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HESE are special times for sprinters from the small Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago. No country, big or small, has produced 100 metres times faster this year than the marks of young Trinidadians Richard Thompson and Kelly-Ann Baptiste. Students at Louisiana State University (LSU), the pair have sprinted to the top of the 2008 world’s best list with sparkling early-season times, though Thompson now has company. Both he and Churandy Martina, of the Netherlands Antilles, have run 10.00 seconds — with Martina’s mark at altitude. Baptiste clocked a nationalrecord 11.06sec. Thompson said: ‘‘That both of us are from the same country is a bit of a coincidence, but I think we owe most of our success to the programme and the excellent coaches at LSU.’’ Both sprinters won National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) indoor 60m titles prior to leading the outdoor rankings. Thompson also equalled the year’s fastest 60m time, running 6.51sec, to share world-leader honours with world champion Olusoji Fasuba of Nigeria. Trinidadian Ato Boldon, who won Olympic sprint medals in 1996 and 2000, said: ‘‘It brings a lot of pride to me and a lot of other people. I’ve always said Trinidad has as much talent as any other island — but they don’t always end up in the right place and they don’t always follow through.’’ Boldon is now a TV
It’s Sprint-idad and Tobago . . . No-one has gone faster over 100m this year than either Richard Thompson or Kelly-Ann Baptiste. That shows there’s plenty of life after their Olympic hero Ato Boldon on the sleepy Caribbean islands analyst and the sprint coach of Saudi Arabia’s Olympic team. He said: ‘‘These are two young, talented people in the right place at the right time and they are doing well. And they are injury free.’’ The latter fact is key for the Baptiste, 21, who missed part of last season with a fractured
NO SLOUCH: Ato Boldon (centre, and main picture), predicts big things from his country’s new crop of PICTURE / REUTERS young Beijing-bound sprint stars.
vertebra. Boldon said: ‘‘I thought she would have an NCAA (outdoor) title by now but between injuries and some freak occurrences . . . a bee stung her one year. But I think this year can be her year. ‘‘That would be amazing to have both NCAA champions from Trinidad. I don’t think even the Jamaicans pulled that off.’’
Comparisons with the Jamaicans, long successful on the world scene, resonate through the Caribbean — and Boldon takes up the theme when talking about Thompson. ‘‘I call him the Trinidadian Asafa Powell,’’ he said, referring to the Jamaican 100m world record-holder. ‘‘Thompson is 6ft 2ins tall (1.88m) but he is able to start like
someone who is a lot shorter. He has very good pickup for someone that size. I broke his Texas 10-flat down on film and was really, really impressed. Nobody ever ran that fast that early in college.’’ Baptiste first drew Boldon’s attention at the Caribbean junior championships in Tobago in 2005. ‘‘Kelly passed us at 30m and she was still in her drive phase. None
of the women in the professional ranks . . . typically can hold their body down that long. ‘‘We just kind of looked at each other and said ‘A star is born’. She is very compact, very powerful, very disciplined. She is also the best start in the collegiate ranks.’’ So what does it mean for the Olympic hopes of a nation of which Hasely Crawford raised world awareness with his 100m gold in 1976? ‘‘Certainly Thompson should make the finals at Beijing,’’ Boldon said. ‘‘If he could do that, he can certainly upset a lot of bigger names.’’ Baptiste, who ran in the Trinidad and Tobago 4x100m team at the 2004 Athens Olympics, should also be a finalist and maybe more, Boldon said. ‘‘Just making the final in Beijing for somebody who ran 11.06 to open — that would almost be a let-down,’’ he said. Both must qualify for Beijing at Trinidad and Tobago’s national championships in late June. Thompson will concentrate on the 100m while Baptiste may attempt the 100m-200m double. Baptiste said: ‘‘I am very proud to be carrying on the tradition of strong sprinting by athletes from the Caribbean, especially as a female. ‘‘When people hear about sprinting in Trinidad and Tobago . . . they never can single out the female athlete that put themselves out there to be honoured and respected by the rest of the Caribbean or the world. ‘‘I am trying to leave a mark to help the others behind me raise up to that potential.’’ Thompson, who chats frequently with Boldon, has similar ambitions. ‘‘For a little Caribbean guy, Ato was able to show that a guy from Trinidad and Tobago was capable of really doing well on the international scene. I just want to follow in his footsteps.’’