A new Caribbean Cold War: Jamaican sprinters
Mark Sappenfield | 08.20.08
If America had a Cuban missile crisis, can it have a Jamaican sprinter crisis?
Is President Bush even now considering a blockade of Kingston harbor to ensure that the reggae runners are never again dispatched to an international meet?
For 12 days, American angst has focused on the host nation almost lapping us in the gold medal race. Tonight confirmed the greater immediate danger much closer to home.
Since the sprinting program began Friday, the Jamaicans have treated America less kindly than Nikita Khrushchev treated his shoe, winning the men’s 100 meters, sweeping the women’s 100 meters, and now taking the men’s 200 meters.
What medals has China taken from the US? Two gymnastics medals, tops, and perhaps a few others sprinkled here and there.
Jamaica has launched a sortie of missiles clad in banana-colored tracksuits directly toward the America’s Olympic heart.
Tonight, a matter of minutes after another Usain Bolt struck – winning the 200 meters in world-record time – another Jamaican, Melanie Walker, raced past another American, Sheena Tosta, in a race Walker confesses she has always hated, the 400 meter hurdles.
Where do they get all these sprinters?
Wait, isn’t that what the world has always said about the US?
Sprinting has always been an American gold-medal trove. The country is by no means doing badly, but it is nowhere near its normal standards.
Before the 200 meter dash, former world record holder Michael Johnson said: “Up to this point, it has been a disastrous Olympics for the US. In the 100 meter we won only one medal [a bronze]… We’re used to dominating the event.”
When the US protested the results of the 200 tonight, it had the scent of frustration. The judges had disqualified the third person to cross the finish line, American Wallace Spearmon, because he had stepped into an inside lane.
The fourth- and fifth-place finishers were both Americans, so that was OK, really. Another American would move up into the bronze-medal slot. But the US claimed that second-place finisher Churandy Martina of the Netherlands Antilles had also stepped out of his lane.
The video evidence, which I have not yet seen, was apparently convincing. Martina, too, was disqualified, giving the US silver and bronze.
Yet it was a peculiar situation for the US – being the country at the bottom of the medal podium looking up, questioning results that did not go its way.
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2. Moris | 08.20.08
Why Americans Cry like babbies when they start losing…first it was in gymnastics over Chinese girls age…now in tracks…I think…Americans have the destinction now for the highest number of protest in beijing..
3. Tashired | 08.20.08
Its ok, we are winning fair and square. But it sorta reminds you of Oliver Twist tuggimg at a pants leg saying “Please sir can I have some more” Imagine the great America beggin for scraps!
4. Tony Awake in Seattle | 08.20.08
The judges rules third placed Spearmon out. (Unlikley they were American judges). So they merely challenged the ruling and in so doing discovered MARTINA also stepped out. After years of practice runners know if they step out… they’re DQ’d.
I feel for the guy from the Netherlands though. The US are way too arrogant.
An Aussie in America.
5. Rina W. | 08.21.08
The US once again has shown its real face to the world: that of a nation gladly grabbing what is not theirs and what they did not deserve. Picking on a guy from a tiny nation of 140.000 people for whom it was their first real Olympic medal - just because your own sporters no longer can run properly (ran out of steroids, perhaps?)is simply disgusing, full stop.
6. Island Pride | 08.21.08
This has been a long time coming and as Jamaicans we have waited patiently for it. Talk about the benefits of the BALCO Scandal! See how powerful the simple syringe handed over by Trevor Graham was? It’s so ironic. It took the actions of a ‘dirty Jamaican’ aka Trevor Graham, to help propel Jamaica into the stratosphere of Olympic greatness! There is no doubt that most of the American athletes who competed in the past were clean, but many were also being fuelled by illegal substances – Marion Jones, Jerome Young, Michelle Collins,Chryste Gaines, Antonio Pettigrew, CJ Hunter, Tim Montgomery, Justin Gatlin , Kelli White,Alvin and Calvin Harrison etc, and many others yet to be caught! Thanks to Trevor we now have a level playing field and the results are there for all to see!
We entered our first Olympics in London 1948 with a bang, Herb McKenley, Artur Wint dominating the 400m, and the pioneer of Jamaican female sprinting- Cynthia Thompson setting an Oympic record in the 200m heats.
Then the cold war intervened,and with that the desperation for medals in the winning at any cost philosophy as a showcase of democracy over communism and vice versa. The world was to see an era of unbeleivable doping in sports and the setting of records which still defy logics. It was in this era that the great Donald Quarrie competed and won, but proved too much for some like Merlene Ottey who despite possesing tremendous ability was just not ablle to beat the East Germans. Where are they now? When they gave it up, its unfortunate that the Americans took it up and then crashed out, thanks in part to BALCO. This Jamaican excellence on the track was destined, once the playing field was levelled. March on my beloved country.
7. Mr C | 08.21.08
Jamaican sprinters have led the way in what is, in effect, a Caribbean clean up of the sprints. A Trinidadian came 2nd in the 100m, the Netherland Antilles guy was robbed in the 200m, Cuban won the 110m hurdles etc..
I can’t help but notice that the ‘relative’ poor performance of the US sprinters coincides with the more rigorous dope testing regime athletes face these days, ushering in a more level playing field. Go figure…and ponder the many great athletes who were systematically robbed of their just rewards over many years by East European and US cheats.
Finally, due credit must be given to the Jamaican coaches and sporting authorities for identifying and bringing to full potential an outstanding crop of athletes. This is a great feat of organisation and planning, which hopefully gives direction on how to achieve better things in other aspects of Caribbean life.
All hail the conquering Jamaicans and big respect to all my Caribbean people worldwide!
8. Jeff | 08.21.08
Come on people, all it takes is one conspiracy nut to start a big mess. If a someone steps into a lane then it should be investigated that is the rule so who is crying what?
Get over yourselves people, there is nothing wrong with a team challenging any result.
The the Americans a break.
9. Wendy Telemac | 08.22.08
“What medals has China taken from the US? ”
Can China take away medals from the US??? Since when an Olympic medal was a divine right??
Is there a hint of disrespect by describing their tracksuits as banana-colored? Doesn’t ” banana republic come to mind? The US should be a lot more mature than this and give credit where it is due. The Caribbean has produced better sprinters for these Olympic Games in spite of the economic differences. Just accept it. Period.
10. Caribbean Lionesse | 08.22.08
My oh my, how the mighty are fallen! I have had a big, broad smile all over my face for the better part of this Olympics. For YEARS Caribbean athletes have been deprived of medals they deserved because larger countries with more sophisticated technology used their science for evil rather than good and doped their way to medals. Many have been caught but there are many more Caribbean athletes such as Juliet Cuthbert, Merlene Ottey, Grace Jackson and Obadele Thompson who we feel have been deprived of medals. But some of those who beat them have taken their secrets to their graves. But we know.
We have ALWAYS known that our athletes were true, natural champions and now that the playing field has been levelled by the BALCO scandal’s unveiling and more rigourous testing the US must eat crow and beg for bronze. It feels so incredibly good that the truth of our athletes’ talent and determination can be seen at last.
I am not so naive as to believe that the ‘first world’s’ dirty technology tricks won’t catch up but at least … we can say we always had Beijing. This Olympics will stand in my memory forever. As a Caribbean person it has been a joy to witness.
11. Another Brick | 08.25.08
People are funny.
When people want to find something negative to say, they will do so even if it makes no sense. I am a Jamaican living in Brooklyn, New York, USA. And while some people made valid points, especially about athletes who have been cheated over the years, others are so ignorantly biased, that they have completely overlooked the facts.
The runner from the Netherlands Antilles didn’t have his medal “stolen” by the Americans, he broke the rule, so he lost it; much as how the American runner broke the very same rule. How foolish it is to be ok with one person being disqualified but not the other, despite both clearly breaking the same rule; just because he’s from a country that you don’t like.
I’m by no means saying that America is not guilty of it’s large set of cheating and foolishness. What I am saying is to stop and think before you make overt statements that make you look blindly ignorant.
What’s funny too is that most of these anti-Americans are living in the states.
How ironic.
12. DonMario | 08.25.08
Dude, it’s NOT the same! Wallace Spearmon was Dq’d within 3 minutes after the race. US coaches appealed, but lost, since it was very clear that he had broken the rule by stepping on and even OVER the lane-line. Now, after seeing that on the tapes, us coaches noticed Churandy Martina from the Netherlands Antilles was also quite close to stepping on a line, but the protest came in AFTER 30 minutes after the race where it should have happened WITHIN 30 minutes after the race. IN ADDITION, the alleged stepping on the line was not even clearly visible on official tapes, so it’s not even an absolute certainty that he broke the rule. WORSE, Wallace’s DQ was called immediately by the track officials while Churandy’s was called over two hours AFTER the race just because the US track coaches are sore losers.
It’s SO damn typical that so many (especially Americans) are ignoring the facts of the matter and basically comparing apples with oranges. I’m sure Americans wOUld have done all the research they could if Churandy was an American).
so YES, the DQ on both athletes are based on the same rule, but it’s not even clear that Martina indeed stepped over the line!
So even IF Martina stepped on on over the line, the protest came in well after the 30 minutes post finish. Based on this fact alone, Churandy Martina should get his medal back and you can most definitely say that his medal was STOLEN!
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1. JA girl | 08.20.08
America is really dissapointing me! Why are you all such sore losers?