Way to Beijing the 2008 (II) CARIBBEAN to the ASSAULT of the SKY

By Reinaldo Cedeño Pineda

The Caribbean prepares an assault of Olympic athletics in Beijing 2008.

Their figures of ebony will be sent to the goal with demolishing force, looking for every time to remove a medal from the Maxima mentions of the universal sport.

It is called on this time to speak of the English language Caribbean to us, since we approached Latin American athletics in the first part, as well as the field and track of Cuba.

The Jamaicans obtained in World-wide the 2007, the best harvest of their history with ten medals (1-6-3); while Bahamas continued promoting young talent.

Obviously, Jamaica appears as the queen of the speed. The runners of this small island it follows like an infinite spring.

Their representatives are between only the able ones to confront the attack of the United States, in a dual-meet species of impressive.

Jamaica, although only gained a title (Verónica Campbell in 100 meters) taught a navy of experienced young people and that could well change the color of their medal in the Chinese capital.

In that case they are the recordista of the world in the one hundred meters, Asafa Powell (9.74), with an ideal opportunity to demonstrate that he is not only a man of marks, but who knows to gain the good one. In Japan as soon as it reached bronze.

Between the athletes of Jamaica that they impress to me more at the present time are Usain Bolt in the 200 meters and the Maurice Smith (decathlon).

Bolt, with a great figures, only him lack a little experience. And thus and everything, gained the world-wide silver (19, 91) yielding only before Tyson Gay (19.76).

Smith is the first in the decathlon of the Third World and its score of 8,676 points was worth the second world-wide place to him.

He is a very complete athlete. By his age and conditions, he could be in a time, the pattern of the planet.

Another strong candidate to discuss the title is the short relief of Jamaica. Perhaps he depends more on the synchronization than they themselves obtain, who of the virtues of the relief of North America or Europe.

The last year in japanese ground, they lost by a hair (42.01) with the northern ones (41.98) and was integrated by Sheri-Ann Brooks, Kerron Stewart, Simone Facey and Verónica Campbell.

In the 100 meters with fences a definitive leader does not exist now, and according to the competition appears, thus will leave the winner. Between the serious aspiring is the charity fair Delloreen Ennis-London.

Other possible medals winners are Novlene Williams (400 meters) and the relief of 4 x 400 meters.

JAMAICA has an impressive record in the Olympic speed.

The Jamaican women ALWAYS won medals in the Olympics Games, from Moscow 1980 to Athens 2004, in the one hundred or the 200 meters, between then a myth: Merlene Ottey (eight olympics medals and 14 medals in World Championship)

In the masculine branch, one of the greatest was Donald Quarrie (200 meters word recorder, with 19. 86 in 1971) with four olympics medals.

In Montreal ´76, he won the gold medal in the 200 meters and the silver medal in 100 meter flat; in Moscow ´80, bronze in 200; and in Los Angeles ´84, silver medal in the relief with Albert Lawrence, Gregory Meghoo y Raymond Stewart.

The incredible Bahamas Islands

If Jamaica astonishes, Bahamas makes an impression. With little less than 300 thousand inhabitants, has obtained Olympic and world-wide titles that have not obtained other great territories of America.

One of those unforgettable success was the triumph of its feminine relief in Sydney 2000. And it is that his members, able to obtain individual medals in the maximum level were mature and ready it stops to the feat of Australia.

Also, Tonique Williams proclaimed Olympic champion the return to the oval in Athens 2004, occasion in which had to fold to the mexican Ana Gabriela Guevara.

Although it is not easy to find followers of such magnitude, Bahamas bet to the power of Derrick Atkins in the masculine speed and this it arrived until the subchampionship of the world in Osaka 2007, only behind the North American phenomenon Tyson Gay, and even in front of Asafa Powell.

Following in the tradition of the relief, their men grouped themselves in 4x400, led by the experience of Avard Moncour and Chris Brown. Also they will leave to by a medal.

And everything does not finish there. In a 2007, from basketball, one prodigy appeared: Donald Thomas.

With a singular style to pass the rod, raising the feet in the air like a player of basketball, the title of the planet in the height was credited. In the Pan-American Games it had already staged an spectacular duel with the cuban Víctor Moya.

ACES IN THE SMALLER ANTILLES

To the presentations of Jamaica and Bahamas, the little islands of San Kitts and Nevis have been added; as well as Trinidad and Tobago, already with all a history in the world-wide speed.

The legs of Kim Collins discovered for some to this country, when it was proclaimed champion of the world in Paris 2003, and ratified to follow between the best ones with their bronze in the 2005.

Barbados did his, when the giant Obadele Thompson credited the bronze medal in the test reigns of athletics, the one hundred flat meters, during the Games of Sydney 2000.
It was the first Olympic medal of Barbados.

Trinidad Tobago was located in great in the universal sport map in the Olympic Games of Montreal 76, when its ace, Ashley Crawford proclaimed Olympic champion in 100 meters.

She was one of the sensations, when it moved to another star of the region: the Jamaican Donald Quarrie and to the Soviet Valeri Borzov, double holder of Munich 72.

Soon, Trinidad Tobago has continued contributing sprinters, the most remarkable of them Ato Boldon, champion of the world in 1997 in the 200 flat meters, a year in which went ahead to Frank Fredericks (Namibia) and to the brazilian Claudinei Da Silva.
In 1995 he had obtained bronze in one hundred meters, and still in the 2001 he repeated the third position in the one hundred meters and guided his country to an incredible bronze prey in the short relief in company of Marc Burns, Jaycey Harper and Darrel Brown, to demonstrate that he did not walk solitary.

Brown managed to open an individual space with a valuable silver medal in the World-wide one of Paris 2003, indeed to the escort of Kim Collins.

Returning to Boldon: with its characteristic glasses and an impressive appearance, obtained four Olympic medals:

Atlanta 1996: Bronze in 100 and 200 meters
Sydney 2000: Silver in the one hundred meters and bronze in the 200.

Right now, the Dutch Antilles account with Churandy Martina, Pan-American champion of the one hundred meters, that already “go in”, in the World Championship final in Osaka.

Could he do it again in Beijing?

The figures of ebony of the Caribbean, the small islands of the Caribbean promise to give a recital of medals in the track of Beijing 2008.

STATISTICS.

JAMAICA. Olympic medalists of feminine speed (100-200 and relief 4x100)

1980 MOSCOW

Bronze of Marlene Ottey 200 meters

1984 THE ANGELS

Bronze Marlene Ottey 100 meters// Bronze Marlene Ottey 200 meters.

1988 SEOUL:

Silver of Grace Jackson 200 meters.

1992 BARCELONA:

Silver of Juliet Cuthbert in 100 meters// Silver of Juliet Cuthbert in 200 meters and bronze of Marlene Ottey in the same specialty.

1996 ATLANTA:

Silver of Marlene Ottey 100 meters// Silver of Marlene Ottey in 200 meters. // JAMAICA Bronze relief 4x100 with Michael Freeman, Juliet Cuthbert, Nicole Mitchell and Marlene Ottey.

SYDNEY 2000:

Tanya Lawrence, bronze 100 meters// Jamaica bronze in the relief 4x100: Tanya Lawrence, Veronica Campbell, Beverley Mac Donald and Marlene Otey.

ATHENS 2004:

100 meters bronze of Veronica Campbell// GOLD in the 200 meters of Veronica Campbell

GOLD of JAMAICA in relief 4x100 flat meters: Tanya Lawrence, Sherone Simpsom, Alloys Bailey and Verónica Campbell.

JAMAICA: Medals in Championships of the world:

Helsinki 1983: 1-1-1:3///Rome 1987: 0-1-3: 4///Tokyo 1991: 1-1-3:5///Stuttgart 1993: 1-1-3: 5///Gotemburgo 1995: 1-4-2: 7///Athens 1997: 0-3-4: 7//// Seville 1999: 0-1-5: 6//// Edmonton 2001: 1-2-3: 6//// Paris 2003: 0-4-1: 5//// Helsinki 2005: 1-5-2: 8///Osaka 2007: 1-6-3: 10///


BAHAMAS: Olympic medals

Atlanta 1996:

Silver relief 4x100 BAHAMAS (Eldece Clarke, Chandra Sturrup, Sevatheda Fynes, Pauline Davis)

Sydney 2000:

Silver of Pauline Davis BAHAMAS in 200 meters.

And an historical Olympic gold medal for its relief 4x100 with Debbie Ferguson, Chandra Sturrup, Sevatheda Fynes and Pauline Davis.

Athens 2004:

Bronze in 200 meters of Debbie Ferguson of BAHAMAS.

BAHAMAS world-wide Medals:

1995 Gotemburgo, SWEDEN:

Gold of Troy Kemp in high jump
Silver of Pauline Davis in 400 meters

1997 Athens

Savatheda Fynes, bronze in 100 meters flat

1999 Seville, SPAIN:

Gold relief 4x100: Debbie Ferguson, Chandra Sturrup, Sevatheda Fynes and Pauline Davis.

2001 Edmonton, Canada:

Gold 400 meters of Avard Moncourd

Silver relief 4x400: Avard Moncur, Christopher Brown, Troy McIntosh and Timothy Munnings.

Silver: Debbie Ferguson in 200 meters

2003 Paris:

Bronze relief 4x400: Avard Moncur, Dennis Darling, Nathaniel McKinney and Christopher Brown.

Bronze: Chandra Sturrup in 100 meters flat

Helsinki 2005:

Silver relief 4x400: Nathaniel McKinney, Avard Moncur, Andrae Williams and
Christopher Brown

Gold: Tonique Williams 400 meters flat

Osaka 2007:

Silver: Derrick Atkins 100 meters flat Silver relief 4x400: Avard Moncur, Michael Mathieu, Andre Williams and Chris Brown.