1
What about Track & Field / HOW is Tyra Gittens NOT the female AOY for TTOC?
« on: January 01, 2022, 02:33:33 PM »
Maybe someone can help, because that one confused me.
April 24, 2024, 10:59:02 PM
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2
What about Track & Field / My conversation with the 2020 Track Athlete of the Year Karsten Warholm
« on: October 05, 2020, 02:01:17 AM »6
What about Track & Field / Jon Drummond banned for 8 years.
« on: December 17, 2014, 03:48:33 PM »
http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/track-coach-jon-drummond-year-doping-suspension-27673607
Track Coach Drummond Gets 8-Year Doping Suspension
DENVER — Dec 17, 2014, 8:11 PM ET
By EDDIE PELLS AP National Writer (T&T Newsday)
Over an angst-filled summer of 2012, track coach Jon Drummond and his ailing star sprinter, Tyson Gay, wrestled with whether Gay should use a mysterious medicine that might help him run pain-free at the London Olympics.
Eventually, Gay used it and got caught ? but it was Drummond who took the biggest fall.
The former track star and longtime coach got hit with an eight-year doping ban Wednesday after arbitrators found a series of discussions concluded with Drummond convincing Gay to take the banned substance, and carrying it to Europe for him.
In addition to coaching Gay, Drummond, 46, also served as relay coach for the U.S. track team at the London Olympics and as chairman of the athletes' advisory committee for USA Track and Field.
"Coaches have an inherent responsibility to protect athletes ? not take advantage of them ? but to ensure that they receive the support, training and advice they need to win fairly and in accordance with the rules," said Travis Tygart, CEO of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, which announced the suspension.
Gay received a one-year ban last year for testing positive for a steroid precursor DHEA ? a penalty that was reduced by a year because he provided information that led to USADA's case against Drummond.
The Associated Press sent an email and text to Drummond seeking comment.
A 23-page summary of the case details the trip Drummond and Gay took to Atlanta to meet Dr. Clayton Gibson in June 2012, shortly after Gay competed in the 100-meter Olympic trials and complained he could not run pain-free. Gay had surgery on his ailing right hip the year before.
"He wanted to run pain-free. And we were just talking and I said, 'Well, the only thing we've got left is Dr. Gibson,'" Drummond is quoted as telling investigators.
At Gibson's office, Drummond and Gay were shown creams, the labels on which said "Testosterone/DHEA," ''HGH" and "Progesterone Cream," according to the testimony. Gibson assured Drummond and Gay that, despite the labeling, the creams were all natural and there was no way they could test positive using them.
In preparation to travel to Europe for the pre-Olympic circuit, Drummond removed the labels and marked them with a simple "T'' for testosterone and "H," for human growth hormone. All the while, Gay and Drummond debated using the substances. Eventually, Gay tested positive. He returned the silver medal he won on the U.S. Olympic relay team, but a potential two-year sentence was reduced to one because he went to USADA to tell his story.
In explaining his positive test last year, Gay said it was not a sabotage story or a case of somebody out to get him: "I basically put my trust in someone and I was let down," he said.
Others providing information included American sprinter Marshevet Hooker, who was coached by Drummond and went to see Gibson in 2011, according to the testimony.
In 2012, Hooker received the same creams from Gibson, but, according to the testimony, Drummond told her not to use them. Shortly after that, Gay started training with Drummond.
While the USADA case has progressed, Drummond filed a lawsuit against Gay and USADA for defamation. A judge stayed the lawsuit until the USADA arbitration was complete.
Messages were left by the AP seeking comment from Drummond's attorney, Mark Whitburn.
USATF CEO Max Siegel released a statement saying Drummond's tenure on the athletes' advisory committee ended earlier this month.
"USATF, including the constituents who years ago elected Mr. Drummond in good faith to serve as chair of the Athletes Advisory Committee, had no knowledge of Mr. Drummond's activities," Siegel said. "We are all deeply disappointed."
———
AP Sports Writers Pat Graham in Denver and Jim Vertuno in Austin, Texas contributed to this report.
Track Coach Drummond Gets 8-Year Doping Suspension
DENVER — Dec 17, 2014, 8:11 PM ET
By EDDIE PELLS AP National Writer (T&T Newsday)
Over an angst-filled summer of 2012, track coach Jon Drummond and his ailing star sprinter, Tyson Gay, wrestled with whether Gay should use a mysterious medicine that might help him run pain-free at the London Olympics.
Eventually, Gay used it and got caught ? but it was Drummond who took the biggest fall.
The former track star and longtime coach got hit with an eight-year doping ban Wednesday after arbitrators found a series of discussions concluded with Drummond convincing Gay to take the banned substance, and carrying it to Europe for him.
In addition to coaching Gay, Drummond, 46, also served as relay coach for the U.S. track team at the London Olympics and as chairman of the athletes' advisory committee for USA Track and Field.
"Coaches have an inherent responsibility to protect athletes ? not take advantage of them ? but to ensure that they receive the support, training and advice they need to win fairly and in accordance with the rules," said Travis Tygart, CEO of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, which announced the suspension.
Gay received a one-year ban last year for testing positive for a steroid precursor DHEA ? a penalty that was reduced by a year because he provided information that led to USADA's case against Drummond.
The Associated Press sent an email and text to Drummond seeking comment.
A 23-page summary of the case details the trip Drummond and Gay took to Atlanta to meet Dr. Clayton Gibson in June 2012, shortly after Gay competed in the 100-meter Olympic trials and complained he could not run pain-free. Gay had surgery on his ailing right hip the year before.
"He wanted to run pain-free. And we were just talking and I said, 'Well, the only thing we've got left is Dr. Gibson,'" Drummond is quoted as telling investigators.
At Gibson's office, Drummond and Gay were shown creams, the labels on which said "Testosterone/DHEA," ''HGH" and "Progesterone Cream," according to the testimony. Gibson assured Drummond and Gay that, despite the labeling, the creams were all natural and there was no way they could test positive using them.
In preparation to travel to Europe for the pre-Olympic circuit, Drummond removed the labels and marked them with a simple "T'' for testosterone and "H," for human growth hormone. All the while, Gay and Drummond debated using the substances. Eventually, Gay tested positive. He returned the silver medal he won on the U.S. Olympic relay team, but a potential two-year sentence was reduced to one because he went to USADA to tell his story.
In explaining his positive test last year, Gay said it was not a sabotage story or a case of somebody out to get him: "I basically put my trust in someone and I was let down," he said.
Others providing information included American sprinter Marshevet Hooker, who was coached by Drummond and went to see Gibson in 2011, according to the testimony.
In 2012, Hooker received the same creams from Gibson, but, according to the testimony, Drummond told her not to use them. Shortly after that, Gay started training with Drummond.
While the USADA case has progressed, Drummond filed a lawsuit against Gay and USADA for defamation. A judge stayed the lawsuit until the USADA arbitration was complete.
Messages were left by the AP seeking comment from Drummond's attorney, Mark Whitburn.
USATF CEO Max Siegel released a statement saying Drummond's tenure on the athletes' advisory committee ended earlier this month.
"USATF, including the constituents who years ago elected Mr. Drummond in good faith to serve as chair of the Athletes Advisory Committee, had no knowledge of Mr. Drummond's activities," Siegel said. "We are all deeply disappointed."
———
AP Sports Writers Pat Graham in Denver and Jim Vertuno in Austin, Texas contributed to this report.
7
What about Track & Field / The future has arrived.
« on: April 02, 2014, 11:46:30 AM »
http://olympictalk.nbcsports.com/2014/04/02/trayvon-bromell-zharnel-hughes-track-and-field/
Are Trayvon Bromell, Zharnel Hughes the future of sprinting?
Nick Zaccardi Apr 2, 2014, 1:33 PM EDT
Trayvon Bromell has never heard of Zharnel Hughes, but they combined to put track and field on notice over two days and two countries last week.
The Baylor freshman Bromell ran a 100m heat in 10.02 seconds in Austin, Texas, with a legal wind of +.9 meters per second (+2.0 is the maximum legal wind reading) on Friday.
Hughes, from the Caribbean island of Anguilla, won the 100m final at the prestigious Jamaican Boys and Girls Championships in 10.12 seconds later Friday night (+1.3 wind). He erased Olympic 100m silver medalist Yohan Blake‘s meet record of 10.21. (video here)
Bromell, who is three days older than Hughes, returned for his final at the Texas Relays on Saturday. He ran 10.01 seconds (+1.5 wind), equaling the world junior 100m record despite a minor stumble out of the blocks. (video here)
Bromell and Hughes are both 18, and they are one-two in the (very early) season world rankings for the 100m. A sub-10-second 100m is considered elite, and they are approaching the barrier several years before sprinters usually hit their primes.
The top-end global sprint scene has gone largely unchanged the last five years. Usain Bolt wins just about everything, and Blake and Americans Tyson Gay and Justin Gatlin have been his closest chasers.
Bolt is 27. It was revealed he’s been dealing with a foot injury hours before Bromell’s first race Friday, and he might not race until June. It’s hard to believe the injury will cost Bolt too much, but it’s a reminder that time eventually catches up to all sprinters. Bolt has talked about possibly retiring after the 2016 Olympics.
Gay and Gatlin are 31 and 32, aging for 100m sprinters. Blake is 24 and, though he’s coming off an injury-plagued 2013, may not have peaked yet.
The next several years, perhaps the next two before the Rio Olympics, will offer increasing space for new blood in the most prestigious track and field event to the U.S. audience.
So, will we one day look back at Bromell and Hughes dusting their personal bests on the same weekend as significant? Are they the future of sprinting?
“I am very wary of young sprint prodigies,” NBC Olympics track and field analyst Ato Boldon said. “Many of them don’t pan out.”
At first glance, Bromell and Hughes are very different. Bromell is 5-foot-9 and runs with a headband. Hughes is 6-foot-3, two inches shorter than Bolt, to whom he has drawn many comparisons.
Bromell’s success is startling given his track record of injuries. He broke his left knee in eighth grade doing backflips, broke his right knee and forearm in ninth grade playing basketball and in 10th grade cracked a hip during a race.
“I was pretty much out like three years,” Bromell said.
Bromell was a slot receiver at (St. Petersburg, Fla.) Gibbs High School and said he drew interest from schools such as West Virginia. But he gave up football his senior year to focus on sprinting.
He won the Class 3A state 100m title. In another meet, he became the first U.S. high school sprinter to run the 100m in under 10 seconds, though the wind was over the legal limit.
Bromell was named the Gatorade National Track Athlete of the Year and was one of six finalists for the Gatorade Male Athlete of the Year, won by basketball player Andrew Wiggins.
Bromell chose Baylor, a school known for its 400m tradition, because of its loyalty to him during recruitment. Coaches call him a “track rat” who studies film and asks what he could have done better in the immediate aftermath of winning races.
Clyde Hart is in his 51st year at Baylor. His pupils included Olympic champions Michael Johnson and Jeremy Wariner. The 2004 Olympic 400m champion Wariner is still active and has been a bit of a mentor toward Bromell.
Hart has seen all of Bromell’s collegiate races and compared him to Harvey Glance, who was 5-foot-8, 148 pounds and fourth in the 1976 Olympic 100m.
“I don’t really like to put a kid in a box and say we expect this or that,” Hart said. “I think he’s going to get better. He’s going to get a lot stronger. In my opinion most sprinters don’t get their prime until 24, 25 years old. He’s only 18. He’s just a fast kid. You can see it. His mechanics are good.”
Bromell went into last weekend’s Texas Relays expecting fast times at a meet known for high winds.
“I wanted to shock the world,” said Bromell, who owns more than 50 pairs of shoes. “Push the limit and go under 10 [seconds].”
The heat time of 10.02 stunned his coaches. They said it was more impressive than his 10.01 the next day. They came to Austin hoping for something in the 10.1-10.2 range to better his personal best of 10.27.
Baylor assistant coach Michael Ford, who recruited Bromell, said the freshman can improve mechanically, citing not only his small stumble in the final but also taking steps to the side out of the blocks and not running hard through the finish in Texas. He could have run a legal 9.9.
“He’s humble, but he’s cocky at the same time,” Ford said. “He knows his ability. He’s always willing to learn.”
About 1,500 miles from Austin, the Anguillan Hughes became the star of the revered Jamaican Boys and Girls Championships last weekend, commonly referred to as “Champs.”
Hughes’ 10.12 in the 100m final Friday may not have been as fast as Bromell, but was arguably more impressive given the increased pressure of the meet.
Hughes trains in Jamaica under the same coach as Bolt, but he was born and raised in Anguilla, a British overseas territory in the Lesser Antilles that’s 16 miles long and 3 miles wide. Anguilla does not have its own Olympic Committee, so Hughes would have to compete for Great Britain at an Olympics, if he continues to progress.
The Telegraph points out that Hughes’ mother is Jamaican, so he could apply for citizenship and represent Jamaica at an Olympics.
“It is something I always think about,” Hughes told the BBC. “I think that [competing for Great Britain] would be the best choice.
“It is something I need to think about before I jump to conclusions and something I have to talk to my coaches about.
“It would be a great experience to represent Great Britain at an Olympics, at the same time representing Anguilla.”
It’s not a decision Hughes would have to make any time soon. He can represent Anguilla at this summer’s Commonwealth Games and the World Junior Championships.
Bromell is also targeting the World Junior Championships in Eugene, Ore., in late July, where the American and Anguillan could finally become familiar with each other.
Caution is key, though.
“For every Sanya [Richards], Bolt and Allyson Felix, there are 1,000 you don’t see,” Boldon said. “The onus now is on the coaches to not have them become a statistic.”
Boldon would know. His Trinidad and Tobago countryman, Darrel Brown, first set the world junior 100m record that Bromell matched on Saturday. Brown held just about every age-group record from 13 to 18, and ran his 10.01 at the 2003 World Championships, where he won a silver medal at age 18.
Brown is now 29 but without the senior success of Bolt, Blake, Gay or Gatlin. His personal best is 9.99, set when he was 20, and he was eliminated in the quarterfinals at Beijing 2008 in his only Olympic 100m appearance.
“I’m not so sure tha these kids are going to follow in those sort of footsteps, but the reality is that being fast at a young age is fine, but it’s not an automatic guarantee of success at the next level,” Boldon said.
Are Trayvon Bromell, Zharnel Hughes the future of sprinting?
Nick Zaccardi Apr 2, 2014, 1:33 PM EDT
Trayvon Bromell has never heard of Zharnel Hughes, but they combined to put track and field on notice over two days and two countries last week.
The Baylor freshman Bromell ran a 100m heat in 10.02 seconds in Austin, Texas, with a legal wind of +.9 meters per second (+2.0 is the maximum legal wind reading) on Friday.
Hughes, from the Caribbean island of Anguilla, won the 100m final at the prestigious Jamaican Boys and Girls Championships in 10.12 seconds later Friday night (+1.3 wind). He erased Olympic 100m silver medalist Yohan Blake‘s meet record of 10.21. (video here)
Bromell, who is three days older than Hughes, returned for his final at the Texas Relays on Saturday. He ran 10.01 seconds (+1.5 wind), equaling the world junior 100m record despite a minor stumble out of the blocks. (video here)
Bromell and Hughes are both 18, and they are one-two in the (very early) season world rankings for the 100m. A sub-10-second 100m is considered elite, and they are approaching the barrier several years before sprinters usually hit their primes.
The top-end global sprint scene has gone largely unchanged the last five years. Usain Bolt wins just about everything, and Blake and Americans Tyson Gay and Justin Gatlin have been his closest chasers.
Bolt is 27. It was revealed he’s been dealing with a foot injury hours before Bromell’s first race Friday, and he might not race until June. It’s hard to believe the injury will cost Bolt too much, but it’s a reminder that time eventually catches up to all sprinters. Bolt has talked about possibly retiring after the 2016 Olympics.
Gay and Gatlin are 31 and 32, aging for 100m sprinters. Blake is 24 and, though he’s coming off an injury-plagued 2013, may not have peaked yet.
The next several years, perhaps the next two before the Rio Olympics, will offer increasing space for new blood in the most prestigious track and field event to the U.S. audience.
So, will we one day look back at Bromell and Hughes dusting their personal bests on the same weekend as significant? Are they the future of sprinting?
“I am very wary of young sprint prodigies,” NBC Olympics track and field analyst Ato Boldon said. “Many of them don’t pan out.”
At first glance, Bromell and Hughes are very different. Bromell is 5-foot-9 and runs with a headband. Hughes is 6-foot-3, two inches shorter than Bolt, to whom he has drawn many comparisons.
Bromell’s success is startling given his track record of injuries. He broke his left knee in eighth grade doing backflips, broke his right knee and forearm in ninth grade playing basketball and in 10th grade cracked a hip during a race.
“I was pretty much out like three years,” Bromell said.
Bromell was a slot receiver at (St. Petersburg, Fla.) Gibbs High School and said he drew interest from schools such as West Virginia. But he gave up football his senior year to focus on sprinting.
He won the Class 3A state 100m title. In another meet, he became the first U.S. high school sprinter to run the 100m in under 10 seconds, though the wind was over the legal limit.
Bromell was named the Gatorade National Track Athlete of the Year and was one of six finalists for the Gatorade Male Athlete of the Year, won by basketball player Andrew Wiggins.
Bromell chose Baylor, a school known for its 400m tradition, because of its loyalty to him during recruitment. Coaches call him a “track rat” who studies film and asks what he could have done better in the immediate aftermath of winning races.
Clyde Hart is in his 51st year at Baylor. His pupils included Olympic champions Michael Johnson and Jeremy Wariner. The 2004 Olympic 400m champion Wariner is still active and has been a bit of a mentor toward Bromell.
Hart has seen all of Bromell’s collegiate races and compared him to Harvey Glance, who was 5-foot-8, 148 pounds and fourth in the 1976 Olympic 100m.
“I don’t really like to put a kid in a box and say we expect this or that,” Hart said. “I think he’s going to get better. He’s going to get a lot stronger. In my opinion most sprinters don’t get their prime until 24, 25 years old. He’s only 18. He’s just a fast kid. You can see it. His mechanics are good.”
Bromell went into last weekend’s Texas Relays expecting fast times at a meet known for high winds.
“I wanted to shock the world,” said Bromell, who owns more than 50 pairs of shoes. “Push the limit and go under 10 [seconds].”
The heat time of 10.02 stunned his coaches. They said it was more impressive than his 10.01 the next day. They came to Austin hoping for something in the 10.1-10.2 range to better his personal best of 10.27.
Baylor assistant coach Michael Ford, who recruited Bromell, said the freshman can improve mechanically, citing not only his small stumble in the final but also taking steps to the side out of the blocks and not running hard through the finish in Texas. He could have run a legal 9.9.
“He’s humble, but he’s cocky at the same time,” Ford said. “He knows his ability. He’s always willing to learn.”
About 1,500 miles from Austin, the Anguillan Hughes became the star of the revered Jamaican Boys and Girls Championships last weekend, commonly referred to as “Champs.”
Hughes’ 10.12 in the 100m final Friday may not have been as fast as Bromell, but was arguably more impressive given the increased pressure of the meet.
Hughes trains in Jamaica under the same coach as Bolt, but he was born and raised in Anguilla, a British overseas territory in the Lesser Antilles that’s 16 miles long and 3 miles wide. Anguilla does not have its own Olympic Committee, so Hughes would have to compete for Great Britain at an Olympics, if he continues to progress.
The Telegraph points out that Hughes’ mother is Jamaican, so he could apply for citizenship and represent Jamaica at an Olympics.
“It is something I always think about,” Hughes told the BBC. “I think that [competing for Great Britain] would be the best choice.
“It is something I need to think about before I jump to conclusions and something I have to talk to my coaches about.
“It would be a great experience to represent Great Britain at an Olympics, at the same time representing Anguilla.”
It’s not a decision Hughes would have to make any time soon. He can represent Anguilla at this summer’s Commonwealth Games and the World Junior Championships.
Bromell is also targeting the World Junior Championships in Eugene, Ore., in late July, where the American and Anguillan could finally become familiar with each other.
Caution is key, though.
“For every Sanya [Richards], Bolt and Allyson Felix, there are 1,000 you don’t see,” Boldon said. “The onus now is on the coaches to not have them become a statistic.”
Boldon would know. His Trinidad and Tobago countryman, Darrel Brown, first set the world junior 100m record that Bromell matched on Saturday. Brown held just about every age-group record from 13 to 18, and ran his 10.01 at the 2003 World Championships, where he won a silver medal at age 18.
Brown is now 29 but without the senior success of Bolt, Blake, Gay or Gatlin. His personal best is 9.99, set when he was 20, and he was eliminated in the quarterfinals at Beijing 2008 in his only Olympic 100m appearance.
“I’m not so sure tha these kids are going to follow in those sort of footsteps, but the reality is that being fast at a young age is fine, but it’s not an automatic guarantee of success at the next level,” Boldon said.
8
What about Track & Field / Tobago is about to get its first winter olympic medal...and it might be gold
« on: February 18, 2014, 07:51:29 PM »
http://espn.go.com/espnw/news-commentary/olympics/article/10477584/espnw-lauryn-williams-not-lolo-jones-bobsledder-watch
not much of a secret that her father is from Tobago.
not much of a secret that her father is from Tobago.
10
What about Track & Field / Bye-bye, BUBKA: Pole Vault WR is gone.
« on: February 15, 2014, 09:58:30 PM »
Highest vault ever, indoors or out. Outdoor record can't be far behind, now. 6m 16 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlVcXB6le4U&feature=youtu.be
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/TlVcXB6le4U" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/TlVcXB6le4U</a>
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlVcXB6le4U&feature=youtu.be
11
What about Track & Field / Time for a reality check
« on: August 29, 2013, 07:33:31 AM »
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/sports/Time-for-a-reality-check-221585971.html
No credit given to a writer. I guess it's Bovell.
Time for a reality check
By George Bovell (T&T Express)
Story Created: Aug 29, 2013 at 12:13 AM ECT
I might be in a unique position to fully appreciate what sport does for Trinidad and Tobago internationally. I remember in 2001 when coach Anil Roberts and I attended the World Championships in f**koka, Japan and placed fourth in the 200m IM, few people in swimming knew what country our flag represented or could locate Trinidad and Tobago on a map.
Over the course of representing the Red, White and Black, there have been countless instances where people have initially written me off as some Third World, wannabe athlete, lumped in with the likes of Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Myanmar when I say that I come from a country that they have absolutely never heard of before.
This truth is hard to imagine when living here, except perhaps when trying to obtain a visa for travel. Many of us seem to think of Trinidad as the centre of the universe. Now, I am proud to say that in the sport of swimming, Trinidad and Tobago is renowned, and more importantly we are feared and respected by the rest of the world. It is because I am aware of that international ignorance and inconsequential attitude towards Trinidad and Tobago in general, that I take such pride in the sporting success of our country.
Hasely Crawford, Keshorn Walcott, Jehue Gordon, Ato Boldon, Richard Thompson, Wendell Motley, Edwin Skinner, Lalonde Gordon, Brian Lara and Dwight Yorke, just to name a few, have done an invaluable service to our country over the course of our 51-year history. They have and continue to earn us respect around the world. By showcasing our talented athletes, the nation will gain more in terms of growing our nation’s esteem and becoming internationally renowned than Carnival of Pan ever could.
That is the power of sport.
It is because I take such tremendous pride in our top athletes and their sporting accomplishments that I naturally want the Red, White, and Black to become fashionable and synonymous with success, I might add, in the way that Jamaica is becoming. However, I see some serious obstacles in our way, the greatest being the mindset of our general population.
This is intended to be brutally honest. Take it as you will. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.
Some people are optimists, some are pessimists. I aspire to be a realist.
There are some aspects of our unique Trinbagonian culture and general perspective on life that I believe are severely limiting our potential. Since I have returned home, I am noticing the difference in mentality everywhere and I feel compelled to address what I can in the limited space provided.
This perspective is mostly evident in sport, but due to its pervasiveness, it seems ubiquitous in our daily lives. Perhaps the reason I even notice the sharp contrast is due to the fact that for the past few months, I have been abroad and surrounded by some very successful individuals, athletes and teams.
Let’s be honest with ourselves, fellow Trinbagonians. I get so fed up of hearing about the power of positive thinking.
I am not sure where this blind faith idea comes from, whether the idea is from Oprah, or the book entitled “The Secret” or what? I am constantly hearing phrases like “Don’t worry, just think positive and we will win,” or “Just ask God,” or “Think positive, put it out into the universe,” reiterated everywhere. Sound familiar?
Honesty is a fundamental part of any successful endeavour. I don’t lie to myself. It is what it is. I believe in a more proactive approach. If things aren’t going well, no amount of positive thinking will change the course. We need to be objective and recognise a poor performance for what it was.
Responsibility must be taken, something must need to be addressed or changed.
If there is a failure to achieve the desired result, there must be mistakes or reasons why that directly influence the outcome. The results of our nation’s track and field team at the recent World Championships in Moscow was deemed a “good World Championships by the teams officials.”
Let’s be honest here. Aside from Jehue Gordon’s amazing triumph, for a country that was as successful as we were in London, we had a disappointing showing overall. Jamaica had a good World Championships.
In order to get better we need to be honest with ourselves. For example, let’s imagine an extreme, hypothetical situation in which you are a broke, lonely, a failure. You adopt an optimistic outlook and apply the power of positive thinking. You manage to convince yourself this is how it’s meant to be and that your current state is the result of some external force beyond your control, otherwise known as an external locus of control, and that things could always be worse. Perhaps you even start to believe that you are pretty lucky. The delusion that things are beyond your control and the blind faith in the fact that matters will improve by themselves, become the chains that keep you down.
Are you being honest with yourself? If you were honest with yourself your disgust at your pathetic situation would compel you to accept responsibility and immediately spring to action to rectify your life in whatever way possible.
We Trinbagonians, are fixated on the concept of “swag”. If we put as much energy into achieving results as we do towards faking the “swag” we would have more to back it up, and wouldn’t need to waste energy faking it in the first place. Swag isn’t your mohawk, gold chain, hat, clothes, shoes or red hood. True swag is worn effortlessly, it’s the undeniably evident respect earned from your peers. An alpha wolf has true swag, he doesn’t need to fake it. Those who really have it, know exactly what I am talking about.
Trinbagonians must realise that if something was easy, everyone would do it. If being successful was easy, everyone would be successful, but it’s not. It requires tremendous sacrifice and hard work.
For some populations in other countries, tremendous sacrifice and hard work is the cultural norm. Compared to most other places in the world Trinbagonians have it sweet. We recognise this when we repeat the adage “God is a Trini”. Our current situation: “We like it so.” We like to party so much that some people even joke that the motto of our country should be: “Don’t stop the carnival.”
Trinbagonians have never had to endure war, famine, or winter and our country has never had to fight desperately at unimaginable human cost for its survival like so many other nations.
It is probably largely due to a history of unreasonably harsh demands placed on populations due to war that countries such as Serbia, Croatia, Russia, Japan, America, China, England, Israel, Italy, France and Germany all culturally exalt and place such heroic emphasis on sacrifice and hard work.
The very concepts of sacrifice and work have become ingrained into their national psyche. When we as Trinbagonians step out onto the world stage, it is against this heroic, militant work ethic that we must compete. If we want to beat these countries in competition, we must first be willing to match and surpass their sacrifice and hard work when it comes to preparation.
We already know we can succeed out there, we have seen it, let’s make this the rule and not the exception!
No credit given to a writer. I guess it's Bovell.
Time for a reality check
By George Bovell (T&T Express)
Story Created: Aug 29, 2013 at 12:13 AM ECT
I might be in a unique position to fully appreciate what sport does for Trinidad and Tobago internationally. I remember in 2001 when coach Anil Roberts and I attended the World Championships in f**koka, Japan and placed fourth in the 200m IM, few people in swimming knew what country our flag represented or could locate Trinidad and Tobago on a map.
Over the course of representing the Red, White and Black, there have been countless instances where people have initially written me off as some Third World, wannabe athlete, lumped in with the likes of Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Myanmar when I say that I come from a country that they have absolutely never heard of before.
This truth is hard to imagine when living here, except perhaps when trying to obtain a visa for travel. Many of us seem to think of Trinidad as the centre of the universe. Now, I am proud to say that in the sport of swimming, Trinidad and Tobago is renowned, and more importantly we are feared and respected by the rest of the world. It is because I am aware of that international ignorance and inconsequential attitude towards Trinidad and Tobago in general, that I take such pride in the sporting success of our country.
Hasely Crawford, Keshorn Walcott, Jehue Gordon, Ato Boldon, Richard Thompson, Wendell Motley, Edwin Skinner, Lalonde Gordon, Brian Lara and Dwight Yorke, just to name a few, have done an invaluable service to our country over the course of our 51-year history. They have and continue to earn us respect around the world. By showcasing our talented athletes, the nation will gain more in terms of growing our nation’s esteem and becoming internationally renowned than Carnival of Pan ever could.
That is the power of sport.
It is because I take such tremendous pride in our top athletes and their sporting accomplishments that I naturally want the Red, White, and Black to become fashionable and synonymous with success, I might add, in the way that Jamaica is becoming. However, I see some serious obstacles in our way, the greatest being the mindset of our general population.
This is intended to be brutally honest. Take it as you will. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.
Some people are optimists, some are pessimists. I aspire to be a realist.
There are some aspects of our unique Trinbagonian culture and general perspective on life that I believe are severely limiting our potential. Since I have returned home, I am noticing the difference in mentality everywhere and I feel compelled to address what I can in the limited space provided.
This perspective is mostly evident in sport, but due to its pervasiveness, it seems ubiquitous in our daily lives. Perhaps the reason I even notice the sharp contrast is due to the fact that for the past few months, I have been abroad and surrounded by some very successful individuals, athletes and teams.
Let’s be honest with ourselves, fellow Trinbagonians. I get so fed up of hearing about the power of positive thinking.
I am not sure where this blind faith idea comes from, whether the idea is from Oprah, or the book entitled “The Secret” or what? I am constantly hearing phrases like “Don’t worry, just think positive and we will win,” or “Just ask God,” or “Think positive, put it out into the universe,” reiterated everywhere. Sound familiar?
Honesty is a fundamental part of any successful endeavour. I don’t lie to myself. It is what it is. I believe in a more proactive approach. If things aren’t going well, no amount of positive thinking will change the course. We need to be objective and recognise a poor performance for what it was.
Responsibility must be taken, something must need to be addressed or changed.
If there is a failure to achieve the desired result, there must be mistakes or reasons why that directly influence the outcome. The results of our nation’s track and field team at the recent World Championships in Moscow was deemed a “good World Championships by the teams officials.”
Let’s be honest here. Aside from Jehue Gordon’s amazing triumph, for a country that was as successful as we were in London, we had a disappointing showing overall. Jamaica had a good World Championships.
In order to get better we need to be honest with ourselves. For example, let’s imagine an extreme, hypothetical situation in which you are a broke, lonely, a failure. You adopt an optimistic outlook and apply the power of positive thinking. You manage to convince yourself this is how it’s meant to be and that your current state is the result of some external force beyond your control, otherwise known as an external locus of control, and that things could always be worse. Perhaps you even start to believe that you are pretty lucky. The delusion that things are beyond your control and the blind faith in the fact that matters will improve by themselves, become the chains that keep you down.
Are you being honest with yourself? If you were honest with yourself your disgust at your pathetic situation would compel you to accept responsibility and immediately spring to action to rectify your life in whatever way possible.
We Trinbagonians, are fixated on the concept of “swag”. If we put as much energy into achieving results as we do towards faking the “swag” we would have more to back it up, and wouldn’t need to waste energy faking it in the first place. Swag isn’t your mohawk, gold chain, hat, clothes, shoes or red hood. True swag is worn effortlessly, it’s the undeniably evident respect earned from your peers. An alpha wolf has true swag, he doesn’t need to fake it. Those who really have it, know exactly what I am talking about.
Trinbagonians must realise that if something was easy, everyone would do it. If being successful was easy, everyone would be successful, but it’s not. It requires tremendous sacrifice and hard work.
For some populations in other countries, tremendous sacrifice and hard work is the cultural norm. Compared to most other places in the world Trinbagonians have it sweet. We recognise this when we repeat the adage “God is a Trini”. Our current situation: “We like it so.” We like to party so much that some people even joke that the motto of our country should be: “Don’t stop the carnival.”
Trinbagonians have never had to endure war, famine, or winter and our country has never had to fight desperately at unimaginable human cost for its survival like so many other nations.
It is probably largely due to a history of unreasonably harsh demands placed on populations due to war that countries such as Serbia, Croatia, Russia, Japan, America, China, England, Israel, Italy, France and Germany all culturally exalt and place such heroic emphasis on sacrifice and hard work.
The very concepts of sacrifice and work have become ingrained into their national psyche. When we as Trinbagonians step out onto the world stage, it is against this heroic, militant work ethic that we must compete. If we want to beat these countries in competition, we must first be willing to match and surpass their sacrifice and hard work when it comes to preparation.
We already know we can succeed out there, we have seen it, let’s make this the rule and not the exception!
13
What about Track & Field / Say a prayer on May 6th, because I want this...
« on: March 24, 2013, 03:27:47 PM »
http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/03/20/nbc-sports-garners-58-sports-emmy-nominations-most-of-any-sports-media-company/174244/
and Chris Collinsworth has won the last 4!
and Chris Collinsworth has won the last 4!
14
What about Track & Field / IAAF Inside Athletics with Ato Boldon
« on: March 06, 2013, 02:19:06 PM »
IAAF Inside Athletics Episode 1
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/sA9NRpa33-Q" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/sA9NRpa33-Q</a>
Welcome to IAAF Inside Athletics Episode 1 where host IAAF Ambassador Ato Boldon discusses the 100m World record of 9.59
Episode 2: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10200742795838744
IAAF Inside Athletics Episode 2
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/F1uXwBzoyeA" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/F1uXwBzoyeA</a>
IAAF Ambassador Ato Boldon discusses the most awaited head to head of 2013
Episode 3: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10200793280580831
IAAF Inside Athletics Episode 3
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/MWJjyBqAEeA" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/MWJjyBqAEeA</a>
IAAF Ambassador Ato Boldon exclusive interview with World Indoor record holder Jenn Suhr
youtube convertisseur
Welcome to IAAF Inside Athletics Episode 1 where host IAAF Ambassador Ato Boldon discusses the 100m World record of 9.59
Episode 2: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10200742795838744
IAAF Inside Athletics Episode 2
IAAF Ambassador Ato Boldon discusses the most awaited head to head of 2013
Episode 3: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10200793280580831
IAAF Inside Athletics Episode 3
IAAF Ambassador Ato Boldon exclusive interview with World Indoor record holder Jenn Suhr
youtube convertisseur
15
What about Track & Field / 100 days to go to London....
« on: April 18, 2012, 01:35:12 PM »
...my analysis of the Olympic champion Usain Bolt and his competition.
http://www.nbcolympics.com/news-blogs/track-and-field/breaking-down-usain-bolt-in-100m.html
http://www.nbcolympics.com/news-blogs/track-and-field/breaking-down-usain-bolt-in-100m.html
16
What about Track & Field / The best high school meet on earth, bar none.
« on: March 30, 2012, 02:45:10 PM »
CHAMPS! The Jamaican High School Boys and Girls championships 2012
100m and 400mh finals are tonight, the usual amazing finish and the race for the team title tomorrow, the final day.
www.sportsmax.tv - LIVESTREAM with yours truly...
http://www.issasports.com/results/champs/champs2012/ RESULTS
100m and 400mh finals are tonight, the usual amazing finish and the race for the team title tomorrow, the final day.
www.sportsmax.tv - LIVESTREAM with yours truly...
http://www.issasports.com/results/champs/champs2012/ RESULTS
17
What about Track & Field / Spirit of Sport Awards tonight 8pm TV6
« on: December 28, 2011, 12:53:39 PM »
Locals, Spirit of Sport Awards are on TV 6 tonight starting at 8pm. Who's who of TNT sports and celebs
20
What about Track & Field / My world championships prediction show
« on: August 22, 2011, 12:22:41 PM »
http://www.universalsports.com/video/assetid=f2f05c0d-0b9f-4d3d-a139-e7c745f41802.html#quick+picks+worlds+sprint+predictions
Sure there will be much discussion/disagreement.
Which is the point.
Sure there will be much discussion/disagreement.
Which is the point.
21
What about Track & Field / Allyson Felix talks to me about her double attempt in Daegu/London
« on: July 28, 2011, 04:31:47 PM »
http://www.universalsports.com/video/assetid=4037716c-534c-4b12-8371-7f6bcef771c7.html
http://twitpic.com/5xcuvd
(Gonna make you install Microsoft Silverlight if you don't already have it installed)
http://twitpic.com/5xcuvd
(Gonna make you install Microsoft Silverlight if you don't already have it installed)
23
What about Track & Field / COOL DOWN with Ato Boldon on Universal Sports
« on: July 10, 2011, 02:39:05 AM »
http://www.universalsports.com/video/assetid=73efe518-46c5-4898-a90a-5d87220793b8.html#cool+down+with+ato+boldon+paris
The subject of the TnT Championships debacle comes up in this edition.
More tomorrow after Birmingham Diamond League airs, at 10:15pm TT time.
The subject of the TnT Championships debacle comes up in this edition.
More tomorrow after Birmingham Diamond League airs, at 10:15pm TT time.
26
What about Track & Field / What a thing...
« on: December 08, 2010, 12:16:34 PM »
http://www.trackalerts.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3251:no-iaaf-certified-track-in-trinidad-and-tobago&catid=3806:lead-stories&Itemid=82
No IAAF certified track in Trinidad and Tobago
Wednesday, 08 December 2010 09:10
Just over a year after Trinidad and Tobago created history at the 2009 IAAF World Athletic Championships in Berlin, Germany the twin island republic is without a certified track.
TT NAAA president Ephraime Serrette confirmed that none of the country's five tracks are certified. "No none at this time....during the FIFA Under 17 Women's World Cup held in Trinidad and Tobago marks were put on the track at the Hasely Crawford Stadium which would have de-certified it. Similar lines were put at all the tracks at the other stadia. We were awaiting the reports on those markings but from my knowledge they would be de-certified. The tracks at the Larry Gomes and Manny Ramjohn stadium are for jogging. Athletes should not even be training on them," he said.
In Berlin, Josanne Lucas became the first TT woman to win a medal at a global event when she finished third in the women's 400m hurdles finals. Renny Quow was also third in the men's 400m flat final while 17 year old Jehue Gordon just missed out on a medal in the men's 400m hurdles event.
The country's men's 4x 100 team became the third fastest country after Jamaica and the US. The team anchored by Beijing double silver medallist Richard Thompson clocked 37.62 seconds.
Only this year Kelly Ann Baptiste became the first local lady to win a global sprint title capturing the Continental Cup (formerly the World Cup) 100m title and anchored the Americas team to gold. Gordon won the world junior 400m hurdles title.
The country's track and field success goes way back to the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica when Wendel Mottley anchored the men's 4x400 yards team to gold in a world record time of 3:02:8. Hasely Crawford captured TT's lone Olympic title taking 100m gold in Montreal Canada. Ato Boldon won 11 global medals including the 2007 World 200 crown and four Olympic medals representing the red, white and black. The country has also produced Darryl Brown, the world junior 100m record holder and 2001 World Youth and 2002 World Junior champion, and Rhonda Watkins, NCAA double winner and 2006 World Junior long jump champion.
Speaking on I 95.5 FM radio programme(www.i955fm.com) on the eve of the association's November 28 elections, Serrette said none of the tracks at the country's five stadia are currently up to IAAF standards. The main track at the Hasely Crawford was upgraded to host the cancelled inaugural Caribbean Games and the Pan American Junior Championships in 2009. The revelation is quite startling for a country which hosted several regional meets including the Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships in 1994 and 2006, the Carifta Games in 1987, 1991, 1998, 2003 and 2005 and CUT Champs in 2002.
Serrette also said some thirteen million dollars (US $2.1m) were spent to resurface the Hasely Crawford facility to host the 2006 CAC Juniors but added that the track is in need of resurfacing.
With just over six months before the 2011 National Championships work has not started on the venue and Serrette is saying that (if the work is not done) performances achieved at the meet will not stand.
"We would have a championship but no records will be recognized".
By Clayton Clarke for www.trackalerts.com
No IAAF certified track in Trinidad and Tobago
Wednesday, 08 December 2010 09:10
Just over a year after Trinidad and Tobago created history at the 2009 IAAF World Athletic Championships in Berlin, Germany the twin island republic is without a certified track.
TT NAAA president Ephraime Serrette confirmed that none of the country's five tracks are certified. "No none at this time....during the FIFA Under 17 Women's World Cup held in Trinidad and Tobago marks were put on the track at the Hasely Crawford Stadium which would have de-certified it. Similar lines were put at all the tracks at the other stadia. We were awaiting the reports on those markings but from my knowledge they would be de-certified. The tracks at the Larry Gomes and Manny Ramjohn stadium are for jogging. Athletes should not even be training on them," he said.
In Berlin, Josanne Lucas became the first TT woman to win a medal at a global event when she finished third in the women's 400m hurdles finals. Renny Quow was also third in the men's 400m flat final while 17 year old Jehue Gordon just missed out on a medal in the men's 400m hurdles event.
The country's men's 4x 100 team became the third fastest country after Jamaica and the US. The team anchored by Beijing double silver medallist Richard Thompson clocked 37.62 seconds.
Only this year Kelly Ann Baptiste became the first local lady to win a global sprint title capturing the Continental Cup (formerly the World Cup) 100m title and anchored the Americas team to gold. Gordon won the world junior 400m hurdles title.
The country's track and field success goes way back to the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica when Wendel Mottley anchored the men's 4x400 yards team to gold in a world record time of 3:02:8. Hasely Crawford captured TT's lone Olympic title taking 100m gold in Montreal Canada. Ato Boldon won 11 global medals including the 2007 World 200 crown and four Olympic medals representing the red, white and black. The country has also produced Darryl Brown, the world junior 100m record holder and 2001 World Youth and 2002 World Junior champion, and Rhonda Watkins, NCAA double winner and 2006 World Junior long jump champion.
Speaking on I 95.5 FM radio programme(www.i955fm.com) on the eve of the association's November 28 elections, Serrette said none of the tracks at the country's five stadia are currently up to IAAF standards. The main track at the Hasely Crawford was upgraded to host the cancelled inaugural Caribbean Games and the Pan American Junior Championships in 2009. The revelation is quite startling for a country which hosted several regional meets including the Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships in 1994 and 2006, the Carifta Games in 1987, 1991, 1998, 2003 and 2005 and CUT Champs in 2002.
Serrette also said some thirteen million dollars (US $2.1m) were spent to resurface the Hasely Crawford facility to host the 2006 CAC Juniors but added that the track is in need of resurfacing.
With just over six months before the 2011 National Championships work has not started on the venue and Serrette is saying that (if the work is not done) performances achieved at the meet will not stand.
"We would have a championship but no records will be recognized".
By Clayton Clarke for www.trackalerts.com
27
What about Track & Field / Battle of the 9.78s
« on: September 01, 2010, 02:24:59 PM »
in Zagreb - wasn't close Gay 9.92MR Nesta Carter 10.07 2nd that won't help the doubters of the Rieti results.
28
What about Track & Field / Asafa calls it quits aka Willi pay up
« on: August 17, 2010, 11:37:03 PM »
http://www.trackalerts.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2134:asafa-powell-pulls-plug-on-2010-season&catid=3806:lead-stories&Itemid=82
Willi, when you all going to stop betting against me?
Willi, when you all going to stop betting against me?