Hasely fuming over sub-10 query
Ato: It's my right
Kwame Laurence klaurence@trinidadexpress.com
Wednesday, June 29th 2005
The most successful Trinidad and Tobago athletes in history are at odds over Saturday's historic sub-10 100 metres dash, at the Sagicor National Open Track and Field Championships.
On his atoboldon.com website, Ato Boldon has queried the legitimacy of the fast times clocked at the Championships.
In response, a fuming Hasely Crawford has come out in defence of the National Amateur Athletic Association (NAAA), the sport's local governing body.
In the first-ever sub-10 100m race in T&T, Marc Burns triumphed in 9.96 seconds and Darrel Brown finished second in 9.99. Never before had either sprinter dived under ten seconds. There were PRs (personal records) as well for bronze medallist Aaron Armstrong (10.04), fourth-placed Jacey Harper (10.10) and fifth-placed Kevon Pierre (10.22).
Crawford, a trustee on the NAAA executive, told the Express, yesterday, he "will defend to the hilt" the legitimacy of the times produced on the newly-certified track at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, on the weekend.
"It's unfortunate for Ato to criticise the guys. I am very disturbed. Last year, on the same track and with the same timing device, he did not question his own 10.09.
"We are a responsible association," the 1976 Olympic Games 100m champion continued, "and we took a decision to ensure things were properly done for the meet.
"Through the assistance of the Ministry of Sport and the Sports Company, we acquired block sensors for $150,000. Also, Trevor Hewitt (Advanced Performance Technologies Limited) took the timing device to New York and had it calibrated to IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) standards.
"And the very guy who did the calibration and brought down the sensors came here and trained our people."
Boldon, though, has defended his right to an opinion.
"I didn't take exception when Darrel's father (Winston Brown) was saying I had false started at Nationals last year," the CBS commentator told the Express, yesterday.
"That was his opinion...and I will not be censored on my own message board just for the sake of being politically correct. People's initial reaction will be 'because Ato never broke 10 at home, he is doubting the times'. But it's not a bitter reaction. I speak to Darrel and Marc on a daily basis...they're like brothers to me. However, some of the lesser placings in the race just did not look right. I was in the stands at the US Champs, and a lot of people discarded the times.
"Anytime as many as five people run PRs in the same race," the quadruple Olympic medallist continued, "alarm bells are raised. I don't know if anything has gone wrong, but personally, I'm saying it's a little suspect."
The retired Boldon, who dived under 10 seconds 28 times between 1996 and 2001, said he is not second guessing the ability of Burns and Brown.
"On my site, I have already added Marc's 9.96 and Darrel's 9.99. I'm glad to say that a country as small as ours has three sub-10 sprinters. Hasely's doing his job, but it's just that it's very rare for so many people to run PRs in the same 100, so whoever's vex about what I said, including Hasely, too bad. Most people are engaged, but I'm married to this track thing."
Crawford said that while the top five sprinters in the race did run career best times, the three that trailed the field were unable to produce anything special. Melvin Nero (10.35), Dion Rodriguez (10.40) and Antiguan Daniel Bailey (10.44) were sixth, seventh and eighth, respectively.
"After all the years Ato's father (Guy Boldon) has been pounding the NAAA, to hear this, now that we're doing things right, is disheartening. With all the hype in the build up to Nationals, it's very easy to drop from 10.1s to sub-10. As a trustee it's my role to protect the assets of the association, and those guys are assets."
Crawford said that Boldon's comments about Saturday's sub-10 race have put the NAAA in an awkward position.
"Those guys see him as an exemplar, and we had made a decision for Ato to work with the relay teams for the World Championships, in Helsinki.
"My advice for Marc and Darrel," he continued, "is to do what I have always done, and make a negative into a positive. They are serious threats for Worlds, but I do think they should run more 200s for strength."
The former track star said he is excited about the depth in T&T athletics.
"We have a battery of about eight good, young sprinters. And the NGC Right on Track programme has discovered a lot of under-14 and under-16 talent as well. In Helsinki, Armstrong could do well in the 200, and though Kelly-Ann Baptiste is one for the future, she could make a final. We also have good quarter-milers, half-milers and throwers. Never in history have we had such depth," Crawford ended. "We need to close ranks and support each other."
