Brilliant Bolt!
Before that historic Saturday night of May 31 at the 2008 Reebok Grand Prix, 21-year-old 200-metre specialist Usain Bolt was still unsure about competing in the 100-metre event at the Olympics in Beijing this August. This uncertainty lingered, despite his running a jaw-dropping 9.76 seconds at the Jamaica Invitational in Kingston some four weeks earlier.
However, all the doubts vanished in 9.72 seconds, the remarkable time Bolt posted at the Reebok Grand Prix at Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island, New York, to make the world record over 100 metres his own. On a wet track, he left reigning 100-metre World Champion Tyson Gay (9.85) in his wake, and lowered the previous world record mark set by his fellow Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell by 0.02 seconds.
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Red Bull’s Formula One Urban Run
One of the main roadways that cuts through the heart of the business district of New Kingston was transformed into a Formula One race way on May 4, 2008. Hundreds of Jamaicans flocked to Trafalgar Road just to get a glimpse of the spectacular Urban Run of the Red Bull F1 racing car. Steered by 19-year-old Sebastien Buemi of Switzerland, the crisp, sleek outline of the race car wowed spectators, who lined both sides of the street.
There was a variety of entertainment offerings on the day. This included exhibition runs by various model sport sedans and speed-driven race cars, with engines that roared and tyres that screamed as they moved up and down the street at top speeds. Motorcyclists also showcased death-defying stunts.
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Jamaican Hockey in need of help
On the plateau of Jamaica’s sporting arena, hockey precariously sits close to the edge, waiting for a wind of change that will either stabilise the sport or blow it into obscurity. At best, hockey has always been a fringe sport to football, cricket, athletics and netball. It has always been looking for that breakthrough.
“We’re trying to create awareness because nobody knows about hockey except for people who used to listen to Shabba,” says vice-president of the Jamaica Hockey Federation (JHF), Dana Mae Crawford.
Crawford’s comical reference to Shabba’s lexical blunder involving the words “hockey” and “ackee” in a 1992 Arsenio Hall interview may be slightly exaggerated. Hockey is played in high schools at the U-16 and U-19 levels.
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More Olympic Tears Of Joy?
Admit it. You were crying along with Veronica Campbell-Brown and Tonique Williams-Darling during the victory ceremonies at the 2004 Olympics. It hardly seems like four years have passed since Campbell-Brown of Jamaica and Williams-Darling of The Bahamas tearfully took their gold medals after the women’s 200 and 400 metres respectively.
More good memories will be made in Beijing, host city of the 2008 Games. Led by world champions Campbell-Brown and Bahamian high jumper Donald Thomas, Caribbean athletes are getting set to distinguish themselves.
Changing Fortunes
Sadly, while Jamaica’s star has risen since she held off Allyson Felix to win the 200 metres, Williams-Darling has struggled since 2005, when she added the World Champion title to her Olympic gold. Campbell-Brown, 25, squeezed home to take the 100 metres over Lauren Williams of the USA at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, Japan. The Bahamian has lost her coach, 1976 Olympic relay gold medallist Steve Riddick, to a conviction for fraud, and she hasn’t raced in over a year.
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