Tony Becca
JAMAICA'S GREATNESS in sport, and particularly on the track, was underlined in New York last Saturday when Usain Bolt, the express from Trelawny, Lightning Bolt, whatever you feel like calling him, became the fastest man alive.
On a memorable night, on a wet track at the Reebok Classic on Randall's Island, the 21-year-old Bolt, a World Junior champion in the 200 metres, a World Youth champion in the 200m, and a World Championship silver-medal winner in the 200m, broke the world record - not in his favourite distance, but for the 100m.
In Italy last year, Bolt ran 10.03, and recently he ran a blistering 9.76 and then 9.92. A week ago, however, the big man, standing at 6' 5", blazed down the track for a fantastic 9.72, and in doing so, he not only left the World Athletics Championships winner Tyson Gay in his wake, but he also broke Asafa Powell's world record.
A Jamaican victory
BOLT
Although Powell, his family and friends must be disappointed to have lost the world record, even though it matters little to me which of the two holds the record, that was what made me proud - the fact that it was a Jamaican whose record Bolt smashed.
In other words, we have produced great athletes like Arthur Wint, George Rhoden, Les Laing, Wynthrop Graham, Bert Cameron, James Beckford, Danny McFarlane, Lorraine Graham, Deon Hemmings, Lorraine Fenton, Brigitte Foster-Hylton and Sandie Richards. We have produced brilliant sprinters such as Herb McKenley, Don Quarrie, Lennox Miller, Merlene Ottey, Grace Jackson, Juliet Cuthbert, Beverley McDonald and Veronica Campbell along with Tanya Lawrence, Sherone Simpson and Aleen Bailey.
Now, Jamaica, little Jamaica, the Rock, after all these years, have finally produced not one, but the two fastest men on earth - one with a best time, the previous world record time of 9.74, the other with the world record time of 9.72.
On top of that, with Campbell, the women's 200m champion at the last Olympic Games, the women's 100m champion at the last World Championships and the fastest female over 100m this year, arguably the best female sprinter in the world, with the likes of Lawrence, Simpson and Bailey around her, Jamaica, must be, beyond any doubt, the envy of the world in track athletics and especially so when it comes to sprinting.
US trend
In the history of the 100m at the Olympic Games, the US, starting with Frank Jarvis and Walter Tewksbury in 1900, going through Jesse Owens and Ralph Metcalfe in 1936 and ending with Carl Lewis and Sam Grady in 1984 after Jamaica's Lennox Miller had separated Jim Hines and Charlie Green in 1968, have finished one-two, gold medal and silver medal winners, on 10 occasions.
That is why, even though, with eight races involved, plus the relay, it would be good, if it is possible and advisable, for Bolt to run both his favourite 200 and the 100 at the Olympic Games in Beijing.
It would be good, not only because with Powell in the race it would improve Jamaica's chances of winning it for the first time ever, not only because it would give him a chance of winning both events and making it the first time ever for Jamaica, but also because it would give Jamaica, the sprint factory of the world, a great chance of not only winning the prestigious race but a wonderful chance of finishing, for the first time, first and second.
That would be great and especially so as it would mean that apart from the US, Jamaica would then become the only country to finish one-two in the 100m.
Congrats Usain Bolt. You have once again underlined Jamaica's greatness in sport and more so on the track. With you, Powell, Campbell and all the other great Jamaicans in action, you have given Jamaicans hope that with the distinct possibility of gold in the men's 100, 200 and the men's 4x100 relay, in the women's 100, 200 and 4x100 relay, with the possibility of one or two more plus a number of silver and bronze medals, Beijing could be Jamaica's greatest moment in sport.
