Crawford: Burns can be dark horse
Friday, August 8th 2008
Every race has a potential dark horse waiting in the wings to surprise the natural favourites. According to former Olympic 100-metre champion Hasely Crawford, T&T ace sprinter Marc Burns has the quality to be such at the Beijing Olympics.
Burns has shown much improvement in dropping his times this year, winning the National Open Championships in 10.01 seconds, and less than two weeks ago, grabbing silver in 9.97, behind former world record holder Asafa Powell at the London Grand Prix from lane eight.
"I think Marc Burns could prove to be a dark horse," Crawford told the Express yesterday. "Marc Burns is a gutsy kind of athlete. Right now his problem is that he's not starting (his races) the way he ought to be starting."
Crawford has put a lot of personal stake in Burns, and fellow T&T sprinters Richard Thompson and Darrel Brown, who he believes each have the potential to surprise the current favourites for Olympic Gold, Powell, world record holder Usain Bolt, and US champ Tyson Gay.
Gay ducked under 9.7 seconds during the US national trials, but was assisted by an illegal tailwind. Only in May, Bolt claimed the world record from his Jamaican compatriot Powell with a 9.72 clocking at the Reebok Grand Prix in New York.
But Crawford thinks the T&T runners should not be overlooked.
"It's not because of a Trinidadian. I'm saying this from an (former) athlete's perspective. Our athletes on a good day can give them a good run."
Having improved his form, and with a recent sub-10 clocking, Crawford believes Burns can challenge the favourites with a better start.
"I believe that he can make some minor adjustments (to his technique). He has what you call the 'bunch start' which I don't really like personally. He is an athlete who needs to get a running start. At that level, you need to get a good start. If he could improve on that, I think he can do very well."
Crawford also sang Thompson's praises for the strides which the runner has made this year, and agreed with fellow former T&T sprint star Ato Boldon that he can conceivably dip under 9.8 seconds.
Thompson was recently the recipient of a lucrative deal with Nike, after some steady improvement, which saw him ducking under 10 seconds a few times this year.
"Although they (Nike) have signed him for the Olympic Games, their concern is not this year. Their concern is down the road. They are very much aware he needs to develop he's not a naturally strong person, he's still developing, and I think the next one or two years when he really develops, he'll be awesome."
Another pleasing prospect for Crawford, who heads to Beijing next week, just in time for the start of the track and field events, is the T&T relay team.
"They ran 38.00 (seconds) and their baton passing was poor. If they can repeat that 38.00, they'll be among the medals. To win, they'll have to run 37. I think they do have the talent to do that."
