Dear Editor,
With the opening of the World Athletics Championships in Beijing this weekend, there is much excitement. All eyes are on the men’s sprint events. Even though there has been fierce competition in the women’s sprints, not much excitement is generated by these events. The primary reason is the impossible records set by Florence Griffith-Joyner in 1988 which cannot be surpassed by any ‘clean’ mortal female. Personally, I think her record should be expunged for the following reasons:
- Before she rocketed to fame in 1988, Flo-Jo’s best time in the 100m was 10.96 seconds and in the 200m it was 21.96 seconds. In 1988 she improved in the hundred by 0.47 seconds and the two hundred by 0.62 seconds. This is simply not ‘do-able’ without drugs.
- Here was a woman who always ran in the shadows of faster runners like Evelyn Ashford and Valerie Brisco Hooks, and who suddenly blew them all away. Not that Asford had got slower. In the first heat of the 100m event Flo-Jo effortlessly smashed the 100 metre record. In her heat Ashford equalled the record. In the finals the full steroids were on display when Flo-Jo literally waltzed away from established runners for this impossible record.
- Brazilian 800m gold medalists were convinced she was juicing up, given her suddenly large physique, and her deeper voice (both tell-tale signs of drug use).
- Why would a clean runner, after toiling so long in the sport, having finally achieved the record when there was so much to be gained now, suddenly retire from the sport? An immediate answer could be that the IAAF had then implemented random testing since the Ben Johnson fiasco and she would have been nailed by such a test.
- Her mysterious death, though sad, had many speculating that it was as a result of her earlier drug use.
As stated before, it would do the sport well if Flo-Jo’s records were removed from the books (mainly because they don’t deserve to be there) to give today’s hard-working females a shot at breaking the women’s sprint record. But don’t just stop at Flo-Jo. The 1980s was the decade of performance enhancing drugs and numerous records. Any record that seems too good to be true from that era should be looked at with a jaundiced eye. And there are quite a few. With the fall of East Germany, it is well documented that they systematically drugged their athletes. Many of these records established by these flawed athletes still stand today. They should go too.
For years it had been rumoured that American athletes were doping up. Clean athletes like Merlene Ottey had to be contented with silver or bronze medals when competing against these pumped up athletes. With drug testing finally catching up with the various cheating athletes, American athletes were forced to clean up their act in time for the 2008 Olympics. And what happened? The Jamaican women swept the medals in the 100m as soon as the playing field was levelled. This was a magnificent performance by the Jamaican women but it was overshadowed by the achievements of one Usain Bolt. The main difference was that Bolt broke the record. Fraser-Pryce and company didn’t. How could Fraser-Pryce? She was not juiced up.
This weekend the men’s finals is a highly anticipated event but the women hold the excitement for me. I remembered when the Jamaican 100m team was chosen for the 2008 Olympics and was shocked to read that Jamaican staple Veronica Campbell-Brown didn’t make the team. I couldn’t believe there were three Jamaican girls faster than the fabled Campbell-Brown. Did she have a bad race? Was she injured? On further scrutiny of the Jamaica sports pages I learned Veronica had run her fastest time to date that year and couldn’t crack the first three spots. There were many arguments in the Jamaica press on whether or not she should still be included since the other girls were young and inexperienced. I immediately thought Jamaica had got themselves a gold medal relay team. This is when Shelly-Ann Fraser grabbed the reins and have never loosed them since. So here’s to the women’s sprint events. Even though that cursed record stands in the way, much excitement is expected from Fraser-Pryce and to every budding new Jamaican upcoming sprinter; the two African sprinters; Blessing and Ahoure; the sole white female sprinter; and whoever the Americans choose to send up this time around. For some strange reason, Allyson Felix has chosen to forgo her almost sure-win 200m for the 400m event. Is she getting away from Fraser-Pryce? One good thing I noticed with the coach of Fraser-Pryce is that he trains her to run a distance longer than her given distance. I was surprised she ran the 200m. With her power in the 100m and her speed and stamina for a 200 she will soon be unbeatable at that event too. I wish the trainer of Merlene Ottey had had that wisdom. She obviously had the speed but always faded towards the end, indicating a lack of stamina. Here’s to an exciting world games and may the clean athletes win.
Yours faithfully,
Nathaniel Hinckson
