A phenomenal sprinter
published: Friday | July 25, 2003
THE EDITOR, Sir:
USAIN BOLT, at his age, is the most phenomenal sprinter ever produced by the island of Jamaica - not even Dennis Johnson, Raymond Stewart, or Don Quarrie, ever did anything comparable at that age.
He is our richest potential for investment in the field of Sport - it is as if oil were discovered in the hills of Trelawny. We must, therefore, protect him, as it is going to be a heady period in the life of this teenager.
He is so supremely confident that he needs protection from himself and the outside world. Shoe manufacturers are going to be beating down his door and the top universities are going to be clamouring for him. He must be made to realise that there will be a life after track and his education must be an integral part of his development. He needs nurturing; he needs a mentor - in short, he needs a Richard Williams in his life.
It must be borne in mind that the athlete, Roy Martin, whose 1985 record has now been equalled by young Bolt, must have been the sensation of his day. Yet after that monumental achievement, and even though an American, he thereafter, disappeared from the face of the racing world. My good friend, Peter "Skelly" Green, himself an outstanding schoolboy athlete, advises me that Bolt's choice of university is going to be critical, because there are those which nurture and protect their athletes, and there are those, to whom winning at any cost is everything.
The universities which he recommends, which fall into the former category, are Texas Christian University, the University of Arkansas, or Baylor University. It will be the responsibility of the JAAA to ensure that this new-found treasure receives this nurturing and protection - history will judge them harshly if they fail.
