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Author Topic: Low-flying Kelly-Ann Baptiste looking to land on Olympic medal radar  (Read 1978 times)

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Offline Aviator

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http://www.nbcolympics.com/news-blogs/blog=the-rundown/post/low-flying-kelly-ann-baptiste-looking-to-land-on-olympic-medal-radar.html

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Low-flying Kelly-Ann Baptiste looking to land on Olympic medal radar
Trinidad sprinter targets complete race at Adidas Grand Prix in N.Y.
By: Joe Battaglia, NBC OlympicsUpdated: Jun 7, 5:24p ET
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NEW YORK –– Quick, name three Olympic medal contenders in the women’s 100m.

Chances are your shortlist had some combination of Americans like Carmelita Jeter and Allyson Felix, and Jamaicans like Veronica Campbell-Brown, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Kerron Stewart.
Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images
1 of 12
Kelly-Ann Baptiste of Trinidad & Tobago prepares to compete in the women's 100m at the 2011 World Championships.

Meanwhile, Kelly-Ann Baptiste of Trinidad & Tobago garners hardly a mention, even though she won a bronze medal at the World Championships last summer, has a PR – 10.84 seconds – comparable to almost everyone mentioned above, and trains in a high-profile group in Clermont, Fla. that includes American-record-holder Tyson Gay.

How is that possible?

We put the question to Baptiste herself ahead of Saturday’s Diamond League adidas Grand Prix, where she will attempt to make inroads in the buzz department in a 100m field that includes Jeter, Felix, and Fraser-Pryce.

“I don’t have an Olympic gold medal and I am not a world champion,” the 25-year-old, who starred collegiately at LSU, said. “In this sport, they always revert back to four years ago. In an Olympic year, women like Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Kerron Stewart are going to be in the limelight because four years ago they got Olympic medals. As much as I run fast times throughout the rest of the season, until I get on that stage and can win an Olympic medal, it’s still going to be the same.”

While on one hand Baptiste struggles to come up with a rationale for how she has been able to fly under the radar in this Olympic year, she isn’t exactly clamoring for attention either.

“I’m very reserved, and I can be shy at times,” Baptiste said. “It’s crazy that I’m in a sport where you do well and you get attention and I don’t really like attention per se. I like the underdog type of feeling because I don’t have anything to worry about. What do I have to lose? The people who have won World Championships and Olympic gold, they’re the ones who have pressure on them. Nobody expects me to do anything anyway.”

But Baptiste is quite capable of cracking the U.S.-Jamaica stranglehold in London and she knows it. Moreover, she knows exactly what has prevented her from becoming a more prominent figure sooner.

“Maybe five years ago I never really had a great start,” she explained. “I always struggled with it and you would see me running from the back. Now, I have been able to develop that part of my race and it seems as if I am struggling with my finish.”

Indeed, if you look back at Baptiste’s high-profile races you will find that her technique has a tendency to unravel over the course of the final 20 meters. It happened again earlier this season at the Jamaica Invitational, where she had a tremendous start and was leading midway but got caught from behind by Jeter, who won in 10.81. Baptiste was second in 10.86.

“I think in the last 20 meters I really have a tendency to drop my hips and I don’t stay up,” Baptiste said. “That is something that I have been trying to work on in practice. I’ve been trying to do more speed endurance to have that feeling toward the end of a race where you are fatigued and you have to really focus on keeping your technique together.

“I need to run a complete race because I’m not a starter, nor do I think I am a finisher. Once I figure out how to put the complete race together, I will be fine.”

She could very well become an Olympic champion.

© 2012 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Any use, reproduction, modification, distribution, display or performance of this material without NBCUniversal's prior written consent is prohibited.
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Offline Socapro

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Nice one!
I like how KAB is embracing the underdog status, a very intelligent and motivating thing to do if you ask me! :beermug:

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I like the underdog type of feeling because I don’t have anything to worry about. What do I have to lose? The people who have won World Championships and Olympic gold, they’re the ones who have pressure on them. Nobody expects me to do anything anyway.”

Slight correction to the final sentence in Kelly-Ann’s quote, it should read:
Nobody but Trinbagonians expects me to do anything anyway!
« Last Edit: June 07, 2012, 10:05:40 PM by Socapro »
De higher a monkey climbs is de less his ass is on de line, if he works for FIFA that is! ;-)

Offline Trini1

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Nice article Aviator and nice correction Soca! It's absolutely true when I look on other T&F forums/YouTube comments that's all you see them going off about everyone else but Kelly(maybe on the Caribbean forum she here more notice). Although she might get a mention or 2 it remains just that, earlier in the year someone even said they thought Lavern Jones Ferrette may supplant her this season or someone else- I'll just let her races do the talking. She doesn't mind so it's a good thing!

I'll keep an eye on Murielle Ahoure though she looks like she'll definitely fo some damage if she reaches that final. I definitely think KAB can win gold if she gets her race together like she says. Jeter has had a slump in form and is possibly injured after running in Shanghai, Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce seems to working on the latter half of her race but is still not looking totally back, Kerron/Sherone are not in form at all since their many injuries/surgery, VCB not looking as strong but she peaks well at champs, Felix looks good but still may not run the 100.... All I can say is KAB go for it.

Offline Storeboy

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Amen to everything above!  Go Plymouth girl and shock them.  At least Trinbagonians with you, win or lose, medal or not!
Never, never, ever give up! Go T&T Warriors!

Offline willi

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Never write off SAFP.

Offline Socapro

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Never write off SAFP.
Yeah, we all learnt that lesson this weekend.

I think our KAB has been focusing too much on Jeter and forgot about the perfect peaking qualities of SAFP and the other Jamaicans as your girls  took the 1-2-3 in the 100m women's final in the last Olympics and that says a lot.

Lets hope we can achieve a Caribbean 1-2-3 in both the Men's and the Women's 100m finals come the London Olympics and shut out the Americans completely!
That would be great to help keep the Americans under manners for another Olympics!!  :beermug:
« Last Edit: June 11, 2012, 12:24:46 PM by Socapro »
De higher a monkey climbs is de less his ass is on de line, if he works for FIFA that is! ;-)

Offline willi

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It could happen indeed.

Offline Trini1

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Well said Soca and too true Willi... I felt it coming though she looked too unconcerned in Rome I felt she was just working on her latter half of her race and once she put it together with her start she would be dangerous. Just thought she would let it out at trials not so soon. In a way that's good for KAB as she knows now where she needs to be if she wants to get on SAFP's level.


Offline Socapro

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Kelly-Ann Baptiste 10.98 - Women's 100m A Final - T&T Champs 2012
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/dbfbqQ-rKA4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/dbfbqQ-rKA4</a>

Kelly-Ann Baptiste: Not shying from the spotlight, talk about Olympics ambition
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/0EGDJblQggg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/0EGDJblQggg</a>
« Last Edit: June 24, 2012, 10:22:12 PM by Socapro »
De higher a monkey climbs is de less his ass is on de line, if he works for FIFA that is! ;-)

Offline Socapro

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Baptiste: I can’t focus solely on Carmelita
« Reply #9 on: June 27, 2012, 12:48:35 AM »
http://www.guardian.co.tt/sport/2012-06-26/baptiste-i-can%E2%80%99t-focus-solely-carmelita

Baptiste: I can’t focus solely on Carmelita
Published: Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Shernice Thomas


Although she claimed her sixth national title in the women’s 100 metres sprint, Kelly-Ann Baptiste admitted she was not completely satisfied with her overall performance at the NAAA Sagicor/NGC National Open Track and Field Championship on Saturday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium. The reigning national sprint queen was the clear-cut winner of the event, speeding to a 10.98 golden finish. She sped ahead of Zenith club-mate Semoy Hackett (11.14), Kai Selvon (Air Bon Sonics—11.24), and Michelle Lee Ahye (Unattached—11.29) in fourth. The 25-year-old women’s national record holder told the T&T Guardian that she was not completely satisfied with her final time as she reflected on her performances for the day. “I’m not really satisfied (with the time) but, I’ll take it. (I) could have done better. (I have been) a bit up and down and inconsistent but, those things happen.
 
She said, “I didn’t do as good as I would have liked in some races but, I know I can do better because I know what kind of athlete I am.I am not going to be discouraged by any of that. I’m just going to keep working and keep believing in myself.” When asked what she thought were the determining factors for her preparations leading up to the Olympics, Baptiste said: “I think competition is the biggest thing because you have to try and execute all that you have been learning. So I’m just going to be using competitions as my markers to see where I am at, and where I am going.” Questioned if she has any apprehension on facing reigning World champion, Carmelita Jeter (USA), the 2011 World Championships bronze medallist said she can’t place all her focus on her arch rival.
 
Baptiste got her 2012 season off in sensational style, clocking her best season opener of 10.86 seconds, in trailing a mere 0.05 seconds behind Jeter (10.81), who set a meet record and a world leading time in winning the women’s 100m at the Jamaica International Invitational in May.  “I can’t focus on Carmelita Jeter when there might be someone else behind her who could do much better. So I would never single out one individual athlete, I can’t focus on her solely. “All the “A” people in the final will be my main competitors. I think anything can happen (in the final) it’s very unpredictable. I’ll be looking to put out some of my best times,” Baptiste said.
De higher a monkey climbs is de less his ass is on de line, if he works for FIFA that is! ;-)

 

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