Caribbean Sports Update...

Jamaica worried about many drugs tests

Thursday, August 14th, 2008

BEIJING, China (Reuters): Jamaican athletes have undergone an "extremely unusual" number of doping tests since arriving in Beijing for the Olympic Games, potentially harming their performance, the team's chef de mission said on Wednesday. More than 32 blood and urine tests have been conducted on Jamaican athletes in the past five days alone, a number that has alarmed team officials. Former 100 metres world record holder Asafa Powell has complained drugs testers had come calling so often and taken so much blood it could have an impact on his performance. He said team mates Michael Frater and Usain Bolt, the current 100 metres world record holder, were also under constant scrutiny from testers. Some Jamaican athletes were tested as often as three times in the past seven days, Anderson said. The showdown between Bolt, Powell and US sprinter Tyson Gay in the 100 metres is one of the most eagerly awaited events on the Olympic programme. The final is on August 16. The International Olympic Committee has increased the number of doping tests during the Beijing Games to 4,500, up from about 3,500 in Athens four years ago. IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies said the organisation had not received any complaints. The IOC had also urged international federations to conduct extensive testing prior to the Games in an effort to reduce the possibility of drugs cheats making it to Beijing. So far only one athlete, Spanish cyclist Maribel Moreno, has tested positive for drugs from Games testing.
 

Cuba lose super-heavyweight Alfonso

BEIJING, China (Reuters): Super-heavyweight Robert Alfonso became the first Cuban to bow out of the Olympic boxing competition when he was outpointed by Ukraine's Vyacheslav Glazkov on Wednesday. Alfonso, who looked sluggish on his way to a 5-3 points defeat, leaves the superpower of amateur boxing with nine boxers out of 10 going into the second round, which starts on Thursday.

Bolt and Gay will not catch me, says Powell

BEIJING, China (Reuters): Former world record holder Asafa Powell says Jamaican compatriot Usain Bolt and American world champion Tyson Gay will not run him down if he takes the lead in their anticipated Olympic 100 meters final showdown. "A lot of people are saying Usain and Tyson are very strong finishers but if I get out in front of them no matter how they are finishing, they won't even close on me," Powell told reporters on Tuesday. Powell edged Bolt by a one-hundredth of a second in their final pre-Olympics meeting in Stockholm, then clocked a season's best 9.82 seconds to win the Monaco Grand Prix race. That time made Powell the third-fastest sprinter of the year behind Bolt's world record of 9.72 seconds and Gay's American record 9.77 seconds. Powell said the only disappointment during the run-up to the Games had been the number of drug tests he has been required to take. "About two days ago, I got pretty upset because since I have been here they have tested me four times and took blood, a lot of blood," Powell said. "They are taking so much blood we are going to be very weak before the finals of the 100 meters," he said. "And I am almost sure I might be tested tomorrow. "I don't know about anybody else but they are really down on my case and my team mate Michael Frater and Usain." Powell added, though, that he accepted the importance of the testing and hoped officials caught everyone on performance-enhancing drugs so the Games could be clean. Although much of the pressure is now on Bolt, Powell said Jamaicans were still expecting a lot from him. Powell said a future goal would be regaining the world record but the priority in Beijing was to win the gold regardless of the time. The 25-year-old has never won a global title, finishing fifth in the 2004 Olympic 100 meters and third in the 2007 world championships.
 

Cuba's Correa aims to walk in father's footsteps

BEIJING, China (Reuters): Cuban boxer Emilio Correa wants to become a second generation Olympic champion and follow his father to the top of a Games podium 36 years on. The middleweight, who advanced to the second round on Saturday by outpointing Australia's Jarrod Fletcher 17-4, dreams of emulating his father, also named Emilio, who won welterweight gold at the 1972 Olympics in Munich. "Emilio is one of the best in the team," said Cuban head coach Pedro Roque. "He wants to win, like everybody else in this team, but he also has an emotional reason, which is being an Olympic champion, just like his father." The dominant force in amateur boxing for decades, Cuba have been hurt by a string of defections and none of their five Olympic champions from Athens has returned to defend their title. After skipping last year's world amateur championships in fear of more defections, Cuba headed to Beijing with their least experienced squad in years. The 22-year-old Correa, twice a Pan-American champion, strongly suggested on Saturday that they could still rely on plenty of talent. If Fletcher is to be believed, Correa Jr. has a good chance of making his dream come true. "He moved too well," Fletcher said after being taught a boxing lesson. "I had to catch my feet. I was always chasing his tail, he had quick feet. "It didn't matter what I could do, he just kept finding answers. Cubans are the best boxers in the world."
 

Jamaica's Powell ready to mine gold

BEIJING, China (JIS): Former world record holder Asafa Powell says he is confident he be will wearing a golden medallion after the finals of the 100 metres are run in Beijing on Saturday, August 16. Powell looked extremely sharp in training on Thursday and admitted that he had missed opportunities to snare athletics' most prestigious gong in the past. With a beaming smile and a tremendous boost of confidence, he declared that 2008 would be his year, as he has a date with destiny.
Powell, who remains one of the leading fastest men of all times having the most sub 10 clockings over 100 metres among the current crop competing athletes said he was very excited about the games and was looking forward to the start of the track events. Powell looked quick on the track at the Tianjin University of Finance and Economics as he went through a series of routines under the keen eye of his personal coach, Stephen Francis. Francis attended the Jamaican team training session on Thursday. He was able to take charge of the athletes who are members of his MVP track club, among them Brigitte Foster-Hylton, Michael Frater, Nesta Carter, Markino Buckley and Shelly-Ann Fraser. Other athletes at the 7 a.m. training session were hurdlers Maurice Wignall and Isa Phillips, triple-jumper Trecia Smith, Shereefa Lloyd and Dorian Scott.
 

'Bolt thinks this Olympics is his to shine' - Agent Peart backs sprinter's decision to double

BEIJING, China (CMC): Norman Peart, agent for Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, has backed the decision made by his coach Glen Mills to allow the sprinter to chase the sprint double at the 29th Olympiad. Peart, a mentor to Bolt since his high school career, said the 100 metres world-record holder had matured significantly over the last few months and was well placed to join the small, elite group of those who have won the 100 metres and 200 metres crowns. "Since breaking the 100 metres world record, Bolt considered himself in a very good position to do both," Peart told CMC Sports in an interview. "After the world record (in New York), his performances in both events have been very good and very motivating." Winning the double at any major championships has been rare and completing the feat at an Olympic Games is one of the most coveted accomplishments in track and field. Only a few have managed to achieve this, with American legend Carl Lewis being the last sprinter to do so 24 years ago in Los Angeles.Based on current form, Bolt is the overwhelming favourite for both events, but will have the likes of countryman and former world-record holder Asafa Powell and American world champion Tyson Gay to fend off. Peart said he was optimistic about the Jamaican's chances. The 21-year old Bolt opens his Olympic campaign on August 15 with the first round of the 100 metres dash.
 

Swimmers ready 

BEIJING, China: TWO-TIME Olympian swimmer Alia Atkinson will be aiming to chop a massive four seconds off her personal best, as she makes her bid to reach the semi-finals of the women's 200 metres breaststroke at the 2008 Beijing Olympics on Wednesday evening. Coach Jackie Walter is confident that the 19-year-old, who was one of four Jamaican swimmers at the 2004 Athens Games, can achieve that goal. The veteran national swim coach, who has been in the job since 1992, said Atkinson, in her warm-ups, has been working on maintaining a pace that she will be comfortable with as she will be swimming four lengths of the pool in the 200m breaststroke. She added: "She will have to drop four seconds off her current personal best of 2:31.28 which in a 200m breaststroke is not impossible." While saying a semi-final spot is a possibility here, Walter indicated she would be comfortable with a performance, by Atkinson, which is a bit below that target. "That (a semi-final berth) is a possibility based on what I am seeing at the moment, but a personal best and a national record would be good," she said. Meanwhile, Jamaica's two other swimmers, first-time Olympian Natasha Moodie and Jevon Atkinson, who is attending his second Games, have also been, according to Walter, 'looking good' in training. Jevon Atkinson, 24, will compete in the men's 50 metres freestyle on Thursday while Moodie, 17, will swim in the women's 50m freestyle a day later. Equestrian eventing competitor Samantha Albert was ranked 52nd of 69 riders after the full tabulation of first-day results in the dressage. She competed in the cross-country last night (Ja time) and wraps up competition with showjumping tomorrow. Australia's Leisel Jones is the 2008 world leader in the event with a best of 2:20.58 seconds which she did on June 10. American Rebecca Soni is next best on 2:22.60 while Japan's Megumi Taneda has a season's best of 2:23.96. American Amanda Beard won the gold medal four years ago in 2:23.37, silver went to Jones in 2:23.60 while Germany's Anne Poleska took bronze in 2:25.82.
 

Italian Olympic Volleyball Player Heads To Cuba

Italian indoor volleyball player Taismary Aguero has apparently been allowed a visa to Cuba to visit her ill mother, after originally thinking she had been denied.  Aguero, who was born in Cuba but was granted Italian citizenship last year, flew from Germany to Beijing early Saturday to return to the Olympics, but within a few hours was back on a plane to travel to Cuba, according to reports.  The details, however, were unclear, team officials said Saturday.   Aguero originally left Beijing on Thursday to attend to her 61-year-old mother.   Aguero played for the Cuban national team in the 1990s before leaving for Italy in 2001. She is a veteran of the 1996 and 2000 Olympics.   Italy is ranked second in the world behind Brazil. The Italians defeated Russia 25-20, 17-25, 25-16, 25-23 on Saturday, August 9th in the opening Olympic match for both teams.

Jamaicans warm up for the Games in style

BEIJING, China (Reuters): Usain Bolt jamming Bob Marley, Maurice Smith posing on the catwalk and Shevon Stoddard modelling a track outfit that would have her arrested if she ventured outside - welcome to Olympic preparation Jamaica style. While most teams have tucked themselves away in isolation for "focussed" preparation, the Jamaican track and field team were out in force on Tuesday night, celebrating the eve of their August 6 Independence Day. Taking over a Beijing Jazz club for the night, the Jamaicans positively glowed in their sun-yellow team attire as they sat back to be entertained and happily pose for pictures alongside fans. After what began as a demure display of dancing, the night came alive when the five young female protagonists whipped off their masks and traditional floor-length silks to reveal the skimpiest of outfits and began gyrating pole dance-style, to whoops of delight from the Jamaicans. If their display got the blood pumping, the arrival on the catwalk of hurdler Stoddard and long jumper Chelsea Hammond in their "barely there" newly designed one-piece outfits took things to a new level. There was then "one for the ladies" when Lycra-clad decathlete Smith joined the fun with a series of body-builder poses to show off his impressive physique, before Bolt took centre stage. The 100 metres world record holder had spent much of his first day in Beijing on media duties but the 21-year-old was not about the miss out on a party. Like his dancing team mates he appeared with his face elaborately painted in the national colours and joined the local dancers, his 6ft 5in frame towering over them. Lapping up the applause Bolt, a keen amateur DJ, then joined Scottish singer Paulo Nutini on stage to run through some reggae classics, with Stoddard and Hammond on backing vocals. A good-luck message from Prime Minister Bruce Golding via video link from Kingston added to the feel-good atmosphere, particularly when the room was treated to five minutes of the politician nervously biting his nails, drumming his fingers and grimacing as he awaited his go-ahead, unaware that he was already being beamed live to China.
Jamaican athletics president Mike Fennell finished off the night with a rousing speech, praising the islanders for their hard work and ability to perform at levels of consistency many bigger and better-financed nations can only dream about.
He was talking about their athletics, but when it could easily have applied to their partying, where the islanders are now established as the early gold medal favourites.
 

Dominican Republic promises medal winners rich rewards

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (Reuters): The Dominican Republic has promised its athletes they would win sizable rewards if they brought back medals from the Beijing Olympics. Athletes who win gold will get around $200,000, silver medal winners can expect $150,000 and anyone taking home bronze will collect nearly $90,000, Sports Minister Felipe Payano said. That sort of money would be a considerable windfall almost anywhere in the world. But in the Dominican Republic, where labor leaders say three-quarters of the work force earns less than $300 a month, it would be a bonanza. Trainers who make up just short of half the Caribbean country's 55-strong Olympics team would also be rewarded with cash bonuses, the minister said. "Like many nations in the world, we are passing through critical times," Payano said, referring to mounting financial woes as high crude oil and food prices, and a credit crunch that began in the United States, cloud the economic prospects of much of the world. "Nevertheless, we have to send a clear signal that our youth need to be given incentives to grow and that sports can be a vehicle to help their families, children, brothers, nephews, cousins and people they are close to." It is not the first time the Dominican Republic has dangled monetary carrots in front of its athletes in order to encourage them to outperform. The country, which shares the island of Hispaniola with impoverished Haiti, did likewise during the Central American and Caribbean Games in 2006 and the Panamerican Games in 2007. But the sums offered were far lower.