ONLY two weeks ago I wrote that world record holder and defending Olympics champion Usain Bolt had regained lustre with the fastest two hundred-metre times of the year after a relatively lukewarm start to his build-up for the 2012 London Olympics when he signalled his intention to redefine his greatness and legacy. I had mentioned that he was not starting properly and he needs to adjust his blocks to facilitate a quicker and smoother exit to move into the acceleration phase. Technically his starts are flawed but could be corrected with about three real good sessions in putting all the mechanics right.
From my perspective, that’s not difficult to do as I had the opportunities of setting the blocks of some of the best sprinters in Guyana during the 1970s and 1980s. Top class sprinters like Basil Bradshaw (Guyana’s youngest national sprint champion), Thomas Bowman (former national champion who had outsprinted overseas-based Clifton Schultz, Dennis Collison), Elton Jefford (1981 national double sprint champion) who edged out both Bradshaw and Bowman for a one-two-three for Striders Athletics Club in the 100 and 200 metres of the AAA Senior Athletics championships at the famous GCC, Bourda).
Jefford subsequently defeated Trinidad and Tobago’s 1976 Montreal Olympics champion Hasely Crawford in the 1982 Hampton International Games held at the Palo Seco Velodrome. He was second to the American world leading sprinter of that year, Steve Riddick, in the international 100-metre dash.
In 1986, I also had the opportunity to help Jamaican-born Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson set his blocks at Guaracara Park, Pointe-a-Pierre during the Trintoc International Games.  I had three sessions with him, and he learnt very fast to blast from the blocks. He blew away the competition and was over-elated with his electrifying starts. He eventually crushed the great American hope Carl Lewis at the 1986 Seoul Olympics but he was subsequently disgraced.
History proved that even the other so-called big-name sprinters in that race were involved in “juicing up”. But it was only Johnson who was made the scapegoat while many others who indulged were protected by various means and agencies until they were subsequently exposed and admitted their guilt and injudiciousness. Lewis was among that lot but his medals and times were not forfeited because of a three-year clause that protected the Americans from losing their honour and glorified indulgence with prohibited substances.
I also helped Trinidadian Carifta Games double-sprint champion Gillian Forde to get her starts right when she was a junior sprinter. She also learnt quickly and with her explosive starts, she demolished her senior counterparts as well as those from the other Caribbean countries to hold sway at the Carifta Games level.
For a sprinter to hold sway in any race, the exit from the blocks is paramount. It puts the athlete in prime position to strategically dominate the race once their running form is good.
Bolt has all the natural attributes to beat his rivals but his improper exit from the blocks could harm his chances at the London Olympics as his junior compatriot Yohan Blake proved over the last weekend at the JAAA senior championships, better known as the Jamaican Olympics trials. Bolt’s agent could contact me (brijparasnath@gmail.com) and I am confident that I can help Bolt get his starts right and to be in a position to demolish the opposition and even become the first man to clock sub-9 secs in the 100 metres and sub-19 in the 200. Bolt covers the 100 metres in 42 strides while the others have to propel themselves over 47 to 48 strides and more.
Great striding is an advantage for the reigning Olympics champion but his starts are horribly wrong and would undoubtedly affect his chances of successfully defending his Olympics titles, bearing in mind that his younger compatriot has already taken away his two national crowns.
Currently, Blake holds three important titles, two of which he snatched from the ‘King of Speed’ Bolt during the JAAA senior championships. Those two make him the new Jamaican national sprint champion ahead of the world record holder Bolt in both sprint distances.
Having won the IAAF World senior championships 100-metre title in Daegu, Korea, last year when Bolt false-started, Blake should be considered the ‘Prince of Speed’.
He can only claim the ‘King of Speed’ crown should he ever break Bolt’s world records in both the 100 and 200 metres. In fact, he needs to claim the 100-metre record to become the new ‘King of Speed’.
Having clocked 9.75 secs in the 100-metre final when he beat Bolt and former world record holder Asafa Powell in the 100 metres final, Blake takes over the number one time of the year. And he will start as the odds-on favourite to win the Olympics 100-metre gold because of his great consistency and achievement when it matters most. His three big wins were at the World Championships in Daegu and the JAAA Olympics trials last weekend.
Blake will reign as Jamaica’s sprint champion, a title he has taken from the famous Racers Track Clubmate Bolt whose long-standing winning streak in the 200 metres has been broken after four years and 16 races.
It reminds me of Jefford’s magnificent achievements at Bourda in 1981 when he dethroned Bowman in both the 100 and 200 metres. Bradshaw’s emergence was also significant in that he was the national schoolboys senior double sprint champion and was narrowly edged out by Jefford in both sprints, with Bowman into third position on each occasion. All three top finishers were from Striders Athletics Club, the most dominant force for over five years.
Strangely, as head coach of Striders Athletics Club, I was not among the athletes but was serving as the Guyana Broadcasting Corporation’s (GBC) race commentator alongside the late Cecil ‘Bruiser’ Thomas who was surprised that I had correctly chosen Jefford, Bradshaw and Bowman to be ahead of other top sprinters.
In the build-up to the race during our radio broadcast discussion, I had predicted that a new champion will be crowned and that either Jefford or Bradshaw will prove better than the others.
Bradshaw had regained his superiority over Jefford at the Inter-Guiana Games trials. It was a special moment in my coaching career to have all three Guyana’s top sprinters from the Striders Athletics Club. Bowman won the 400-metre while Nasson Warner won the 800 and 1500 titles. Striders bare-footed stalwarts Budhindra Persaud won the 3 000 from clubmate Ian Archibald while Moonilal and Katabali reversed the 5 000 and 10 000 metres to be one-two in the longer distance.
Striders Athletics Club won all the male track events including the 4×100 and 4×400 relays while Marilyn DeWarder won the 100, 200 and 400 metres among the females.
For the upcoming London Olympics 100-metre showdown; the battle for superiority will not only be confined to a clash between Bolt and Blake but the races will also definitely feature Powell and Americans Justin Gatlin and Tyson Gay as well as Trinidadians Keston Bledman and Richard Thompson.
Former Olympic champion and ‘druggie’ Gatlin, twice banned for using prohibited substances; have thrown down the gauntlet by stating emphatically that he will do whatever it takes to beat Bolt and win the Olympics gold.
His is coming back after serving the maximum sentence of four years for ‘banned drugs’ and no one knows what he will use to get him to run faster than any other American and any other human being has managed in their lifetime.
Jamaicans will be aiming and hoping for a clean sweep of the 100-metre medals while millions of eyes will be on American 2012 champion Gatlin (9.80 secs, fastest time for this year) and runner-up Gay.
T&T’s newly-crowned 100-metre champion Keston Bledman could be the spoiler and share in the spotlight and precious medals. Bledman clocked 9.86 in dethroning Thompson at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
Bledman has improved immensely and I recalled interviewing Richard Thompson, Emmanuel Callender and Bledman the night when the T&T contingent returned from Beijing with 100 metres silver for Thompson and 4×100 relay silver for the T&T team. Bledman was the last of the three athletes that I interviewed on my programme “On the Field with the Sports Guru” on 91.1fm. And he stated jocularly that I was interviewing him last “but I will be first next Olympics”. His own words could become prophetic and must have been his source of inspiration as he has emerged as a strong medal contender with his fast times this season.
Bledman has grown in stature and he is now T&T’s top sprinter, having won the CAC senior gold last year. He is aiming for the top and his 9.86 secs timing for the T&T’s senior sprint crown two weekends ago augurs well for his future aspirations.
Looking at the ease with which he crossed the finish line at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, far ahead of dethroned champion Thompson, signifies something special will be seen at the London Olympics.
It’s too early to predict the medallists but once all the athletes are fully fit and do not encounter any difficulties in racing at their optimum levels, I envisage a ding-dong tussle between Bolt and Blake for gold with Bledman in the mix for a major upset.
Once all is well and no injury or untoward developments to any of the aforementioned top athletes before the sizzling Olympics showdown; I envisage it will be the three Bs bolting to glory in London Stadium.
The Jamaicans and Trinidadians would have to plan strategically how they will race in the preliminary rounds for the final eight qualifying places for the showdown finale to determine the world’s fastest runner.
Proper analysis, mental preparation and absolute readiness in all aspects of high class competition will differentiate the top performers in the heat of intense battle for world supremacy.
Sadly, Guyana has not produced a world class sprinter since James Wren-Gilkes was denied the opportunity to compete at the 1976 Montreal Olympics where Crawford and Jamaica’s Don Quarrie collected the gold and silver in the 100 while Quarrie claimed victory and gold in the 200 metres. Gilkes’ performances would have seen him among the medals, especially in the 200.
Skipping back to this year’s Olympics showdown; Americans Gatlin and Gay will strive to topple the rising Caribbean stars but I have a strong feeling that we would witness an historic Caribbean sweep in the 100 metres at the London National Stadium.
It would be a perfect 50th Independence Anniversary gift for the Caribbean peoples as both Jamaica and T&T are celebrating their 50th Independence anniversary.
Bolt, Blake, Powell, Bledman and Thompson carry the Caribbean hopes for ultimate glory to London.
We wish them historic successes!