By Basil A. Ince

Sprinters from the Caribbean archipelago rose phoenix-like from the ashes of World War II. In the very first Olympic Games that took place in bomb-scarred London in 1948, Caribbean sprinters announced themselves. Emmanuel McDonald Bailey, Herbert McKenley, and Arthur Wint rose to the occasion to put the region on the world’s sprinting map. Bailey, representing Britain, finished sixth in the 100m; McKenley, fourth in the 200m and second in the 400m; Leslie Laing, sixth in the 200m, and Wint, first in the 400m. In the 1600m at those games, George Rhoden, Laing, Wint, and McKenley, all Jamaicans, joined forces to challenge the powerhouse of track, the United States. That attempt failed when Wint, running the third leg, flew into the air, and then to the ground, felled by a cramp. McKenley never received the baton. Four years later the same team won gold.
Bailey of Trinidad and Tobago, McKenley, Wint, and Rhoden went on to become household names in the world of athletics. Bailey, a world record holder in the 100m, entered the Guinness Book of World Records; McKenley became a gold medallist, world record-holder in the 400m, and the only individual in Olympic history to make a final in the 100m, 200m, and the 400m; Wint a double gold medallist and twice runner-up in the 800m; and Rhoden, a double gold medallist and world record-holder in the 400m. These were the warriors in spikes who were the forerunners to the Usain Bolts, Asafa Powells, and Richard Thompsons, all stars at Beijing. The stars of 1948 and those of 2008 only provide the bookends to the plethora of Caribbean sprinters who have littered the international track scene in those 60 years. In between are Lennox Miller, Hasely Crawford, Don Quarrie, Wendell Mottley, Ed Roberts, Bert Cameron, and Ato Boldon.
Today, on the distaff side, the tracks are packed with Jamaican women wearing the gold and green. These are the current powerhouses in sprinting: Shelly-Ann Fraser, Kerron Stewart, Veronica Campbell, Sherone Simpson, and Melaine Walker, all gold and silver medallists. They built on the shoulders of their compatriots Cynthia Thompson, Merlene Ottey, Grace Jackson, Juliet Cuthbert, and Deon Hemmings. Determined not to be left behind, the Bahamian women, Debbie Ferguson, Chandra Sturrup, Pauline Davis -Thompson, and Tonique Williams-Darling jumped into the fray.
But the athletes from the English speaking nations are not the only ones drinking Caribbean water. The Cubans, Enrique Figuerola, Pablo Montes, Silvio Leonard, Alberto Juantorena, all sprinters, and Alejandro Casanas, Anier Garcia and Dayron Robles, sprinter hurdlers, are also helping themselves to the liquid. Silvia Chivas and Ana Fidelia Quirot have led the women in track but the Cuban women have done exceedingly well in the field events.
Caribbean athletes have always held their own at the quadrennial Olympics, but the year 1976 was an exceptional year for them when they won gold in four events: the three sprints and the 800m. Hasely Crawford of Trinidad and Tobago, Don Quarrie, Jamaica, and Alberto Juantorena of Cuba won the 100m and 200m respectively, while Juantorena was a double medallist in the 400m and 800m. The above record indicates that Caribbean sprinters, especially the men, have been generally at the starting line in the sprints when the starter barks, “On your marks.” But something strange happened for the first time in Beijing. When the pistol reported in the 100m, six Caribbean finalists out of the eight-man field rocketed towards the finish line. Just as 1976, Caribbean sprinters ran 1–2. In 2008, however, Usain Bolt set a new world and Olympic record: 9.69. In the 200m, Bolt set another world and Olympic record with a clocking of 19.30, smashing Michael Johnson’s record of 19.32.
This brings us to the just concluded World Championships in Berlin where Caribbean runners excelled and the national team had superb performances from several members. The remainder of this article will concentrate on the latest sensation, Usain Bolt, and the performances of the national team in the context of 2012 in London.

Usain Bolt performed just as he had done in Beijing. Well, not exactly. Again he won two races, set two new world records, and ran on the winning Jamaican relay squad which did not set a world record on this occasion. His obliteration of the 100m and 200m marks drew raves. Hans Eriksen, a Norweigian physicist at the Institute of Astrophysics at the University of Norway, and his colleagues were not surprised at Bolt’s new 100m record. Eriksen had analysed TV footage of the Beijing 100m, focusing on Bolt’s position, speed, and acceleration, as well as that of runner-up Richard Thompson. Eriksen then agreed with Bolt’s coach that if the speedster had not slowed down to celebrate 20m before the tape, he could have run 9.55. Instead, Bolt ran 9.58 and broke his old record by 0.11 seconds. He covered the distance in 41 strides compared to Tyson Gay’s 44 ½. His reaction time was 0.146 seconds, good for him, but it was faster than only Burns’ and Patton’s of the United States. Richard Thompson, the fastest starter, had a reaction time of 0.119.
The first man to run under 9.6, Bolt, a consumer of chicken nuggets, hit the 20m mark in 2.89 and was already in the lead. He covered the 60m mark in 6.31, faster than Maurice Greene’s indoor record of 6.39. Bolt’s 100m, considered the greatest athletic performance ever, was watched by 3.3 million viewers on BBC2 channel. Those who believed that the easy-going Bolt would relax in the 200m because his chief opponent, Tyson Gay was not running, were sorely mistaken. When the 200m was over, he had again obliterated his Beijing record of 19.30 seconds and replaced it with 19.19. Many began to believe that the 19-second barrier is in jeopardy.
Usain Bolt is a boon for athletics which has been under a dark cloud due to drug abuse in recent times. Drug cheats have made many lose confidence in the sport. Bolt, hopefully, could dispel the notion that drug abuse is rampant in his sport and that athletes are capable of great performances while competing clean. The encomiums for Bolt have been coming almost as fast as Bolt runs. One commentator trumpeted that Bolt has “redefined the sport and with it transposed himself into a sports advertising superstar.” Another offered that he had “entered the pantheon of global sports icons.” A final comment talked about Bolt redefining speed in general. These laudatory comments are showered on Bolt not only because of his feats but also because of the manner in which he accomplishes them. He is very relaxed on the field when all other athletes are uptight. He waves to and establishes contact with the crowd. When he came to the stadium wearing a training jersey with the words, “Ich bin ein Berlino,” the crowd appreciated Kennedy’s Cold War line, with a twist to the bear mascot of the championships called Berlino. Appreciative of Bolt’s popularity at the games, the mayor of Berlin has given the lanky Jamaican a piece of the Berlin Wall, 12 feet tall, four feet wide, and weighing 1.7 tons to take home. The wall, bearing a replica of Bolt, will be shipped to Jamaica.
A recent study by some professors published in the Journal of Experimental Biology, concludes that height, a major factor in athletics, will enhance performances so that there is a substantial improvement in virtually every sport. Noting the increasing height of athletes by researching the heights of earlier Olympic winners, they hold that these comparable giants will jump higher, run faster, and even hit harder in boxing. They noted that Roger Federer (tennis), Tiger Woods (golf), Carl Lewis (athletics), and Muhammad Ali and George Foreman (boxing) are all over six feet tall. Bolt, of course, is 6’ 5’’.
The national contingent at the World Championships in Berlin are to be congratulated for their sterling performance. They came away with a silver in the 4×100m relay to add to their Beijing performance, a bronze in the 400m (Rennie Quow), a bronze in the 400m hurdles for women (Josanne Lucas), a fourth in the 400m hurdles (Jehue Gordon) a fifth and seventh in the 100m (Richard Thompson and Marc Burns), and finalists in the women’s 400m relay. This was definitely Trinidad and Tobago’s best showing at the World Championships and it ranks as one of the nation’s best showings in world class athletics. The team came away with as many medals as the 1964 Olympic team and placed more athletes in finals than the warriors in 1964.
This team broke new ground. Firstly, a woman won a track medal in a meet surpassed in quality by only the Olympic Games. One would have to scour the records to find a woman athlete who had won such a medal in big time competition. Thora Best won a bronze way back at the Pan American Games in 1967 in the 80m hurdles. Interestingly, the only two track medals won by women in individual events in big time meets, are in hurdle events. This should provide some encouragement to track women who began to attend international meets long after men.

Phenomenal is the word to be used in the case of 17-year old Jehue Gordon’s fourth place in the 400m hurdles. His was an outstanding performance in one of the most difficult of track events. Running the 400m without barriers is difficult enough; doing it with barriers is simply awesome. If he continues like this, he will definitely pose a serious threat to the top rankers in this event at London in 2012. His maturity and experience will serve him in good stead.
Quow’s medal in the 400m was the result of a superb effort. His finalist status at Beijing and his medal in Berlin stamp him as one of the world’s ranking 400m men. At his age, he too is well positioned to challenge the top tier men over 400m in London. Not only will he be in his prime then but he will have accumulated some more experience. I noted that he ran a 200m recently. That was a good idea and should be repeated in as many meets as possible so that he can stay up with the quickies over the first 200m. His coach will certainly tell him that the first 200m is the faster split and will account for a faster time. Moreover, it will keep him within striking distance for the run home.
Richard Thompson need not apologize for his fifth place showing. His preparation was hindered by his accident early in the season. He has struck me as a very dependable runner and his start is always excellent. His reaction time in both Beijing and Berlin was the fastest on both occasions. In top condition, he will have no problem coping with the cream in the 100m.
Josanne Lucas is primed to be at her peak for 2012. To some extent her performance then will depend on the quality of competition she will have in the intervening years. Make no mistake, she is a gritty runner who could be even more than Trinidad and Tobago’s first woman Olympic finalist.
Not much need be said about the men’s relay team. It is now a recognized class act on the international scene. The women will have to start putting some bodies in the 100m final if the team is to improve. All in all, Berlin was a superb experience for all concerned. The athletes and their coaches need to be congratulated. London beckons.