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The African and Caribbean Gold Medalists!
By: Admin.
August 21, 2008.
Another Jamaican wins 200m race in Beijing!
Veronica Campbell of Jamaican ferociously defended her women's 200m title in 21.74 seconds,
clearly winning the gold, when she beat 200m world champion Allyson Felix of U.S.A.
Allison came in second followed by Kerron Stewart of Jamaica. The Jamaican team continues
to claim more gold medals in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, dominating both men's and women's 100m and 200m races.
So far six of the twelve medals of the 100m and 200m categories are in the hands of Jamaican athletes.
Giving them 50% success in these categories.
August 20, 2008.
Usain Bolt sets a new world record in the 200m men's race in Beijing!
Usain Bolt. Photo: Jed Jacobson/Getty Images.
Usian Bolt wins the most anticipated men's 200m world Olympics race in Beijing, setting a
new world record of 19.30 seconds. Michael Johnson's 12-year old world record which
he made in Atlanta is no more! Ladies and gentlemen, this is Beijing 2008 Olympics and the
official men's 200m world record has been adjusted! The Jamaican Usain Bolt follows
the foot-steps of U.S. Carl Lewis to become the second man in history to take the
100m and 200m slots in the same Olympics. The silver medal was taken by Churandy Marina
of the Netherlands Antilles also from the Caribbean. The bronze went to Shawn Crawford
of U.S.A, who had vowed to deny Bolt of this award as he had all the hopes of winning this race.
Little did he know that he was competing with a man who did not come only to win but also to
set new world records in every race he takes!
On the same note, Walker Melaine also from Jamaica takes the women's 400m Hurdles
and sets an Olympics record at 52.64 seconds.
Walker Melaine. Photo: Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images.
August 18, 2008
Jamaican, Ethiopian and Kenyan athletes shine in the Olympics.
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In addition to setting world records in the ongoing 2008 Olympic games in Beijing,
several African and Caribbean athletes are going home with Gold medals.
For Jamaican Usain Bolt, using the term "Rocket-propelled" to describe his speed is an
understatement! Usain Bolt struck the 2008 men's Olympic 100m
race and broke his 9.72 seconds world record, setting a new world record for 100m in Beijing!
The Jamaican sprinter "bolted" home in a record 9.69 seconds
with little effort, after slowing down towards the finishing line and pounding
his chest in a reassuring way for securing his easy gold medal win. He could easily have slammed the bar
harder to 9.58 seconds had he not slowed down. Even his tight shoes laces could not hold
anymore as the yam-powered "well endowed" Bolt who was close to dropping
his "things" went at break-neck speed for the gold. You should have seen the joy of a mother when
Bolt's mother Jennifer Bolt was shuffling
through people to give her son a congratulatory hug immediately after Bolt won
the new 100m world title. The ease with which he made
it home is indicative that all cameras will be pointing at him when he competes in the most anticipated men's
200m race, Wednesday August 20, 2008 at 10:20 pm Beijing time [10:20am Eastern (NY) time].
But those living in USA will have to wait until 11:30pm Eastern to watch the race, thanks
to NBC for buying the exclusive "delaying rights"! Bolt's new record could spark an urgent meeting
among "night dancers" to investigate how he does that kind of speed in broad-day-light!
The meeting might have to convene in Jamaica itself which is the home of the sprinters.
Remember Asafa Powell who is also Jamaican was holding on to the world record at
9.74 he set in 2007, before Usain Bolt broke it in New York May 31, 2008.
The Jamaican women also dominated the 100m dash as they hit home: 1. Shelly-Ann Fraser in 10.78 seconds; 2. Sherone
Simpson in 10.98 seconds; and 3. Kerron Stewart in 10.98 seconds. Jamaican runners
continued to prove their grip on track events when the Jamaican born Sanya Richard who run for
the USA team also easily won the 400m semifinals at 49.90 seconds. On the same note,
Richard Thompson (Trinidad and Tobago) is taking home the 100m silver medal
after finishing behind Usain Bolt in 9.89 seconds.
The Ethiopians still rule the long distance races. Kenenisa Bekele set a new world
record after finishing the 10,000m race in 27 minutes 01.17 seconds. The Ethiopian athletes grabbed both the Gold medals for men
(Kenenisa Bekele; 27:01.17) and women (Tirunesh Dibaba - 29:54.68) for the 10,000m race.
Tirunesh Dibaba also won a new Olympic record after finishing in 29 minutes and 54.68 seconds. Sihine Sileshi (27:02.77)
followed Bekele to win the Silver medal in the men's 10,000m race.
Kenyan Pamela "Kapsabet Express" Jelimo took home the Gold after winning
the women 800m in 54.87 seconds. She was followed by Janeth Jepkosgei who earned
a silver medal and Hasna Benhassi from Morocco winning the bronze medal. Despite
remaining behind for the most part of the race, Kenyan
Brimin Kipruto Kiprop still managed to win the 3000m steeple chase gold medal.
Kiprop did his thing at the end of the race when he overtook everyone from the outer lane and took the gold.
Meanwhile Cameroonian Francoise Mbango Etoneis grabbed the women's triple jump gold.
In the Men's 1500m Freestyle, Tunisia's Oussama Mellouli (14:40.84) won the gold medal
while the Women's 200m Backstroke gold medal went to Zimbabwean Kirsty Coventry.
Coventry set a new world record at 2 minutes 05.24 seconds.
The Ugandan team won the hearts of the Camera crew for their traditional dresses in the opening ceremony.
The men were clad in white cassocks (Kanzu) and black blazers, while the ladies were very colorful
in their traditional gomesi (busuuti). The unfortunate thing is that there is no gold medal for this
category in the Olympics. In which case Ugandans should petition that this
category be added for the next Olympics! On a rather sad note, Ugandan Benjamin Kiplagat only managed
to demonstrate he has potential to win this race after leading and setting pace
for the first five laps but was later relegated to seventh! He is out of the competition!
For updates on African and Caribbean athletes still in the Olympics, don't look any further. Watch this space.
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