Bolt
Tony Becca, Senior Sport Editor
JAMAICA UNDERLINED its claim as one of the powerhouses of track and field with some scintillating performances at the World Junior Championships which ended at the National Stadium last Sunday and Jamaicans around the world are beaming with pride.
In winning two gold medals - one in the girls 4x100 relay and one in the boys 200 metres, five silver medals and four bronze medals for a record 11 medals, the Jamaicans were awesome. They demonstrated that track and field is going from strength to strength in Jamaica.
More importantly, it confirmed that this little country, as far as size is concerned, possesses the successors to the likes of Arthur Wint, George Rhoden, Herb McKenley, Les Laing, George Kerr, Lennox Miller, Don Quarrie, Bertland Cameron, Merlene Ottey, Grace Jackson, Juliet Cuthbert, Winthrop Graham, Deon Hemmings, Gregory Haughton and Tayna Lawrence who have all won gold, silver and bronze medals at the Olympic Games and the World Championships.
Only time will tell, but the performances of Simone Facey - 100 metres silver, Anneisha McLaughlin - 200 silver, Melanie Walker and Camille Robinson - 400 hurdles silver and bronze, Sheryl Morgan - 400 metres bronze, Germaine Mason - high jump bronze and Jermaine Gonzales - 400 bronze, plus the world record run of Kerron Stewart, Facey, Sherone Simpson and McLaughlin in the relay suggest that there are more Olympics and World Championships medallists down the road.
The Jamaican star, however, in fact, the star of Kingston 2002 was Usain Bolt who won the boys 200 metres.
What was impressive about Bolt's performance, however, was not that he won the race. It was that at his age, a few weeks short of his 16th birthday, he ran a dazzling 20.61 to destroy the field.
It was not as fast as his personal best 20.58 in the heats - the fastest time ever by one of that age. It was, however, faster than the winning time in Santiago, Chile, two years ago and on top of that, with Antigua's Brendan Christian finishing in 20.74 for the silver and the United States' Wes Felix finishing in 20.82 for the bronze, he was not pushed.
The youngster deserves the praises that are being showered on him and his friends, his family, his community, his school and all Jamaica should be proud of his achievement.
To run so fast at his age is truly amazing, he is undoubtedly one for the future, he is probably the brightest prospect, and like McLaughlin, Facey, Gonzales, Mason and their colleagues who are all dreaming of glory, like Veronica Campbell who won the 100 and 200 metres two years ago, he should be encouraged to reach for the stars - to fulfil his immense potential.
As gifted as he is, however, he is still a youngster, he is just starting on the road to greatness, the Olympics and the World Championships are a long way down the road and in recognising his wonderful performance so far, in lauding his victory, his friends, his family, his community, his school, Jamaicans and politicians should remember that and tread carefully.
They should remember that and they should tread carefully for the simple reason that the gift to run fast does not guarantee success at the highest levels, that one wrong move can change the course of a young athlete's career and that although there have not many with such an obvious gift, there have been other sportsmen and sportswomen in this country who were just as gifted, or almost as gifted who never made it.
One reason why they fell by the wayside is because Jamaicans are quick to make heroes out of youngsters. In doing so they pamper youngsters to the point where youngsters not only believe that they have arrived, that they no longer need to do the things that brought them early success, that they do not have to do the things that will win them success at the highest levels. In the process the friends, the family, the community and the country fail to insist that the gifted youngsters remain focused, committed and dedicated to the pursuit of excellence.
Bolt is gifted - no question about that, and he appears destined to be another of the great Jamaican sportsmen. He is, however, a long way from that.
Right now, Bolt is a junior star, he is not a great athlete, and in recognising his outstanding performance at the World Junior Championships, Jamaicans should remember that. The time will come to build monuments in his honour.
That time is not now. That time will be when, with help from everyone - the kind of help that will encourage him to stay focussed and to develop himself fully, he has become great.
Like the rest of the world, Jamaica is full of parents who pamper their favourite child and spoil him or her and although he appears strong and determined, Jamaicans should be careful lest they unwittingly spoil one who looks a champion to be.
