to his nation; resume his studies in a few years, qualify as a sports attorney and be a national leader. We birthed him but he belongs to the world. We are brief custodians of his gifts; more love him in the UK than here and he gives pleasure to billions. May he live long, his genes go global, may he have many children and prosper. But he made a false start in Daegu and was remorseful; we forgive him, as even good professionals can make a mistake.
FALSE START: If an athlete moves within 0.10 seconds of the pistol he has false-started as the brain cannot process that information as quickly so he must have anticipated the pistol -- this is the science. But disqualification is a man-made IAAF rule and is money-driven. Thousands of TV channels worldwide pay for an on-time signal and this is more important than any one athlete; just as all fans are more important that one group of fans. TV is big money and one athlete may cramp the income of all athletes. The start rule is good for all as bad timing may void contracts, create lawsuits, loss of revenue, debt for organisers, venues and unpaid athletes! We saw the UK, Brazil and our hero false-start. Usain is a champion and won't ever go down in history as a whinger so he will not oppose this rule. Its only business!
Usain Bolt
Usain Bolt
LEGACY: His desire for legacy is strong. On form he has the 2012, 2016 and 2020 Olympics and it's over. Legacy is a generational mark. For Usain winning the 100, 4x100, 200 and 400 metres in 2012 would be legacy. First to win four sprint events at one Olympics, yes sir!
THE BIONIC ATHLETE is here. After Usain, Oscar Pistorius, the blade runner, had the most air time in Daegu. We must watch this. Before drug testing there was a scare that the Olympics would be a competition as to who makes the best drugs. Will the next scare be who makes the best carbon fibre prosthetics? There are now about 20 blade runners on the circuit — the majority are Americans and if wars, IED blasts and suicide bombs continue, many fit young men and women will join their ranks. We may also see protests, rule changes and separate categories or events for these athletes. Let's not ignore but get close to this technology!
HEALTH, SPORT, TOURISM: OSSUR is the driver and enabler of new Paralympic technology. Since 1971 this small Icelandic prosthetic firm has gone global and cutting edge. Our Health, Tourism and Sport ministers should give the UWI or UTECH $100M seed money to merge the Sir John Golding Centre into its Sport Science Faculty and invite OSSUR to found a performance research centre here -- non-invasive prosthetics, compression and support services and products. If not, go it alone! Sports tourism is not visits to see Usain run nor Health Tourism to fill hospital beds with visitors. Get foreign kids and adults to come each year to fit advanced prosthetics or Paralympic athletes of all ages to train and field-test new items with their families and support groups. That is the way forward. The seed money can yield payback for the normal and athletic disabled, able-bodied and Health, Tourism, Sport. The best tourism give people a reason to visit with friends and family. If we build it they will come! We had elite athletes, disabled athletes, the Polio Centre (I worked there in my UWI years) for decades, but no joined-up thinking about them. Let's burnish Sir John's memory! OSSUR innovates — this is what scientists do and it may complicate athletics. A carbon fibre prosthetic foot is seven pound lighter than a normal one, spends 22 per cent less time off the ground and ankle joints burn four times the energy of a blade. In time, blade athletes will run faster and longer. My jockey friend feels if he attaches his battery to the blade runner and it stimulates thigh nerves he might beat Usain. Will electronic stimuli be banned by the IAAF as chemical stimuli now are? Let's get in there as we have disabled who may be good blade athletes too!
THE BUSINESS OF SPORT: For Northern people sport is entertainment; they buy it, we sell it. They hold meets, sell products, fill the global stadia. The 4 billion Southern people do not have the income to pay athletes. Sport is private, cutthroat as other business - big deals, contracts, merchandise, doping, match fixing - good, bad, ugly! West Indies cricket is the only sport run by politics. Why are Caricom's politicians meeting on cricket when their nations need their attention? Why is cricket a PM's job? Politicians in sport!
Oh no! This is work for global cricket bodies! In Daegu, Usain said "It's business" and I felt a shiver. Before his interview we were exploring the meaning and impact of the false start. Usain came out of the blocks and in one movement, decanted his shirt, looked to heaven and we saw his anguish. We mooted conspiracy theories - the Americans, stress, and in the end said it was an accident thankfully with no casualties! We were relieved when Bolt explained, "It's business". But Mr Bolt is a brand and a business. We know when it started trading and we know with a 12-month margin when it will end - three Olympics to go, God willing! Missing the 100m is no tragedy. He lost the world title... great! The stadium will be electric in 2012. Risk, desire, speculation and competition will improve fans' enjoyment - I love it! Monopoly at the top is not good for sport. The West Indies were tops in cricket for years. We were happy, but global profits and pleasure flat-lined. Our joy does not translate into global fans or money; our market is small. We don't buy or make merchandise; our venues are small with few global sponsors. India has one billion fans, 400 million are middle income - they spend good money; England is small, rich and fans buy tickets and kit. The false start meant Yohan Blake got to strut his stuff at Daegu; the medal tally was intact; the Diamond league sold more tickets; TV audiences and revenue spiked as fans hoped for a new 100m match and team spirit soared! We lost nothing. It was good for sport and business. Yohan will soon speak well and Usain even more professional. Lads, when you are on 500 TV channels is not the time to be yourself, be ambassadors! We want Usain to win but dominance by one man is boring and bad for the business of sport and our fun! If Northern markets lose interest, so do sponsors, promoters, TV and then all athletes lose. Sport must be competitive among nations and athletes to excite the paying customer -- sadly, that's not us! Stay conscious, my friend!
Dr Franklin Johnston is an international project manager with Teape-Johnston Consultants currently on assignment in the UK. franklinjohnston@hotmail.com
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/colum...#ixzz1Y9lQ7Rzb
Franklin JOHNSTON
Friday, September 16, 2011
The Hon Usain Bolt is a consummate athlete and artiste. He gives us great pleasure and we wish him well. He has top coaches, sponsors and money managers -I hope; the highest paid athletics champion of his generation. May he invest wisely, continue to be a credit to his nation; resume his studies in a few years, qualify as a sports attorney and be a national leader. We birthed him but he belongs to the world. We are brief custodians of his gifts; more love him in the UK than here and he gives pleasure to billions. May he live long, his genes go global, may he have many children and prosper. But he made a false start in Daegu and was remorseful; we forgive him, as even good professionals can make a mistake.
FALSE START: If an athlete moves within 0.10 seconds of the pistol he has false-started as the brain cannot process that information as quickly so he must have anticipated the pistol -- this is the science. But disqualification is a man-made IAAF rule and is money-driven. Thousands of TV channels worldwide pay for an on-time signal and this is more important than any one athlete; just as all fans are more important that one group of fans. TV is big money and one athlete may cramp the income of all athletes. The start rule is good for all as bad timing may void contracts, create lawsuits, loss of revenue, debt for organisers, venues and unpaid athletes! We saw the UK, Brazil and our hero false-start. Usain is a champion and won't ever go down in history as a whinger so he will not oppose this rule. Its only business!
Usain Bolt
Usain Bolt
LEGACY: His desire for legacy is strong. On form he has the 2012, 2016 and 2020 Olympics and it's over. Legacy is a generational mark. For Usain winning the 100, 4x100, 200 and 400 metres in 2012 would be legacy. First to win four sprint events at one Olympics, yes sir!
THE BIONIC ATHLETE is here. After Usain, Oscar Pistorius, the blade runner, had the most air time in Daegu. We must watch this. Before drug testing there was a scare that the Olympics would be a competition as to who makes the best drugs. Will the next scare be who makes the best carbon fibre prosthetics? There are now about 20 blade runners on the circuit — the majority are Americans and if wars, IED blasts and suicide bombs continue, many fit young men and women will join their ranks. We may also see protests, rule changes and separate categories or events for these athletes. Let's not ignore but get close to this technology!
HEALTH, SPORT, TOURISM: OSSUR is the driver and enabler of new Paralympic technology. Since 1971 this small Icelandic prosthetic firm has gone global and cutting edge. Our Health, Tourism and Sport ministers should give the UWI or UTECH $100M seed money to merge the Sir John Golding Centre into its Sport Science Faculty and invite OSSUR to found a performance research centre here -- non-invasive prosthetics, compression and support services and products. If not, go it alone! Sports tourism is not visits to see Usain run nor Health Tourism to fill hospital beds with visitors. Get foreign kids and adults to come each year to fit advanced prosthetics or Paralympic athletes of all ages to train and field-test new items with their families and support groups. That is the way forward. The seed money can yield payback for the normal and athletic disabled, able-bodied and Health, Tourism, Sport. The best tourism give people a reason to visit with friends and family. If we build it they will come! We had elite athletes, disabled athletes, the Polio Centre (I worked there in my UWI years) for decades, but no joined-up thinking about them. Let's burnish Sir John's memory! OSSUR innovates — this is what scientists do and it may complicate athletics. A carbon fibre prosthetic foot is seven pound lighter than a normal one, spends 22 per cent less time off the ground and ankle joints burn four times the energy of a blade. In time, blade athletes will run faster and longer. My jockey friend feels if he attaches his battery to the blade runner and it stimulates thigh nerves he might beat Usain. Will electronic stimuli be banned by the IAAF as chemical stimuli now are? Let's get in there as we have disabled who may be good blade athletes too!
THE BUSINESS OF SPORT: For Northern people sport is entertainment; they buy it, we sell it. They hold meets, sell products, fill the global stadia. The 4 billion Southern people do not have the income to pay athletes. Sport is private, cutthroat as other business - big deals, contracts, merchandise, doping, match fixing - good, bad, ugly! West Indies cricket is the only sport run by politics. Why are Caricom's politicians meeting on cricket when their nations need their attention? Why is cricket a PM's job? Politicians in sport!
Oh no! This is work for global cricket bodies! In Daegu, Usain said "It's business" and I felt a shiver. Before his interview we were exploring the meaning and impact of the false start. Usain came out of the blocks and in one movement, decanted his shirt, looked to heaven and we saw his anguish. We mooted conspiracy theories - the Americans, stress, and in the end said it was an accident thankfully with no casualties! We were relieved when Bolt explained, "It's business". But Mr Bolt is a brand and a business. We know when it started trading and we know with a 12-month margin when it will end - three Olympics to go, God willing! Missing the 100m is no tragedy. He lost the world title... great! The stadium will be electric in 2012. Risk, desire, speculation and competition will improve fans' enjoyment - I love it! Monopoly at the top is not good for sport. The West Indies were tops in cricket for years. We were happy, but global profits and pleasure flat-lined. Our joy does not translate into global fans or money; our market is small. We don't buy or make merchandise; our venues are small with few global sponsors. India has one billion fans, 400 million are middle income - they spend good money; England is small, rich and fans buy tickets and kit. The false start meant Yohan Blake got to strut his stuff at Daegu; the medal tally was intact; the Diamond league sold more tickets; TV audiences and revenue spiked as fans hoped for a new 100m match and team spirit soared! We lost nothing. It was good for sport and business. Yohan will soon speak well and Usain even more professional. Lads, when you are on 500 TV channels is not the time to be yourself, be ambassadors! We want Usain to win but dominance by one man is boring and bad for the business of sport and our fun! If Northern markets lose interest, so do sponsors, promoters, TV and then all athletes lose. Sport must be competitive among nations and athletes to excite the paying customer -- sadly, that's not us! Stay conscious, my friend!
Dr Franklin Johnston is an international project manager with Teape-Johnston Consultants currently on assignment in the UK. franklinjohnston@hotmail.com
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/colum...#ixzz1Y9lQ7Rzb