Edward Seaga, Contributor
The past several days have been the most historic in sports in our recent, if not living, memory. After an opening spectacle to outdo all other opening ceremonies, and perhaps those for years to come, Beijing, host of the 2008 Olympic Games, was to become the venue of the unbelievable.
New records flowed. Most memorable were the performances of Jamaica's Usain Bolt in the 100-and 200-metre track events, and American Michael Phelps in swimming. But equally awesome were the three Jamaican girls, Shelly-Ann Fraser, Kerron Stewart and Sherone Simpson, Bob Marley's "three little birds", who combined to run away with an extraordinary result, a gold and two silver medals in the 100-metre dash; Kerron and Sherone won a silver medal each. While Phelps was doing the impossible, winning eight gold medals in swimming, the 'Bird's Nest' Stadium was lit up with the lightning bolts of Usain and the explosion of the 'pocket rocket', Shelly-Ann Fraser, both capturing gold medals. The stadium was in "shock and awe" by the dominance of Jamaicans, a small island of 2.7 million people, producing exceptional performances.
Usain Bolt re-wrote the record books on August 16 and 20. He smashed his own 100-metre record with a world and olympic record time of 9.69 seconds, then went on to register another world-record of 19.30 seconds, in the 200 metres. The frenzy in the Bird's Nest was wild after the 200-metre race. The 91,000 in the stadium joined in singing Happy Birthday to Bolt. As if this were not enough excitement for strong hearts, immediately after Bolt won, Melaine Walker ran her heart out for the gold medal in the 400-metre hurdles with an Olympic record. Then to crown the sweep of the sprint events, Veronica Campbell Brown galloped for gold in the 200 metres. Notwithstanding the disappointment of the women's relay, the men brought us a world record gold in their run. Three golds and three world records for Usain Bolt! Shock and awe in Beijing! All the yam in Trelawny has been sold out! It's great to be a Jamaican!
This kind of extraordinary performance in the track events is usually the province of American teams. This time Jamaica is the ultimate star.
In an article entitled 'On your marks; get set; go?', published in The Sunday Gleaner two weeks ago, I drew attention to this Jamaican super-performance in anticipation of four gold and three silver in the four dashes, 100 and 200 metres for men and women. We got four golds, three silvers and a bronze, almost spot on. I asked then who was preparing to capture this ultimate performance for Brand Jamaica?
Cultural awareness
While this superb feat will never be forgotten and will become part of our folklore in sports, like the performance in Helsinki, the greater benefit is both the spin-off to the athletes in competition to come from which they will earn big fees, as well as to the island in the publicity derived for tourism, investment and the general cultural awareness of Jamaica. This is an opportunity, which should not be missed, as I pointed out in the article of August 3.
The athletes and their coaches, who must be included, will be rewarded by suitable awards by the Government I am sure, but the training programmes, which produced them are themselves points of great interest to foreigners who can't believe that we could have produced such superb athletes locally, under less than the best conditions. The two coaches, Stephen Francis and Glen Mills, who coached Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell, Sherone Simpson, Shelly-Ann Fraser and Melaine Walker, are producing remarkable success with little of the high-tech equipment available for training other world-class athletes elsewhere. This should be a high priority on the list of what should be done to mark the achievements. The University of Technology, where the local training is taking place, should be recognised with the provision of a first-class high-tech gym.
Treasure trove of talent
I have written in the past of the treasure trove of talent which exists in Jamaica in athletics, much of which fades away after shining in the annual secondary school championships because of the lack of academic capability to get scholarships to American colleges, where they can continue their training and eventually excel athletically. I proposed more than once that a first-class facility was needed here to offer training in athletics and academics, which could train the potential athletic talent left behind and improve their academics. The University of Technology has taken a far-sighted step in the right direction by signing a memorandum of understanding with the G.C. Foster College to offer training programmes to athletes who have talent, but no scholarships to go abroad. This would be degree courses offered by UTech with G.C. Foster providing for lower levels in technical training and athletics leading to the UTech degree. This is a big step forward in recruiting more potential youngsters for training who could become athletic stars, who would not have otherwise been trained.
With this step, the future holds greater potential which could expand the Jamaican programme as one with worldwide appeal. As a matter of high priority, government should seek a bilateral agreement with the Government of China for a state-of-the-art high-tech gym at UTech for training, on the basis that Chinese athletes would receive training in Jamaica in return.
Eventually the country could become recognised as a superpower in track and field. After all, comparing Jamaica's performances with that of the US and other much larger and better-endowed countries at Beijing, Jamaica is already in the superpower category. The aim must be to keep the programme going and growing in strength.
A special award is due to Usain Bolt. I suggest that the Trelawny stadium, which is dormant, should be equipped with a running track and more seating and then named the Usain Bolt Stadium, which would be even more appropriate in that Bolt lives only a few miles away.
To achieve worldwide appeal, the facilities provided must go beyond training in athletics and academics. Facilities must be available to deal with sports psychology. The tragedy of Asafa Powell is not a problem involving one athlete. It happened to Usain Bolt earlier and to Sherone Simpson recently, when both fell into serious slumps. Roger Federer, one of the greatest tennis players in the history of the game is going through a slump now. The Williams sisters are just re-emerging. Asafa's problem, I believe, comes from his cultural background. He was brought up in a deeply Christian home where his parents are leaders in a small spiritual church that teaches meekness of conduct as a Christian value. He was not raised to be over-powering, aggressive and competitive, it seems. Someone has to build these character traits in him. I fully expect him to make a successful come back because he has the athletic talent to perform.
Psychological problems are no longer considered simply mental; some have hormone connections to the mind which alter moods, elevating exuberance. The hormones, serotonin and adrenaline, play this role, as I have written and spoken about before in relation to the weakness of the education system and the tendency of students to react aggressively instead of verbally. Serotonin is the hormone which produces a calming effect and prepares the individual for "flight", while adrenaline pumps up the system to "fight". Every athlete knows the benefit when adrenaline is pumped up by the body to a peak for the big moment, as Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser would have undoubtedly experienced in their gold-medal runs.
I know the kind of community Shelly-Ann Fraser comes from. It is deep inner-city in Waterhouse, no different from several in west Kingston. Forceful, competitive conduct, sometimes aggressive, is a necessary part of the lifestyle. I know it. I lived with it for 45 years. Shelly-Ann undoubtedly grew up in surroundings where it was a struggle to achieve. But she would have struggled always keeping in view the big achievement that would come one day. That day was August 17 when she awakened as a virtually unknown athlete and in 10 seconds transformed her life into one of the most-acclaimed women in the world. Her body pumped up the adrenaline for the big race.
But she was accustomed to it. Life in the inner city is full of big moments, competitiveness, challenges and struggles. But it is also full of achievers who are among those who have put Jamaica on the map of global recognition, indeed, more so than any other area in Jamaica, bearing in mind the phenomenal success of Jamaican music and athletics originating from poor homes.
Great leaps forward
There is one other point worth noting. The world is changing rapidly with the greater assertion, of countries, which were meek and mild colonies, but are now strugglers making great leaps forward to compete. Some are doing so economically, as Jamaicans can, once the people convince themselves that the position from which they challenge the future is not as sufferers, but strugglers. The country is struggling to the top in athletics as a young superpower. We are the Singapore of sports. In time, we can be even greater as long as the struggle continues on a well-planned basis for achieving greater things and does not follow the Third World fashion for the "mango tree to grow from a seed thrown on the roadside". Remember Jimmy Cliff's big hit: You can get it if you really want.
Thank you Usain, Asafa, Shelly-Ann, Veronica, Sherone, Kerron, Shericka, Melaine, Nesta, Michael, Maurice and the others for being true role models of success for youths to follow and for showing corporate Jamaica that there are great benefits which can flow from achievements in sports.
Edward Seaga is a former prime minister. He is now a Distinguished Fellow at the UWI. E-mail: odf@uwimona.edu.jm. Feedback may also be sent to columns@gleanerjm.com.
