It is now history. The darling of track and field and the Caribbean region’s brightest son, Usain Bolt, has bid farewell to the sport. Bolt apart, a number of other Caribbean stars are nearing the winter of their careers. Their departure could leave a gaping hole in the sport.
Traditionally, Caribbean athletes have produced memorable performances, hailed as world beaters by their counterparts from the rest of the world. Sadly, in the just concluded London World Games, the Caribbean was a shadow of its former self.
Nine medals
In total, the region only collected nine medals. Jamaica accounting for four – one gold and three bronzes. Trinidad and Tobago won one gold and one bronze; The Bahamas, one silver and one bronze, and Cuba earning one bronze. It is the worst medal haul for the region in the 34-year history of the World Championships.
From that fateful moment when Bolt managed only a third-place finish in the men’s 100 meters through to a Jamaican athlete pulling up injured in the finals of the women’s 4X400 relay, it was evident things were awry in the various camps that represented the region.
Pride restored by TT
Thank God for that last gasp gold medal win by Trinidad and Tobago men’s mile relay team which restored some semblance of pride.
For more than a decade the Caribbean has made the sprints their own, challenging the former dominance of the USA. Now that Bolt is gone, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has ventured into motherhood, and other stars including Trinidad’s Michelle-Lee Ayee and Jamaica’s Veronica Campbell-Brown past their best, it’s time for coaches and administrators to quickly address the rebuilding process.
Since the exploits of Arthur Wint, Herb McKinley, George Rhoden and Earl Laing from the 1950s, through to stars like Donald Quarrie, Hasely Crawford, Alberto Juantorena of the 1970’s to Merlene Ottey, Juliet Cuithbert Grace Jackson, Javier Sotomayer, Raymond Stewart, Deon Hemmings, Bridgit Foster-Hylton, Asafa Powell and others, the Caribbean region always managed to leave an indelible mark on the sport.
Jamaica, Bahamas, Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados have led the way. The time for harder work is now if the recent romp by athletes from the United States is to be reversed sooner than later.
