CHINA DAILY FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2012 olympics 5 ASSOCIATED PRESS (From left to right) Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake lead Jamaica’s pursuit of the sprint gold medals against Justin Gatlin and Tyson Gay of the US. “People are trying to pit (Bolt and Blake) against each other,” said track expert Leighton Levy. TYM’S PICKS MEN 100m Gold: Usain Bolt (JAM) A mighty island unto itself Silver: Yohan Blake (JAM) Bronze: Tyson Gay (USA) Look for Jamaicans to make life very People are try- Spearmon won’t be all that far away in women’s side where Jamaica’s women ing to pit them the half-lap event, but these gold med- have faltered since 2008 and the US 200m tough for everyone else in the sprints als are Jamaica’s to toss away. women have gotten better. And it Gold: Bolt against one Much has been made of a poten- doesn’t help that Campbell-Brown Silver: Blake another because tial feud between “Lightning” Bolt is not going to be a threat in the 200, Bronze: Christophe Lemaitre By TYM GLASER During that drought, it was close but they feel they and “Beast” Blake, but Jamaican track where she won gold medals in 2004 (FRA) [email protected] no cigar for the islanders — particu- expert Leighton Levy says it’s much and 2008. larly on the women’s side with the likes shouldn’t co-exist ado about nothing. “She won’t medal in the 200 as she but this is nothing 4x100m relay If you are the big tree, of Merlene Ottey, Juliet Cuthbert and ‘‘ “Blake and Bolt are fi ne,” Levy said. has put on too much muscle mass. She Gold: Jamaica We are the small axe Grace Jackson picking up silver and “Th ey’ve been good pals since Blake will struggle to run fast. Also she has new.” Silver: United States Sharpened to cut you down, (well bronze pieces while the United States joined the Racers camp from St. Jago had too many coaching changes in LEIGHTON LEVY Bronze: Britain sharp) hoarded the gold at the Games. JAMAICAN TRACK EXPERT ON High four years ago. too short a time.” Ready to cut you down, oh yeah Push the fast forward button THE RIVALRY BETWEEN BOLT “People are trying to pit them against Th at would appear to leave US vet- Small Axe — Bob Marley eight years after Hemming’s heroics AND BLAKE one another because they feel they eran and two-time Olympic brides- WOMEN and Jamaica claimed two track gold shouldn’t co-exist, but this is noth- maid Allyson Felix and teammate 100m Jamaicans take their sport seriously. (Veronica Campbell-Brown in the ing new. Leroy Burrell and Carl Lewis Carmelita Jeter, who seems to age bet- Gold: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce I got my fi rst taste of that —quite lit- 200 and the women’s 4x100 relay) in There has been a paradigm shift broke the 100m world record four times ter than a Napa Valley red, chasing (JAM) erally — in 1996, when Deon Hem- Athens. Four years later, Jamaica ran in sprinting, and now Jamaica is the between them while they were mem- 200 glory. Silver: Carmelita Jeter (USA) mings won the women’s 400 meter off with fi ve of the six gold medals in big tree. bers of the Santa Monica Track Club, However, in the 100, Jamaican Bronze: Veronica Campbell- hurdles at the Atlanta Games. Beijing (that’s if you don’t count the In Usain Bolt, the world’s fastest whose members won about 18 gold pocket rocket Shelly-Ann Fraser- Brown (JAM) As she thrust herself across the line 400m as a dash) and left the mighty man, and Yohan Blake, his heir appar- medals between them and world cham- Pryce, the reigning Olympic and in a golden moment of the ages for the US bewildered and fuming while ent, the island — basically an up-and- pionship medals as well.” world champion, is in the pink of 200m Caribbean nation, the packed Gleaner also sowing the seeds of a rivalry for down fl ight away from Miami — has Levy is confident Jamaica will form and, if she gets off to her cus- Gold: Allyson Felix (USA) newspaper’s sports club erupted into a the ages. You can have your Lochte- (barring false starts) the gold to lose in sweep the men’s sprints, but says the tomary bullet-like start, will be near Silver: Jeter shower of Red Stripe beer and white Phelps clash in the pool or the Ethio- the men’s 100 and 200 dashes. Toss in US is not for revenge. impossible to catch aft er improving Bronze: Campbell-Brown rum (which is just slightly less potent pians and Kenyans trying to outdo Asafa Powell and possibly evergreen “Th e US-Jamaica rivalry has been her top-end speed. than kerosene). each other while running seemingly Michael Frater and the 4x100 relay intense since 2008 because they are Th e women’s 4x100 will be a raffl e 4x100m relay In a nation born to run, it was the endlessly around the Olympic track. world record could fall again to Jamai- not used to being on the outside look- as both teams blew it in Beijing, but if country’s first Olympic gold medal Th e real battle of the Games will fea- ca — just as it did in 2008. ing in when it comes to the sprints they can get the stick around, the US Gold: United States since the sinewy and balding Donald ture vignettes between red, white and Th e US’ Tyson Gay and reborn Jus- and they are going to come at us hard should just pip the Jamdowners. Silver: Jamaica Quarrie won the 200 in Montreal 20 blue and green, gold and black and last tin Gatlin will be well and truly in the in London,” he said. So, that’s Jamaica four, US two. Bronze: The Bahamas years before. far less than a minute each time. medal hunt in the 100 and Wallace “Th ey will have more success on the Enjoy world … and don’t blink! How the heck are they so fast? More importantly, does it matter? he scent of ganja hangs in and Wolmer’s and the girls squads and Girls Athletics Championships,” 100 (9.75) this season and clocked a Bolt and Campbell-Brown hail. the air like some doctor from St. Elizabeth Tech, Holm- Levy said. massive 19.26 in the 200 last year in At the end of a long interview that bird with no place to go. wood, Edwin Allen and St. Jago From Champs, the best of the best Brussels. blinded me with science, I asked, T Th e sun is disappearing battle it out for bragging rights at are chosen to represent Jamaica at Meanwhile, MVP’s Fraser-Pryce, “So, any clues yet?” behind the grandstand, but the day’s the four-day event that provides a regional and world youth and junior the defending women’s 100 Olym- Th ey looked at each other, smiled stifl ing heat remains. Th e fans, clad school with bragging rights and a events. Bolt, the world’s fastest man, pic and world champion, has run and said, “It’s like looking for a nee- in their respective team colors, cheer nation with a glimpse of its world dominated the 200 and 400 races the best time over the short sprint dle in a haystack”. and jeer; the boys taunt and the girls conquerors to be. at all levels as a novice. Campbell- and the fourth-fastest ever (10.70) Maybe some things are simply fl aunt. Th e overwhelming majority — if TYM GLASER Brown was also a force, as was Blake. this year. Asafa Powell, also from best left unexplained. Th is is the Boys and Girls Cham- not all — of the Jamaica team at the Not so long ago, Jamaica’s best MVP with a fi nal chance to redeem In a Caribbean island where pionships — the biggest event each coming London Games competed were scouted at Champs and lured himself at a major meet, is only just obeah, a religion based on sorcery, year on the Jamaican sporting cal- at Champs. Th e seeds of talent are fi rst Olympic appearance and a one- to colleges in the United States. But a blink of an eye behind the “Killer is still practiced, is it really necessary endar. not planted at the concrete slab two fi nish in the 400m in London now, due to the emergence of two Bs” this season with a best of 9.86. to have rational explanations for Th e western Caribbean island called “the Offi ce,” which witnessed in 1948 by legends Arthur Wint and local-based track clubs (MVP and Of course, the question that always everything? is nestled under Cuba and next Jamaica’s independence 50 years Herb McKenley. Racers), they can stay at home and springs to mind is how has a coun- On Aug 6, the winner of the men’s to threadbare Haiti — a proxim- ago on Aug 6, when the Union Jack “Champs is hugely important to a eat, drink, train and party in a famil- try of about 3 million people won 100m in London will be awarded his ity that allows for the relatively was lowered and the green, black young athlete’s development. It is sim- iar environment. 55 medals (and only one of those gold medal. free passage of drugs and guns and gold fl ag of Jamaica was raised, ply the biggest event of the sporting Th e facilities at Kingston’s Uni- outside of track and fi eld — cycling) If that green, black and gold between the former English and but this is where the stars of the year here and can get the best into US versity of the West Indies and the since joining the Olympic party in standard is raised and the rousing French colonies.