Posts by Neil O. Clayton
It’s All About Jamaica at the London Olympics
The XXX Olympiad begins this week in London, England. Anticipation is running higher than at the ‘Jamaican Olympics’ held in Beijing, China, four years ago. It is imperative to point out that when Jamaica started its Olympic tradition in London in 1948, the Games had reached the 52nd year of its renaissance. The inaugural edition…
Read MoreAnd Now, Jamaicans to Regroup for London Showdown
NEW YORK – If current form is anything to go by, Jamaican track superstars will mount the Olympic victory podium in London at a dizzying pace this August. The small Caribbean island with a three million population, gears up for its 50th year of independence from England, and it is fitting that some of its…
Read MoreOlympic Fireworks to Begin with Jamaica Nationals
The 2012 Jamaica National Championships, the guide for selecting the team to the upcoming Olympiad in London, will be keenly contested at every turn. All eyes will be on the sprints, and rightly so. There is pride and four gold medals to defend heretofore. Usain Bolt has regained the form that made him a legend…
Read MoreNesta Carter Makes Something Out of Nothing
The unassuming 26-year-old sprinter Nesta Carter is again flying under the radar. The Jamaican sprint jet, one of the most accomplished sprinters of his generation, is focusing on an even bigger breakthrough this year, particularly at the summer London Olympics. Carter attended Manchester High School and despite not winning an individual title at Boys Champs,…
Read MoreGreatest 400m Men: Americans Dominate The Field
The 400m presents a unique set of challenges for its combatants. At times called the quarter mile, (although this term remains obsolete in the mind of purists) it is dissimilar to other track events; thus the challenges. First and foremost, it has its own specific training regimen. A great short sprinter does not a great…
Read MoreFemale 200m Stars Down The Years: Ottey Simply The Best
The women’s 200m has historically been choc-full of interesting personalities dating back several decades. The rivalries have been compelling. Back in the 1970s and 1980s, the East Germans ruled, they were simply unstoppable. (This was long before the annexation with West Germany.) Stars such as former Olympic champions Renate Stecher and Barbel Wockel, and multiple…
Read MoreThe Ultimate Women’s 100m Field, And Ottey Wins at Last
I confess that at any juncture, and with the litany of talent witnessed over the past 50 years, any pundit would regrettably omit one or two or even a dozen female 100m greats. Who is the greatest short sprinter of all time? Which athlete would be most equipped to win a series of races against…
Read MoreDaegu World Championships Reflections
From a Jamaican standpoint there were points of disappointment but overall the athletes performed stupendously, notwithstanding a few were beset by injuries. The middle and long distance races brought the house down as usual. Part of the reason that these races capture the imagination, is that spectators develop some connection to the athletes over the…
Read MoreSteve Mullings Rewarded With Ingratitude
Veteran sprinter Steve Mullings, who has been under intense media and public scrutiny, got word from the disciplinary hearing panel that it has granted the request to reschedule his hearing for October 19 and 20. This at the request of the athlete’s lawyers, who will be able to have their full slate of experts and…
Read MoreWorlds Men’s 100m: Powell on the Inside Track
NEW YORK: Jamaican sprint dynamo Asafa Powell may be the Sisyphus of track and field, but nothing lasts forever. He looms large and dangerous as the 13th World Championships appears on the horizon. Without a doubt, and based on current form, the finals should be replete with Jamaicans. But Asafa Powell should top them all.…
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