- Monday 23, August-2004 by Sherrylyn Clarke

Obadele Thompson: pleased with his performance.

ATHENS – Obadele Thompson finished seventh in the final of the men’s 100 metres at the Athens Olympic Games yesterday in a race which saw the three fastest men in the Caribbean shut out of the medals.

Thompson, the Sydney 2000 bronze medalist, clocked 10.10 seconds in the night-capper which saw 22-year-old American Justin Gatlin taking gold in a personal best 9.85 seconds, one hundredths of a second off Donavan Bailey’s Olympic record (9.84). He immediately started crying, and then fell to his knees in prayer on the track.

Portugal’s Francis Obikwelu was second in 9.86 seconds, while defending champion Maurice Greene had to settle for bronze in 9.87 seconds, the same time which gave him the gold four years ago.

Jamaican Asafa Powell, who had clocked the fastest time of 9.95 seconds in the semifinals, could not duplicate that feat and was fifth with 9.94 behind another American Shawn Crawford who clocked 9.89 and had also looked like a gold medal winner, shutting down and talking to his training partner Gatlin in their semifinal heat.

World champion Kim Collins of St Kitts and Nevis was unable to pull off another stunner from Lane 1 and was sixth in a season’s best 10 seconds flat. Aziz Zakari of Ghana pulled up just ten metres into the race and never finished.

It was the first time five men clocked sub-ten in the Olympic final, and also the closest as very little separated the three medalists.

After the race, Thompson said he expected a much faster time, but was pleased with his performance, sneaking into the final with 10.22, the last qualifier in his semifinal heat.

“This is huge for me. When I made the final, I looked up and said: ‘Thank you, Lord’. When I walked back, my shoulders literally felt lighter because I know so many people wrote me off and have no idea of what I’ve been through. If you don’t make it to the final you don’t even have a chance. To be there, wow, wonderful. It is a great feeling,” he said.

“I am also happy for these guys. There are cycles of life and you have to celebrate when people do well. One of the people I am really happy for is Francis Obikwelu.”

Thompson drew Lane 8 and when he came out of the blocks, his drive phase looked sluggish. The action was all taking part in the centre of the track where Gatlin seemed to have everything under control. He maintained form and extended well, even as Obikwelu and Greene made a late charge at the line.

Powell, who was aiming to win Jamaica’s first sprinting gold medal since Don Quarrie in 200 metres in 1976, was never really in the running.

“I stumbled at the start, tried to recover and by the time I began to run the race it was over, but I am young and I will be back,” Powell said.

The man who carries the words Sir Collins on his running shoes and stunned the world in France last year, offered no excuses for his sixth position.

“I came out here to do what I learn in training, but today I just couldn’t pull it off,” Collins said.

Compliments of the Nation News

Caribbean Golf

Caribbean Cricket

Sporting islands

BARBADOS