Peta-Gaye Dowdie DELANO Dowdie, father of national sprint champion Peta-Gaye Dowdie, yesterday expressed mixed feelings about his daughter's involvement in a protest by Jamaican athletes over the inclusion of veteran Olympian Merlene Ottey in the 100 metres ahead of her.
The elder Dowdie said on one hand he was supporting and defending his daughter but, on the other hand, her participation in the demonstration cooled his fire.
On Sunday it was announced that Peta-Gaye was withdrawn from the list of three female sprinters to represent Jamaica at the Olympics as according to the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA) she had lost form. The decision resulted in a number of athletes demonstrating outside the Games Village.
"The feelings are mixed. I am supporting and defending Peta-Gaye but the tone now, about the result of this demonstration, it has subtracted from my zeal and zest."
Getting to the Olympics in Sydney has been a long-time dream of his and Peta-Gaye.
"In 1996 when I took her and about three other athletes to the Pan Am Games my last words to them were "we are starting here for Sydney 2000".
Though he is disappointed by the shattering of his daughter's dream, it did not come as a major blow for him as he was prepared.
"I believe in philosophy, you know and that is why it does not affect me like most people. It is because I was prepared.
"I am in politics and one of the things that I say to people a lot is that you cannot fight City Hall. A lawyer told me four years ago and it has not left my mind. You cannot fight City Hall, find a way to work with it because it will always be there so you can't fight City Hall and win.
"I am consoled because I was right. If push comes to shove, I know City Hall would want Merlene in that race and my first position if Peta-Gaye is out I would advise Peta-Gaye not to make the same mistake Ottey did, saying that if she is not running the flat race then she would not participate in the relays.
Dowdie said his back-up plan would have been for his daughter to stay in the relays and do a better leg than Ottey.
"That is the only way you can prove a point to City Hall."
"No lie liveth forever. Truth crushed to the ground will rise again. I have no doubt whether Peta-Gaye should be running the race or can run a better race than Merlene because the last two times they met she beat her. To me that means that if the same task is put to them again she (Peta-Gaye) is going to do better. That is the trend."
Dowdie also dismissed statements by team manager Winston Ulett that his daughter was not following the coaching plan given to her by the coach assigned. This, he said, despite the fact that he had not spoken to her since she went to Australia, is difficult to believe.
"I don't know her to be like that. That's not the way we taught her and brought her up. When I hear Ulett talking about Peta-Gaye not adhering to programmes given to her by her coach, something has to be wrong because that is one of the qualities of Peta-Gaye. For all her coaches she is like a lamb to the slaughter. That has always been her approach all along.
"The fact that the argument about Peta-Gaye now is that she has not run many races since the trials is inconsistent with what happened after the World Championships last year. I was approached by a member of the JAAA's who expressed to me that they think Peta-Gaye could have done better at the Games had she not gone on the Grand Prix circuit and for this reason, this year she only signed for two races after Champs because she did not want them to complain again that she was burning out herself running after money and not being able to do anything for the country.
"As a matter of fact she didn't go to one of those races that she signed up for because of the travel and the hassle that was involved, she opted not to go and it was all in concern about her being exhausted. She ran two races and the times were better than the Olympic trials," he continued.
He said he knew the powers that be were in trouble as they wanted Ottey to run.
"I do not have a problem with that. Merlene has done a lot for herself and, in extension, the country. They (her statements) have shown me now that she has done it for herself first and then the country.
"It was not country then self because Peta-Gaye would not have made that statement. As I said, I am really disappointed because what does she have to lose? She could have medalled and her earning potential would have risen. She has also said that she does not want to be in athletics as long as Merlene because she wants a family," said Mr. Dowdie.
By Nodley Wright
Staff Reporter
