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jubei71 · 08-17-2008, 02:16 PM

Originally Posted by Agent Jack Bauer

This country is bout propaganda images of their greatness and dem being a world power........d 100m is D PREMIER part of any Olympic.............d 3rd world mash dem up........ah was watching ah ESPN program last week and this black commentator said dats why he doh watch d Olympics............its suppose to be a showcase and celebration of WORLD athletes.............obviosly the US media never got that memo........fire bun dem all d same........we mash dem up

here here!!

08-17-2008, 02:22 PM

Originally Posted by Bean989

nicee...i was searching for this pic..i really wanna see ah pic or video of the flags raised and hear the JAM and TRINI anthem!

Shandy 2.0 · 08-17-2008, 02:28 PM

As Tyson Gay fizzles out, Usain Bolt steals America's thunder
Saturday, August 16th 2008,

... while American hopeful Tyson Gay can't even qualify for the final.
BEIJING - The track oval is nothing like the swimming pool here at the Summer Games. It's mostly populated with swift, talented foreigners and with U.S. athletes who are not going to win eight gold medals apiece.

NBC doesn't own the 100-meter dash anymore. The glitch in the system became painfully clear Saturday night during the 100-meter dash, when Jamaican Usain Bolt smashed his own world record in 9.69 seconds while America's top sprinter Tyson Gay was notably absent from lanes 1 through 8, after failing to qualify for the race.

Bolt pounded his chest as he zoomed toward the finish line - making you wonder how fast he might have gone without the showboating - then gyrated for the crowd holding his golden shoes.

PHOTO GALLERY: THE BEST OF THE DAY IN BEIJING
He was acting very American, only he definitely wasn't.

We got stuck with Gay, who was once supposed to medal in this showcase event, maybe win the whole thing. But he was an off-form athlete when he arrived in China, after requiring several weeks to nurse a pulled hamstring. By the time he started sprinting here, Gay didn't look anything like Gay anymore.

He finished fifth in his semifinal heat in a pedestrian 10.05 - which left him .02 seconds behind teammate Darvis Patton and the final spot in the final.

"Toward the finish line I couldn't tell if I made it to the finals or not," Gay said. "I looked up there and realized I didn't. It was kind of devastating. I may have needed more races, but I don't really have any excuses. I just didn't make it."

So Tyson was out and then the next thing you knew Bolt was prancing around with the Jamaican flag on his victory lap. A nation of 2.5 million people was making us eat its dust, and Richard Thompson of Trinidad and Tobago was second in 9.89. Walter Dix, an American, took the bronze in 9.91, but he was so far behind that a lot of fans inside the Bird's Nest had a better view of Bolt's finish.

New Yorkers had an introduction to Bolt in June, when he set the previous world record at Randalls Island, of all places. The race was late at night during baseball season. Few residents of the city took heed, even as his spectacular dash created waves abroad.

Now we know better. Not long ago, the 100 was our event, our birthright. The fastest men on earth were raised sleek and fast on apple pie and ran intervals at some Southern athletics factory, under the supervision of a martinet trainer.

Those were the good old Games. Olympic track and field, like swimming, requires a narrative arc, a transcendent and multi-event superstar with a boisterous personality. And in the past, we always had one of those - Carl Lewis, Florence Griffith-Joyner, Michael Johnson, Marion Jones or Maurice Greene.

But the drug scandals and the lack of interest in our country have taken their toll. And now, we arrive at an Olympics without a track hero.

Gay could have been that guy. He was the 2007 world champion last year at 100 and 200 meters. He was the American record holder at 9.77 seconds, the third-fastest time ever coming into the Games. And even if he was an unusually low-key fellow, he might have come to Beijing and made a stir in three or four races.

Then Gay suffered a hamstring pull during a 200 dash at the U.S. Trials in Eugene, and all bets were off. He only qualified in the 100, and hadn't practiced baton passes with the relay teams. The Olympics may be over for him before they started.

"When I get back to the Village, it's really probably going to set in," Gay said. "My family is here, everyone at home is supporting me, and I just feel I let them down a little bit. But at the same time, I did my best and everyone knows I did.

"When you race in the Olympics and the Trials, you peak your body two times. I was prepared to peak my body twice, but the injury set me back three or four weeks."

Gay never really peaked in 2008, a year that matters a lot in his sport. He now becomes a sprinter we never discovered at the Beijing Olympics.

Bolt steals his thunder.

Face it Yanks, every empire must fall and so ends the USA stronghold on Track and Field. Flo-Jo (RIP), Johnson and Greene..it's been real now it's time for the good folks from those dots in the Caribbean Sea to DOMINATE!!!!

Platinum Diva · 08-17-2008, 02:31 PM

Congrats Thompson you made us proud Bolt watch out in 2012

Taj · 08-17-2008, 02:46 PM

Thompson's olympic dream was 4 years in the making

four years of dedication, four years of preparation and four years of training all boiled down to a single moment in time for lsu’s richard thompson.

The only thing standing in his way of immortality was 100 meters of track and perhaps the finest collegiate field ever assembled in the history of the ncaa championships.

The stage was set.

Florida state star walter dix was back to defend his crown as ncaa champion after taking the title in 2007 with the second-fastest time in collegiate history at 9.93 seconds. A two-time ncaa champion in the 100-meter dash, dix would later qualify for the united states in both the 100 and 200 meters while matching his career best at the u.s. Olympic trials.

Clemson standout travis padgett had already cracked the 10-second barrier himself in 2008 with a then seasonal best of 9.97 entering the ncaa championships.

Like dix, padgett would go on to earn a spot on the u.s. Olympic team as a member of the 4x100 relay after shattering ato boldon’s 12-year-old collegiate record in the 100 with a stunning 9.89 in the quarterfinal round at the u.s. Trials in late june.

And lsu teammate trindon holliday was also poised to challenge for his first career ncaa title in the 100 meters after finishing as the national runner-up in 2007 with a personal best of 10.02.

But on the evening of june 13 at drake stadium, it was thompson who many considered the easy favorite after dominating the competition throughout the 2008 season.

He entered the meet as the reigning ncaa indoor champion in the 60-meter dash while boasting a then collegiate leading time of 9.93 set in the 100-meter final at the sec outdoor track and field championships in may. With 11 total competitions under his belt heading into the national final, thompson was the first to cross the finish line all 11 times.

He knew it would take an extraordinary effort to come out on top once again.

It was an unseasonably cool and unfavorably windy evening in des moines, iowa, as the runners took their marks at the starting line. A stiff breeze blowing in the face of the eight men lined side-by-side made for added drama as the title of ncaa 100-meter champion was truly up for grabs.

In those anxious moments before the starter fires his pistol, one might expect a feeling of doubt to creep into the minds of the competitors.

Not for thompson. Not this year.

He fired out of the blocks with the confidence expected of any great champion, and 10.12 seconds later, he was just that. With arms raised toward the heavens and a burst of exuberance as he crossed the finish line, thompson cemented his dominance with his first career ncaa 100-meter crown and a sweep of the short sprints in 2008.

“it seems like such a long time ago that i was this freshman who was so nervous every time i got down into the blocks,” thompson said. “i’ve done a lot of growing up these last four years. I knew i had the confidence to win the ncaa title, regardless of who was lined up next to me. I’m definitely a more confident sprinter now than i’ve been at any other point in my career.”

it truly was the culmination of four years of hard work and perseverance for a man who made his collegiate debut with virtually no fanfare.

A native of the tiny caribbean nation of trinidad & tobago, thompson shopped his talents to many of the elite collegiate sprinting programs in the united states, but few were willing to take a chance on an unproven sprinter with a personal best of 10.65.

But there was one coach who saw enough untapped potential in thompson to offer the future star a full scholarship to continue his training in the states.

that coach was lsu’s dennis shaver. lol ato not the man coach yall but i'm sure he gave advice “i don’t think there’s any question that we took a chance when we signed richard four years ago, but it’s something that has certainly paid off for both richard and lsu,” shaver said. “this was a guy who came to us with a few tools to work with, and we felt he might be able to slowly develop into a solid contributor at the sec and ncaa level.

“i don’t think anybody, including richard, could have imagined that he would reach this level of performance in four years. It’s remarkable.”

thompson knew the road to glory would be long after running a 10.80 in his very first 100-meter race at the collegiate level before finishing 25th in the event at the sec championships and failing to qualify for the ncaa championships as a freshman.

But under shaver’s guidance, thompson saw a drastic improvement in his performance with each passing season.

He cut his personal best to 10.43 during the collegiate season in 2006 before earning his first all-america honor in the 100 meters with a top mark of 10.23 at the ncaa championships in 2007. Thompson gave a glimpse of what was to come during his senior season when he clocked a legal 10.09 at the 2007 sagicor national open track and field championships in his native country.

“i always felt like i had to prove to everyone that i was worthy of being here. You could probably say i was a little insecure in the beginning,” thompson said. “it’s kind of funny looking back on it now, but i’m sure coach shaver was probably thinking to himself, you know, ‘why did we sign this guy?’ i just wasn’t very good my first year, and i think my insecurity was a big reason why.”

unlike his collegiate debut four years ago, thompson leaves lsu as perhaps the most celebrated sprinter to ever wear the purple and gold.

And his credentials speak for themselves.

Thompson is the school-record holder in both the 60 meters (6.51) and 100 meters (9.93). He won four ncaa titles during his career, including a pair of sprint relay titles to go along with his sweep of 60-meter and 100-meter titles during his senior season. He is one of only two tigers in the history of the ncaa championships to be crowned 100-meter champion, while he is the only sprinter in school history to sweep 60-meter and 100-meter titles in the same season.

In addition, he became the second tiger to be named the ncaa men’s outdoor track athlete of the year for his dominating performance in 2008.

“i speak to some of the coaches now from the other schools that i tried to contact about recruiting me, and they openly say they regret not taking me. I bet they do,” thompson joked.

He has been called many things during his illustrious four-year career at lsu – ncaa champion, sec champion, all-american and school-record holder just to name a few. He is now poised to add yet another title to his already impressive resume.

Thompson will forever carry the title of “olympian.”

just one week after being crowned the ncaa 100-meter champion, thompson earned the right to wear the red and black of his native trinidad & tobago at the 2008 olympic games in beijing, china, with a runner-up finish at his country’s olympic trials. It marks the first time in his young career that he will compete in the olympic games.

“it’s a great feeling to be able to call myself an olympian,” thompson said. “it’s something i’ve wanted to do ever since i was a youngster looking at some of the great guys in history like hasley crawford and ato boldon in my own country. I always told myself that i wanted to be like them.

“it didn’t even seem like it was a reality four years ago, but things really worked out well for me here at lsu, and it’s just great that i will have the experience of running in the olympic games.”

despite having the fifth-fastest time in the world this season of all sprinters in beijing, thompson has often been overlooked by those predicting who will take their place on the medal stand following the 100-meter final at the national stadium on saturday.

American tyson gay and jamaicans usain bolt and asafa powell are expected to battle it out for the gold medal next weekend. After all, gay is the reigning world champion, while bolt is the current world-record holder after breaking powell’s mark with a best of 9.72 earlier this year.

.

Taj · 08-17-2008, 02:47 PM

Contd

but with gay suffering a hamstring injury in the semifinals of the 200 meters at the u.s. Olympic trials just one month ago, some believe the bronze medal is still up for grabs.

Shaver is one of those people.

“realistically, the gold and silver medals look pretty solid with usain bolt and asafa powell, but the bronze medal it seems like is really up in the air with tyson gay having gotten hurt at the trials,” shaver said. “i’m pretty confident that richard can run right at his personal best or a little bit faster, and that’s what it’s going to take to make the final and possibly medal.”

thompson said he would just like to make the final in his olympic debut before he even thinks of stepping onto the podium.

“it’s great to know that i’m going into the olympics for the first time with a legitimate shot to get something done there,” thompson said. “a lot of people go to their first olympic games and they’re just happy and content with being able to compete. I’ll be really honest, if i go there and i don’t get into the final then i’ll be extremely disappointed. I have the ability to do it.

“that’s my goal to just go in there and make the final. If i can do that, then anything is possible.”

and if it’s not meant to be this time around, thompson will surely have his sights set on the 2012 olympic games in london where he hopes to have his name mentioned in the same breath as that of gay, bolt and powell.

“what’s the thing that people say? If it’s not broke, then don’t fix it,” thompson said. “i think me staying at lsu is going to lead to even more success in the future. I just feel like i’m a lot more focused when i’m here, and i need to stay in the kind of environment that is conducive to success. If i just continue to do the things i’ve been doing, then i know things will work out for me.”

shaver agreed that if thompson shows the same kind of commitment over the next four years that he has in the previous four, then his potential is limitless as a professional sprinter.

“richard is still very young, but his future in this sport is very bright,” shaver said. “he has what i think are the components both mentally and physically to become one of the best at what he does. He’s certainly a person who can run in the 9.80s in the 100-meter sprint race, and i still feel like he’s a 19.7 sprinter in the 200 meters if he were to get interested in running that race more.

“richard’s best years are certainly ahead of him even though he is already very competitive at the highest level. It’s going to be a lot of fun to watch.”

it will be a lot of fun, indeed

Taj · 08-17-2008, 02:47 PM

Thompson wins silver

beijing -- with the spotlight shining brightly on american tyson gay and jamaicans usain bolt and asafa powell entering the first round of 100-meter qualifying at the olympic games, the only question was where they would place on the medal stand following saturday’s final.

Lsu senior richard thompson was an afterthought, despite lining up with the fifth-fastest time in the world of all the 100-meter sprinters in beijing.

But after cruising through three rounds of qualifying while matching his personal best with a time of 9.93 seconds in saturday’s semifinal round, thompson returned to the track two hours later and took his mark in lane five with bolt to his left and american walter dix to his right.

Powell also qualified for the final after beating thompson to the finish line in 9.91 seconds in the semifinal round, but gay, still bothered by a hamstring injury suffered at the u.s. Olympic trials in july, failed to advance after finishing fifth in thompson’s heat with a time of 10.05.

The stage was set for a dramatic conclusion to perhaps the most anticipated 100-meter final in the history of the olympic games, and thompson did not disappoint.

While wearing the colors red and black and the name of trinidad and tobago proudly across his chest, thompson was the first in the eight-man field to fire out of the blocks with a 0.133 reaction time and raced to the finish line with a new personal best of 9.89 to win the silver medal for both his country and lsu in his olympic games debut. (complete results)

thompson kept pace with bolt for the first 50 meters of the race, but the 22-year-old jamaican ran away from the rest of the field over the last 50 meters to become the first man in the history of the sport to break 9.70, shattering his own world record in the event with an easy 9.69. Bolt even slowed down at the finish to celebrate jamaica’s first gold medal in the prestigious race.

Bolt broke the record of 9.72 he set back on may 31 at new york’s reebok grand prix in just his fifth career 100-meter race. Dix (9.91) won bronze, while powell (9.95) finished in fifth.

With his performance, thompson becomes lsu’s first ever medalist in the 100-meter dash and is the school’s second individual olympic medalist in the sprint events all-time after former tiger standout derrick brew won a bronze medal in the 400-meter dash in athens four years ago.

He also puts his name alongside the likes of national heroes hasley crawford and ato boldon as the only sprinters from trinidad and tobago to medal in the 100-meter dash in the 112-year history of the modern olympic games.

Crawford won the gold medal at the 1976 olympic games in montreal, while boldon took home the bronze in atlanta in 1996 and the silver in sydney in 2000.

“i’m so proud of richard and all that he has been able to accomplished this year,” said lsu head coach dennis shaver. “this truly is the result of four years of hard work and dedication on his part to get to where he is today. He is a young man who is certainly deserving of this great honor, and it’s amazing to think that his career in this sport is just beginning.”

while warming-up for the final, shaver said thompson’s focus was on getting out to a fast start in order to put pressure on the rest of the field. He certainly accomplished his goal.

“richard ran two outstanding races today,” shaver said. “although he ran a fast time in the semi, his reaction time was slow because he was instructed to play it safe and stay in the blocks an extra split second after someone in the field had a false start. But he really got out quick in the final and executed his race to perfection. That was as good as i’ve ever seen him run.

“it just shows the kind of maturity richard has to line up beside the best sprinters in the world and have the kind of confidence in himself that he can get it done. He’s an olympic medalist, and no one will ever be able to take that away from him.”

american standout and lsu great muna lee continued her chase for olympic glory on saturday as she advanced to the semifinal round of the women’s 100-meter dash at the national stadium. (complete results)

lee easily won her first-round heat in 11.33 and cruised into the semifinal with a runner-up finish in her quarterfinal race (11.08), where the top-three finishers advanced to a two-heat semifinal set to begin on sunday at 6:53 a.m. Ct. Lee is a gold-medal contender in the event as the women’s 100-meter final will also be held sunday with a start time of 9:25 a.m. Ct.

Former lady tiger stars kelly baptiste of trinidad and tobago and sherry fletcher of grenada were unable to advance to the semifinals of the 100-meter dash.

Baptiste, who finished runner-up in her first-round race with a time of 11.39, finished sixth in her quarterfinal heat and 22nd overall in her olympic debut after crossing the finish line in 11.42. Fletcher failed to advance beyond the first round of qualifying by a mere one one-hundredth of a second after finishing fifth in her opening heat with a time of 11.65.

Two other former lsu standouts saw their olympic dream come to an end in the semifinal round of their respective events as isa phillips of jamaica finished ninth in the men’s 400-meter hurdles and neisha bernard-thomas of grenada finished 21st in the women’s 800-meter run. (complete results)

phillips was one spot out of qualifying for the eight-man final after crossing the finish line in fifth place in his heat with a time of 48.85, while bernard-thomas was seventh in her heat in 2:01.84.

Bago20 · 08-17-2008, 02:48 PM

Yea, i tink Thompson go now step up he game and start running up mountains and ting in trini to build up more stamina and come back and give bolt a run for his money in 012. Anyone ever noticed that there were more trini athletes this time around in the Olympics? Even though they did not come out on top but I've noticed there are a pretty good number out there.

boy wonder · 08-17-2008, 02:50 PM

Originally Posted by Ackee

...I mean the man just sprinted 100 metres, and still had the energy for ALL that LoLLL

I hope they make a Calypso for him.....he deserves it!

Lawd dat gine be Iwer Soca Monarch entry 2k9.

08-17-2008, 02:50 PM

Originally Posted by Taj

Thompson's olympic dream was 4 years in the making

tonx for posting TAJ!

Shandy 2.0 · 08-17-2008, 02:52 PM

Originally Posted by boy wonder

Lawd dat gine be Iwer Soca Monarch entry 2k9.

all he has to do is say "Jump up for Thompson" about 30 times to a very fast beat and BRAM! Soca Monarch hit!

Taj · 08-17-2008, 02:53 PM

Originally Posted by ms_socadiva

tonx for posting TAJ!

np I was glad to read the behind the scenes stuff, get direct quotes, read his track resume and how nobody was really pushing to recruit him.... big up to his LSU coach for seeing potential.

08-17-2008, 03:03 PM

Originally Posted by Taj

np I was glad to read the behind the scenes stuff, get direct quotes, read his track resume and how nobody was really pushing to recruit him.... big up to his LSU coach for seeing potential.

after reading that now i understand why he celebrated in the manner he did..im really happy for him!

boy wonder · 08-17-2008, 03:05 PM

Originally Posted by Taj

np I was glad to read the behind the scenes stuff, get direct quotes, read his track resume and how nobody was really pushing to recruit him.... big up to his LSU coach for seeing potential.

Considering LSU is a powerhouse in Track and Field, the boy must have been decent.

08-17-2008, 02:00 PM	#46 (permalink)
Bean989 LO LIFE Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: CT. USA Posts: 1,171	__________________ When it come to bacchanal yes, dey cya beat we yet! Trini 2 di bone!...

08-17-2008, 02:48 PM	#54 (permalink)
Bago20 I'm on the Rock Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Brooklyn,NY Posts: 4,643	Yea, i tink Thompson go now step up he game and start running up mountains and ting in trini to build up more stamina and come back and give bolt a run for his money in 012. Anyone ever noticed that there were more trini athletes this time around in the Olympics? Even though they did not come out on top but I've noticed there are a pretty good number out there. __________________ Progress.

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08-17-2008, 02:31 PM	#50 (permalink)
Platinum Diva The Original Diva Join Date: Jan 2000 Location: Diva's world Posts: 3,445	Congrats Thompson you made us proud Bolt watch out in 2012