Team TTO | Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee | teamtto.org

The Queen and James Bond gave the London Olympics a royal entrance like no other yesterday in an opening ceremony that rolled to the rock of the Beatles, the Stones and The Who.

And the creative genius of Danny Boyle spliced it all together.

Brilliant. Cheeky, too.

The highlight of the Oscar-winning director's US$42 million show was pure movie magic, using trickery to make it seem that Britain's beloved 86-year-old Queen Elizabeth II had parachuted into the stadium with the nation's most famous spy.

A short film showed 007 driving up to Buckingham Palace in a black London cab and, pursued by her majesty's royal dogs—Monty, Willow and Holly, playing themselves—meeting the Queen, who played herself.

"Good evening, Mr Bond," she said.

They were shown flying in a helicopter over London landmarks and a waving statue of Winston Churchill—the Queen in a salmon-coloured gown, Bond dashing as ever in a black tuxedo—to the stadium and then leaping out into the inky night.

At the same moment, real skydivers appeared in the skies over the stadium throbbing to the James Bond soundtrack. And moments after that, the monarch appeared in person, accompanied by her husband, Prince Philip.

Organisers said it was thought to be the first time the monarch has acted on film.

Much of the opening ceremony was an encyclopedic review of British music history, from a 1918 Broadway standard adopted by the West Ham soccer team to the Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" to "Bohemian Rhapsody", by still another Queen.

The evening started with fighter jets streaming red, white and blue smoke and roaring over the stadium, packed with a buzzing crowd of 60,000 people, at 8.12 p.m.

An explosion of fireworks against the London skyline and Paul McCartney leading a singalong were to wrap up the three-hour opening ceremony masterminded by one of Britain's most successful filmmakers.

Boyle, the director of Slumdog Millionaire and Trainspotting, had a ball with his favoured medium, mixing filmed passages with live action in the stadium to hypnotic effect, with 15,000 volunteers taking part in the show.

Actor Rowan Atkinson, as Mr Bean, provided laughs, shown dreaming that he was appearing in Chariots of Fire, the inspiring story of a Scotsman and an Englishman at the 1924 Paris Games.

There was a high-speed flyover of the Thames, the river that winds like a vein through London and was the gateway for the city's rise over the centuries as a great global hub of trade and industry.

Headlong rushes of movie images took spectators on wondrous, heart-racing voyages through everything British: a cricket match, the London Tube and the roaring, abundant seas that buffet and protect this island nation.

Boyle turned the stadium into a throbbing juke box, with a non-stop rock and pop homage to cool Britannia that ensured the show never caught its breath.

Opening the ceremony, children popped balloons with each number from 10 to 1, leading a countdown that climaxed with Bradley Wiggins, the newly crowned Tour de France champion.

The show then shifted to a portrayal of idyllic rural Britain—a place of meadows, farms, sport on village greens, picnics and Winnie-the-Pooh, AA Milne's bear who has delighted generations of British children tucked warmly in bed.

But the British ideal then took a darker, grittier turn. The set was literally torn asunder, the hedgerows and farm fences carried away, as Boyle shifted to the industrial transformation that revolutionised Britain in the 18th and 19th centuries, the foundation for an empire that reshaped world history. Belching chimneys rose where only moments earlier sheep had trod.

The parade of nations featured most of the roughly 10,500 athletes marching behind the flags of the 204 nations taking part. Greece had the lead, as the spiritual home of the Games, and Team Great Britain was last, as host.

Prince William and his wife, Kate, joined in the thunderous applause that greeted the British team.

The Olympic cauldron was to be lit with a flame that was kindled on May 10, at the birthplace of the ancient Olympics in Greece, from a reflection of the sun's rays off a mirror.

Since then, 8,000 torchbearers, mostly unheralded Britons, have carried the flame on a 70-day, 8,000-mile journey from toe to tip of the British Isles, whipping up enthusiasm for a US$14 billion Olympics.

Political leaders from around the world, US first lady Michelle Obama and her daughters, and a sprinkling of European and celebrity royalty also attended.

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I didn't see it coming, but the parade of nations at the Olympic Games opening ceremony here in London, England, turned out to be an emotional experience.

I was fighting back the tears as patriot Marc Burns carried the Trinidad and Tobago flag with pride at the Olympic Stadium, his confident sprinter's swagger reminding me of the yeoman service he has given on tracks in all corners of the globe.

I had seen Burns on his Olympic debut, in Sydney, Australia, back in 2000—a 17-year-old fledgling. Twelve years later, he was leading his team into battle, the 29-year-old track star wearing the colours and carrying the flag of a country he has represented and continues to represent with distinction.

Burns is appearing in his fourth Olympic Games. Four years ago, in Beijing, China, he enjoyed his brightest moment on the biggest global sporting stage, helping T&T earn silver in the men's 4x100 metres relay.

Parading behind Burns at the Olympic Stadium, his teammates also wore the national colours with pride. The Red, White and Black made a bold fashion statement, particularly on the outfits of the female team members, the flag clearly visible as they made their way round the track.

The Marc Burns moment was the highpoint for me on an entertaining opening night of the Games of the 30th Olympiad.

Songs associated with sport were highlighted at the ceremony, including the famous "Chariots of Fire" theme song. But this London Symphony Orchestra performance of the Vangelis classic was like no other.

A surprise appearance by comic actor Rowan Atkinson, known to the world as Mr Bean, was greatly appreciated by the massive crowd. A "member" of the orchestra for the occasion, Mr Bean's penchant for bad timing resulted in forced changes to the "Chariots of Fire" arrangement. He even dreamed about being in the movie, resulting in a brand new and quite disturbing version of the iconic beach training scene.

Atkinson certainly left his mark on the opening ceremony, and so did Burns.

Now, it's on to the serious business of Olympic competition.

For T&T, soldier Roger Daniel leads the way, the veteran shooter taking aim at precious metal in today's men's ten metres air pistol event. Like Burns, Daniel is a true patriot, devoted to the cause of the Red, White and Black.

-Kwame Laurence in London

www.trinidadexpress.com

The Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee(TTOC) official London 2012  Olympic Magazine was launched yesterday on the occasion of the opening ceremony of the games of the 30th Olympiad .

The London 2012 magazine according to TTOC president Larry Romany is a ' reflective' look at T&T's Olympic  Games history from 1948 to the present.

"The TTOC always published souvenir magazines or brochures for the(Olympic)  Games  interest in the magazine is very high . We distribute to the local schools, corporate T&T, IOC, Olympic museum , TTOC affiliates and corporate partners. Athletes, coaches and officials. The countries participating at the Games will all get a copy. "

There are plans  for a digitial version of the magazine to be made available as demand in the past has always outstripped supply and this year is no exception.

The 60 page  TTOC  official London 2012  magazine was designed by Ken Henry with expereinced sports journalist Valentino Singh as the editorial consultant.

Bptt is the TTOC London 2012 Olympic magazine partner.

PwC Russia Advisory's practice leader, Robert Gruman, has spoken to insidethegames ahead of this summer's Global Sports Industry Congress to explain how they are helping to build and leverage the "intellectual legacy" of Kazan 2013 and Sochi 2014.

PwC is a Partner and the Official Professional Services Provider to Sochi 2014, and is also a Partner of the Kazan 2013 Summer Universiade.

Through these partnerships and their role in the Russian sports market, PwC sees first hand the challenges faced in putting on major global sports events.

At the heart of their Russian operations, Gruman will be at the Global Sports Industry Congress on August 2 at Russia.Sochi.Park in Kensington Gardens, contributing to the discussions which will focus on the country ahead of so many sports events they will host this decade.

Gruman (pictured top) insists that the task ahead for Russia is nothing out of the ordinary, and that he views the major events being hosted as opportunities rather than challenges.

Robert Gruman will be speaking at the Global Sports Industry Congress

"We see things from both the inside as well as the outside of Russia," he told insidethegames.

"It is not so much looked at in terms of challenges – these are very definite opportunities.

"With the Russian Government having identified sport as a priority stream in the country's ongoing development, Russia has been entrusted with an impressive number of sports mega-events.

"There is an article in the press every day about the potential issues that are going on with London, so there are inherent challenges with everything of this magnitude.

"But the opportunities are enormous."

Gruman and PwC are also looking to contribute to the legacy of these events by passing on expertise to future major sports events taking place in the country.

"One of the keys will be how successful we are in leveraging all the planning and projects that we are carrying out along with our partners at Sochi 2014 and Kazan 2013," he said.

"It will be key that we capture that intellectual capital and pass it on to the next events, committees.

"That will be part of the legacy of these sports mega-events.

"How best to apply the planning, the training programmes, the experienced personnel that emerge... all of this is managing the intellectual capital built up through our work."

With the FIFA World Cup in 2018 and other major events such as the 2013 World Athletics Championships and the 2015 Ice Hockey World Championship coming to Russia in the coming years, the opportunities are certainly there to make further use of the intellectual legacy PwC is busy accumulating.

One of the methods pioneered during preparations for Sochi 2014 has been to create an HR Club, bringing together all of their fellow partners with the Organising Committee Workforce Department to coordinate their respective workforce plans for 2014.

Moscow took over the 2011 World Figure Skating Championships at the last minute

PwC say this is the first time this has happened in Olympic and Paralympic history, and ensures there is no duplication in recruitment methods and for personnel.

They are keen to stress this will also contribute to the legacy of the Games, creating a workforce capable of managing major sports events in the future in Russia.

Gruman also insists Russia is fully capable of rising to the challenge of the "decade of sport".

He cites last year's World Figure Skating Championships, held in Moscow at the last minute due to the tsunami and earthquake which hit Japan just before it was due to host the competition.

"When the unfortunate events happened in Japan, Russia stepped in and was beyond capable, did an outstanding job of hosting the World Figure Skating Championships in a very short time period," he said.

"The sporting culture and ability to do global events is inherent in Russia itself.

"Sochi, naturally, is a huge opportunity for Russia."

Electricity consumption will increase during the Olympic and Paralympics by 250 per cent, while the Black Sea resort's power grid will have a vastly increased capacity as a result of the Games.

PwC is playing a key role in the organisation of the Games, providing consultation on planning and preparations as well as delivering professional services projects to support the Organising Committee – over 170 projects so far.

"Specifically with Sochi in 2014, it is a huge undertaking just like it is for any country," Gruman said.

"Sochi 2014 is having a significant impact on the culture throughout the country.

"This includes changes in beliefs and attitudes towards volunteerism, green standards and a barrier-free environment.

"All these will contribute to the further development of Russia and how it is viewed internationally.

"It is a chance for the world to see the great things that are happening in Russia.

"It also allows internal to Russia the ability for Sochi to be a model city to others across the country.

"The Games are a catalyst for many things from a global perspective, and certainly from a country perspective.

"We're excited to be a part of that."

By David Gold

Source: www.insidethegames.biz

My return to London was not what I expected.

Armed with the sweater that protected me from many months of cold weather while doing my MA in International Journalism at City University back in 2008-2009, I was quite surprised to get a warm London welcome on Tuesday.

Bathed in sunshine, temperature in the high 20s (Celsius)--this was not the London we tropical folk fear.

"Hottest day all year," was the assessment of the cabbie who drove me from Victoria train station to my hotel.

There was another warm day in London, yesterday, a fitting welcome for the 24 members of the Trinidad and Tobago team that checked in to the Olympic Village. Twenty-two track and field athletes and boxer Carlos Suarez made the trek from the T&T training camp in Cardiff, Wales, while hurdler Wayne Davis II travelled from the United States to London.

Swimmer George Bovell and shooter Roger Daniel had previously moved in to the Village. Cyclist Njisane Phillip, meanwhile, is expected to check in today, bringing the total of T&T athletes here in London, England for the 2012 Olympics to 27. T&T will be represented by a team of 30 at the Games.

T&T chef de mission, Annette Knott told the Express that double Olympic silver medallist Richard "Torpedo" Thompson attended the Cardiff camp but has not yet arrived at the Village.

Quartermiler Renny Quow was not in Wales. He remained at his training base in Florida, USA to fine-tune his preparations for the Games. Quow is expected to join his teammates at the Olympic Village next Monday.

And sailor Andrew Lewis was part of the T&T camp, in Wales, but has since taken up residence at the Weymouth and Portland Sailing Village—about three hours from London by train.

Knott said the Cardiff camp was a huge success.

"It takes three or four days to sleep normally after arriving. The team was in Wales for five or six days, so that's definitely an advantage.

"Also, it brought the team together. They were able to relax and enjoy each other's company. From some of the comments from coaches, especially in athletics, it was a real benefit. In terms of the support we tried to give the athletes, this is the best Olympic preparation we've had.

"There are very good facilities here at the Village," the chef de mission continued. "And our area is away from the main hub, which allows the athletes to stay focused on the job at hand."

Knott said the 2012 T&T team is capable of matching the country's largest ever Olympic medal haul—three, at the 1964 Games in Tokyo, Japan.

"We can equal that, and I'm hoping for better. At the 1948 London Games, we won our first medal (weightlifting silver from Rodney Wilkes). We're hoping 2012 is also historic.

"I expect finalists in both the men's and women's 100 metres events. And I expect us to medal in both sprint relays."

Thompson and national champion Keston Bledman will both bid for precious metal in the men's century. And in the women's 100m, Kelly-Ann Baptiste is among the favourites.

Knott is also anticipating solid performances in the swimming pool and on the cycling track.

"George in the 50 free. And Njisane has had such fantastic performances over the last few months, you never know what could happen.

"As one of the athletes said, everyone is there for a medal, so it's what you do on the day that counts."

-Kwame Laurence

www.trinidadexpress.com

Olympic Games sprint relay silver medalist Marc Burns will have the honour of carrying the T&T flag at the parade of nations during the opening ceremony of the Games of the 30th Olympiad in London on Friday.

Burns, 29, will be making his fourth appearance at an Olympic Games. He made his Olympic debut at the Sydney Olympics at the age of 17years.
One of T and T's most consistent athletes in the history of local sport the 2008 Beijing Olympics 100m finalist made his national representative debut at age 15 at the Carifta games. He has since represented T and T with distinction at junior, collegiate and senior levels in the process winning medals at national, regional, continental, world and Olympic Games.
Burns has in his cabinet three world championship sprint relay silver medals and a Commonwealth games individual sprint medal in addition to two world junior individual sprint medals( silver and bronze).
A three time world outdoor championship sprint finalist he was also a finalist in the 2012 world indoor championship 60 m final. The former TTOC sportsman of the year is well respected.
A longstanding tradition that is still retained by a number of National Olympic Committees (NOCs):
Every four years, the identity of the flag bearer for the Olympic Games team is a closely guarded secret.
Selecting the flag bearer is the prerogative of the Games chef de mission to make the choice.
Commenting on the selection T and T chef de mission Annette Knott said that Marc Burns embodies the Olympic spirit, values and ideals.
“A quiet and dignified gentleman who always gives his best for his country. His consistency, dedication, integrity and selfless patriotism have been exemplary. He has earned the honour of leading T and T during the London 2012 Parade of Nations."
TTOC president Larry Romany concurred with the views of Mrs. Knott.
“I was chef de mission at the Sydney Olympics when the then 17 year old Marc made his Olympic debut. Over the years it has been a privilege to work with Marc. He is a class act who has never failed to answer the call be it CAC, Pan Am, Commonwealth or Olympic Games. “Said Romany

Greece's triple-jump champion was expelled from the Olympics after posting a tasteless tweet about Africans and the West Nile virus.

Hellenic Olympic Committee officials announced Voula Papachristou wouldn't travel to London after she tweeted a joke about African immigrants.

On Monday, the track athlete posted a tweet reading, "with so many Africans in Greece, at least the West Nile mosquitos will be eating food from their own home." The comments created an uproar on Greek social media. Papachristou didn't address the criticism on Twitter for two days.

Greece later announced it would place Papchristou "outside the Olympic team for statements contrary to the values and ideas of the Olympic movement."

By Chris Chase

http://sports.yahoo.com

Trinidad and Tobago’s trio of all-rounders Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard, and spin bowler Sunil Narine, are unlikely to represent their country at the IPL Champions League in South Africa. It is understood that the owners of the respective clubs in the IPL, are very unhappy with efforts by T&T to have the players give up their franchises to represent their country. Bravo plays with two-time champion team Chennai Super Kings while Pollard plays with Mumbai Indians and Narine, with champions Kolkata Knight Riders.

The Guardian was told by a reliable source that the owners as well as the controllers of the IPL are threatening to ban T&T if the government forces the players to play for their countries. “These owners are not giving the players any choice. There is talk that the IPL franchises may not select any player from T&T  in the future if the trio fails to represent their franchises,” said the close source. “It would appear that this could end the chances of many youngsters playing in this league in the future and the franchise bosses are saying this was always a club event, and not a country event,. The only exception was the West Indies,” he added “The IPL Board is supporting the claims of the owners despite any clause in the contract,” he stated.

Indian Movie sensation, Shahrukh Khan, owns the Kolkata Knight Riders, while the man described as India’s richest man—Mukesh Ambani—owns Mumbai Indians. India Cements Limited owns the Chennai Super Kings.
Outgoing West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) chief executive officer,  Dr Ernest Hillarie, may have to get involved as the situation may also affect West Indies cricket.
If the players do not represent T&T, it will not be the first time, as in 2011 both Bravo and Pollard played for their respective franchises in the IPL Champions League in India.
The  Guardian understands that the players are saddened by this development, since they were looking forward to leading T&T to victory, after their historic second place finish in 2009.

-Andre E Baptiste

www.guardian.co.tt

Athletes around the world have been training intensely in anticipation of the London 2012 Olympic Games, which begins on Friday. Many have changed their lifestyle habits, with most of them making adjustments to their diets. Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake revealed  that he consumes 16 bananas per day, while American swimmer Michael Phelps says he consumes 12,000 calories every day. Keeping their bodies in superior condition is mandatory for athletes, especially when it comes to their diets.  The T&T Guardian asked some local athletes representing this country at the Olympic and Paralympic games to give details on their diets. We chose one of the meals and challenged a non-athlete to try it.
T&T Guardian’s Marvin Smith attempted to eat Greene’s breakfast of one dozen egg whites per day. One egg contains six grams of protein and nine essential amino acids. Smith consumed just six eggs and could eat no more. He said the lack of salt made it too difficult to eat. Athletes eat healthier, not only because they need to stay healthy, but because it optimises the body’s performance and certain foods help different parts of the body perform efficiently. It may be hard for us non-athletes to forego ice-cream and cake in favour of fruits and vegetables, but if they can do it, we should give it a try.

Athlete: Jarrin Solomon
Age: 24
Events: Athletics, 4x400 relay.

Diet: I eat a lot of grilled chicken, broccoli and lots of brown rice and I try to get in a lot of carbs. I don’t really have special food cooked for me but my girlfriend does all of the cooking. I don’t drink soda or alcohol during the training season and instead of ice cream for dessert I have sorbet. I get in at least one fish dish a week to get the good omega-3 vitamins. I don’t take many supplements due to the ever-changing restrictions that anti-doping agencies place upon athletics but I do take protein and whenever I feel sick I take a vitamin called Nutrition from Genesis Pure and I recover quickly.

Athlete: Shanntol Ince
Age: 17
Events: (Paralympics) Swimming, 400 m freestyle, 100m backstroke and 100m butterfly stroke.

Diet: My diet isn’t exactly precise and I get most of my nutrition information from my parents, but it has changed drastically since before I knew I would be participating in the Paralympics. Before I would eat a Subway sandwich or KFC after training, now I can’t do any of that.
I fill up on ground provision, lots of dasheen and sweet potatoes. Sometimes I have fish broth and beet root punch.
I have been trying to cut out the snacks but it can be difficult.

Athlete: Cleopatra Borel
Age: 33
Events: Shot Put

Diet: I eat a balanced diet but I eat all day long, sometimes usually fruit or raw vegetables. I have “smallish” meals every two or three hours. I take protein supplements and ZMA Mayaro Fish Oil.

Athlete: Carlos Greene
Age: 47
Events: (Paralympics) Shot Put and Discus.

Diet: I stay away from oils and sugars and I eat a lot of grilled and baked fish and provision-type foods.
I eat five small meals per day but they aren’t always small. I don’t use any salt so when I season food I use fresh green seasoning. I’m 260 lbs so I try to take in about 7,000 calories per day but I don’t always get that from food. I do take vitamin and protein supplements. Every day I eat a dozen egg whites. I boil the eggs and remove the yolk and then I eat the whites, no salt included.

www.guardian.co.tt

THE TRINIDAD and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC) is concerned over the alleged infringements of both the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and London 2012 Intellectual Property Rights, due to the unauthorised commercial and promotional use of the Olympic marks and expressions.

TTOC secretary general Brian Lewis, in a media release, commented, “we once again take the opportunity to remind companies and organisations that no company, organisation or individual of Trinidad and Tobago is authorised to use the Olympic marks and logos (event marks) in any form of advertising, sale, marketing or public relations without the expressed permission of the IOC, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) and the TTOC.”

Comprising the event marks are the Olympic rings, the marks and logos of the TTOC, LOCOG and other National Olympic Committees and Olympic Games Organising Committees, past, present or future.

Lewis continued, “this restriction relates to all forms of media, including but not limited to video, print, audio, new media and mobile telephone and also extends to advertising and public relations expressions such as ‘good luck’ wishes and congratulatory messages to accredited Olympic athletes.

“The unauthorised use of the Games marks and expressions is strictly prohibited,” he stressed.

www.newsday.co.tt

NOW that the smoke has cleared in the Americas Federation of Netball Association (AFNA) netball pundits are asking the question — was the TT public expecting too much from the Calypso Girls in the just concluded 2012 championship?

A number of ex-players who wished not to be mentioned have quoted from the old John Wooden saying that states - ” a failure to prepare is preparing to fail”

They are saying that this was exactly what happened to the Calypso Girls.

“They did not have the kind of preparation that would have enabled them to compete as they should have at this level.”

For a tournament of this nature, one would have expected that the team would have had a couple matches with some of the teams ranked higher in the world, to get some more exposure to the level of the sport. According to another player “Preparing at home, playing among themselves and teams which were below their level could have in no way prepared the team for the likes of Barbados, much more the world # four ranked Jamaicans as we saw.”

Despite the fact that there is talent in the team, it was like setting them up to fail from the inception.

While they would have watched tapes of the top teams play including the Sunshine Girls, this could in no way prepare them for what the six foot five-inch Goal Shoot Jhaneile Fowler could unleash.

As players these girls would have thought they had a chance of taking the Jamaicans.

Any player in sport would back him or herself against top ranked players, as anyone can have an off- day and maybe it might be against you. But was it a case that these girls were just set up for the slaughter by the Jamaicans.

They played their hearts out against the Jamaicans especially in the second-quarter when they cut the lead to two 20-18 with the crowd behind them. However they could not keep this up as they were not accustomed to playing against opposition of this calibre. The question now is who should be blamed for this performance which will no doubt leave a lasting impression on the minds of these players. Was it a case that the hosting of the event was more important than getting the team ready for the tournament.

By KEVIN SUNICH

www.newsday.co.tt

The athlete who will have the honour of carrying the Trinidad and Tobago flag at the parade of nations during the opening ceremony of the Games of the 30th Olympiad in London on Friday will be officially announced by the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee(TTOC) on Thursday 26th July at 1pm  ( 8am T&T Time).
Meanwhile the T&T team will  leave Cardiff, Wales at 11am(UK Time) and journey by coach to the Olympic Village in East London.
T&T Chef de Mission, Annette Knott said the athletes and team officials will arrive at the Olympic Village at around 4pm.
" The pre Olympic training camp went exceedingly well. Where we stayed at the Vale Resort the accommodation was top of the line, the food was excellent and the opportunity to train together all added up . I must commend the team for conducting themselves with discipline and class. They were wonderful ambassadors for T&T.'
According to Mrs Knott the athletes are all focused and there is a buzz of excitement and anticipation.
" Everyone is looking forward to Friday. Even though not everyone will take part in the parade of nations. The Olympic games is a special event .  London 2012 is here!."

Three national netballers finished among the top ten shooters in the Americas Federation of Netball Associations (AFNA) Championships which was played at the Jean Pierre Complex in Mucurapo, which ended on Saturday. The “Calypso Girls” bagged the bronze medals with 12 points from a 6-2 record. Unbeaten Jamaica finished the tournament on 16 points to win the gold with Barbados claiming second with 14 points from a 7-1 record. Youngster Jellene Richardson had the best shooting accuracy percentage of 89.11 for T&T.

Anastascia Wilson was sixth with 88.56 and Joelisa Cooper seventh with 87.06. Janelle Barker ended in 16th spot with 76.67. Taking first place was Jhaneile Fowler of Jamaica. She shot with 92.98 per cent accuracy. Her teammate Shantal Slater was second with 92.50 and third was Barbadian Laurel Browne with 91.21. Wilson stood above the rest in total number of attempts and goals scored, notching 325 off 367 tries in her eight matches. Fowler had a total of 318 from 342 tries. Wilson’s biggest contribution came in the “Calypso Girls”opening match when the host team came away with a 104-10 victory. Wilson had netted 88 goals from 99 attempts. The “Sunshine Girls” used the Championships to help in their preparation for an away series against England's roses in September.  

-Rachael Thompson-King

www.guardian.co.tt

OLYMPIAN, written by Dr Basil Ince, was published in 2011. The book examines, in detail, the history of Trinidad and Tobago's Olympic

participation. Included in OLYMPIAN are profiles of the country's eight individual Olympic medallists, between 1948 and 2008. Between July 17 and August 9, excerpts from those eight profiles are being featured in the pages of the Trinidad Express.

The profiles, in their entirety, are being published on the Express website (http://www.trinidadexpress.com/olympics).

Today, we feature swimmer George Bovell. He captured bronze in 2004, in Athens, Greece. Here he was at the start of the 200m Intermediate Medley (IM) final, all 6'5" of him, before the crouch of course, along with the seven other finalists, all carrying with them, on their finely tuned bodies, their hopes and

spirations, and at the same time the hopes and aspirations of their coaches and their nations.

The ritual of the early morning workouts, and the afternoon workouts had all come down to this. George had already been quoted as saying "I am excited at the prospect of swimming against the best in the world at the Olympics." He tried to block it all out. He had already done all that was required of him, and now found himself in lane 2, trying to focus on the task at hand. He had gone this route already in the preliminaries and in the semi-final.

Yes, the day before at the Olympic Aquatic Center in Athens, Greece, the birth place of the Olympics, George had started his trek to the final. Drawn in lane 4 in the fifth heat, George came home third in 1:59.46. Already he had gone farther than any other national at the Olympic Games. All that earned him was an opportunity to return in the evening at 20:44 to race again in the semi-final. The pressure was off a little. He knew what he could do.

Drawn in lane 5, he finished in 2:00.65, ahead of him the Hungarian, Lazlo Csech in 1:59.50. All was going to plan. Exactly six minutes before his semi-final, two serious contenders had already qualified for the final. Michael Phelps, the hot favourite had won in a relaxed 2:00.01, while the other American, Ryan Lochte, had coasted home in 2:01.41. Everyone was holding back for the big one. And so, the battle lines were drawn for the next day.

That's how George found himself in lane 2, poised to win the nation's first Olympic medal in swimming, and the nation's sole medal at the Games.

The race was off. Phelps grabbed the lead from the start and never relinquished it in a wire to wire win. At the end of the first 50m Lochte was back in fifth, George in sixth. At the end of the second 50m, the backstroke, George maintained his position.

Generally, George has a pretty good idea where he is in a race. As he put it, "I checked my rearview mirror." What his rearview mirror showed was that he was still in sixth position. Half of the race was over and it was time to make a move.

Checking the rearview mirror isn't the only thing on George's mind during the race. All in a flash, he considers if he is doing his stroke properly, how hard he is pushing himself, and how he judges the distance from the wall so that he can execute his turns smoothly. At the same time, he is checking out the opposition. Who's out fast, and from his experience, who's a fast finisher. In other words, George has a panoramic view of the race.

At the start of the third leg, the breaststroke, Lochte's and George's positions remain unchanged. It was on the third 50m that George made his move, swimming powerfully into second position. He traversed the third phase of the race in 33.95 seconds to move him into second spot behind the flying Phelps. Lochte remained fifth, but not for long. At this point, George seemed to have a lock on the silver. That was until Lochte made his move slicing through the last 50m, the freestyle, in 28.19 to George's 28.64.

George and Ryan Lochte were no strangers. They had swum competitively on several occasions, and George had had the better of him. Not today in the Olympic final when it counted most. Lochte's surge carried him from fifth to second, just enough to grab silver from George by two hundredths of a second.

George was on cloud nine. "That was sweet," he exulted. "I've been in a couple of world championship finals, finishing in fourth or fifth. So I'm just ecstatic about finally finishing in the top three, especially at the Olympic Games. It's just surreal; a dream come true. It's bittersweet though having been so close to second."

His Trinbago coach, Anil Roberts explained: "His freestyle hasn't been that great at this meet because of the shoulder blade. We didn't work the freestyle too much, so I was just a little worried about George getting home."

Anil's reference was to George's shoulder injury a few days before.

George's parents and coaches were ecstatic. They felt that their sacrifices for their son had been justified. Trinidad and Tobago was agog with its first medal of the Games and its first ever in swimming.

In years to come, other nationals may win Olympic medals in swimming, but George Bovell III will always be the first.

www.trinidadexpress.com

Do you recall a 2010 Guinness commercial in South Africa that featured a football scout being driven around by a young African man who took him to see a football match? During the match the ball lands by the driver, who seizes the opportunity to display a slew of phenomenal freestyle skills to everyone’s surprise. That driver’s name is Carlos Salvador Joao who was in Trinidad conducting a five-day Community Sports Clinic along with local clinical psychologist, Kamu Laird, which ended on Friday at St Mary’s Grounds.  Joao is a UK-based functional movement sports coach and media personality.  The 30-year-old is a co-producer and sports presenter at VoxAfrica, managing director of his own company “Sports Clinic and Events Ltd” and a football choreographer. Through his wide involvement in the media, Joao has been able to meet football stars such as Ronaldinho, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo to name a few.

The former Richmond College student described how his interest in freestyle football came about. “When I was about 16, there was a TV programme called Football Italia. And when the footballers were training, they always used to try to pull up little tricks in the training ground. My friends and I were all excited seeing them do those tricks so we started trying them. “But a year later most of the people I would play football with, stopped so I would start training on my own. After a while...I started concentrating a lot more on the actual manipulation of the football and that’s where my (freestyle) skills started to grow.”  Joao became so proficient in executing various freestyle tricks, that he became known for his very own “hat sliding” trick—where he would balance a football on top his head while wearing a beanie hat, then quickly remove the hat without displacing the ball. Asked if he ever considered being a professional footballer, the Manchester United/Barcelona fan admitted that he did. He even received a trial offer from English Premier League football club Arsenal, but his parents would not allow him to pursue an athletic career. “The truth is when I was younger my parents wouldn’t back me. I got called to have trials with Arsenal, Taunton, Luton but if your parents don’t let you sign up, you can’t do anything.”  The London resident suggested that some children become rebellious because they are restricted from doing what they enjoy. “When a parent doesn’t harness that (passion) and they kind of attract a child away from that, I think you have more opportunities for a child who will go off the road because they have to do something (that is) of no interest (to them).

“I think young people need to be engaged and unfortunately people can’t blame young people for getting into this that and the other, when they’re not asking ‘what it is that young people engage themselves in?’ If they’re not in anything, they’re going to do the natural thing at that age and be troublesome.”  Questioned on what advice he would give such parents who are unwilling to let their children follow athletic careers, Joao responded: “I think there definitely must be more communication because I don’t think enough parents communicate with their kids. Telling your child they’re not doing something or they’re doing something is not communicating. I don’t think children really respond (positively) to that.  “Secondly, I think parents need to understand clearly what their child really wants and if it doesn’t particularly interfere with anything, they (parents) need to question themselves on why they’re making that decision.” Despite being denied the opportunity to play professional football, Joao divulged that he is contented with the endeavours in which he is involved as he has been able to mentor and inspire many young people. Asked what was his ultimate goal in life, he said: “My goal is to do what I enjoy doing and at the same time help other people achieve what they want to do. If what I am doing, can keep me happy and alive and electric, and it’s helping the young people I’m working with or inspiring other people, then I can’t ask for anymore than that.”

-Shernice Thomas

Source: www.guardian.co.tt

Organisers of the Olympics hit back yesterday at cynics after weeks of negative headlines, saying criticism over planning mistakes and costs were being outweighed by a surge in public excitement as the gala opening ceremony nears.

Britain's famously caustic media, which have highlighted security and transport problems before the July 27-August 12 Games, also seemed to adopt a more positive stance as thousands turned out to cheer the Olympic torch relay through London.

"I think possibly what we're going through as a nation, as a city is that necessary, pre-curtain-up moment of psychological self-depression before the excitement begins on Friday when the curtain goes up," London Mayor Boris Johnson told the BBC. "The mood is perceptibly changing. People are starting to get really excited here in London about the arrival of the torch.... The last remaining clouds of dampness and Olympo-scepticism are going to be banished," he later told Sky News.

Thousands turned out in London on Saturday as the Olympic torch relay began the final leg of its journey around Britain, and yesterday the flame was carried to the top of the London Eye ferris wheel opposite Big Ben and the houses of parliament.

In the coming days, the torch will be carried around London's religious, political and royal landmarks, culminating in the lighting of the Olympic cauldron in east London.

The run-up to the Games has been dogged by weeks of rain and difficulties in recruiting enough security staff, prompting the government to draft thousands of extra army personnel to make up for the shortfall.

Transport delays also loom over the Games, with border staff planning to strike on July 26—expected to be one of the busiest days in the history of London's Heathrow airport—over job cuts and pay, and train drivers in central England set to walk out on August 6-8 in a dispute over pension contributions.

London's underground rail network, a 19th-century creation, may struggle to cope with tens of thousands of Olympic tourists.

The government and the union representing border staff yesterday appeared no closer to averting industrial action.

"People are working at breaking point. When passengers are queuing at Heathrow for four hours, they take their anger out on front-line border staff and nobody should have to work in those conditions," said union boss Mark Serwotka.

Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt gave little ground.

"Surely this is a time not for promoting an industrial grievance, but putting the country first," he said.

The spat has added to a slew of negative headlines about the Games and a raft of logistical headaches for Olympic organisers.

Writing in the Daily Mail newspaper, Sebastian Coe, chairman of the London Olympic organising committee, said the words "fiasco, chaos and crisis" had become the new currency of journalists, who describe his committee as "dysfunctional".

"Sometimes you fight back because the reportage bears no resemblance to reality.... You have the insatiable desire to start every explanation to your inquisitor with: 'Lighten up. We are staging the greatest celebration of sport'," he said.

Britain's press, however, appeared to be joining the Games bandwagon yesterday, dedicating pages to the torch relay in London and giving away special Olympic guides and supplements.

Still, jitters hang over the Games, with 2012 being the 40th anniversary of the 1972 Munich attack by Palestinian militants that killed 11 Israeli Olympic team members—a reminder of the security challenges ahead.

"This is an event that is naturally attractive, even if there aren't concrete alerts. Readiness and vigilance are required .... Things like the Munich massacre have happened in the past," Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak told reporters.

Olympic organisers on Saturday ruled out marking the anniversary of the killings at the London opening ceremony, despite campaigning by the victims' families.

For one Olympic team, security problems began before they had even left home, with the president of Libya's Olympic Committee Nabil Elalem taken from his car by gunmen in Tripoli last week, before being freed yesterday.

A colleague said he may still make it to the Games.

Pope Benedict, speaking during his regular Sunday address, said he hoped the London Games —the first in the British capital since 1948—would foster world peace.

"I pray that, in the spirit of the Olympic truce, the goodwill generated by this international sporting event may bear fruit, promoting peace and reconciliation throughout the world."

Source: www.trinidadexpress.com

T&T netballers thrilled supporters in their final match of the Americas Federation of Netball Associations (AFNA) Championships against Jamaica but it was the “Sunshine Girls”, who emerged with the win, 60-40, to cop the title after playing unbeaten in the week-long event.
This was at the Jean Pierre Complex, Mucurapo on Saturday night. It was the second straight loss for the “Calypso Girls”, who on the Friday evening suffered their other defeat at the hands of Barbados, 59-48. Despite the result, coach Jennifer Frank saw some positives, as T&T held the rampant Jamaicans to their lowest score of the nine-team competition. “After the defeat yesterday (Friday), we went home and we regrouped,” said Frank. “The players had a meeting and they talked it out among themselves. It was a healthy discussion and they came back today with energy and it worked for us. “What we tried to do was keep possession, make less mistakes and you saw the effort from them in trying to keep possession of the ball. Our goal too, was to slow Jamaica scoring rate. We tried not to have them speed up the game.”

The local team had no intention of being railroaded by the Jamaicans, who were ruthless against all other competitors and that was obvious from the start, trailing by just four (12-8) in the first period. Shooting duo Anastascia Wilson and Joelise Cooper opened in the circle for T&T and battled with the toughest defenders of the event, Sasha-Gaye Lynch (goal-keeper)  and Malysha Kelly (goal-defence).
They made it difficult for Wilson to get going as both defenders were all over her when she attempted to get the ball or even take a shot.
It didn’t get any better for Wilson in the second session and when a timeout was called after 10 minutes, she was replaced by veteran shooter Janelle Barker, who used her experienced to out- think the Jamaican defenders. Her keen positioning forced them to cause a number of infringements of which she took full advantage, getting T&T to within two (20-18) with three minutes left in the second session.

At that point Jamaican coach Oberon Pitterson-Nattie called a timeout. The break clearly disrupted T&T flow as in the final minutes of the period, T&T did not score, going in at the half with an eight-goal (26-18) deficit. Jamaica stayed out front in the third session, outscoring the host  15-9, thanks to the efforts of goal-shooter Jhaneile Fowler and Anna-Kay Griffiths, the goal-attack, to lead 41-29 to start the final stanza. Wilson, who was a shadow of herself from earlier matches, returned to the court with under six minutes left in the fourth session. By then Jamaica had gone ahead by 15 goals (50-35). T&T defensive unit of goal-keeper Alicia Liverpool and goal-defence Crystal George tried their best to limit the Jamaican shooters while on the other end, Cooper and Wilson guided T&T to a reasonable score. But when time expired, it was Jamaica claiming 20-goal victory and the gold medals.

Results

T&T 40 (Anastascia Wilson 6/8, Janelle Barker 11/1,  Joelisa Cooper 12/18) vs Jamaica 60 (Jhaneile Fowler 40/44, Anna-Kay Griffiths 20/25). Quarter scores 12-8, 26-18, 41-29 (Jamaica).

Guyana 34 (Angeline McCarty 31/42, Renee Anderson 1/2, Adele Chalmers 2/2) vs Bermuda 68 (Danielle Raynor 57/63, Marissa Wainwright 11/16). Quarter scores: 18-9, 39-19, 56-27 (Bermuda).

Canada 59 (Cherry Nickie 46/54,Sabrina Versteeg 13/19) vs USA 41 (Swasha Shaw 16/20, Camille Henry 21/25, Tasha Brown 1/1, Natalie Hosang 3/3). Quarter scores: 13-9, 30-23, 48-32 (Canada).

Barbados 54 (Shonica Wharton 3/5, Nikita Piggott 31/35, Laurel Browne 20/27) vs St Lucia 28 (Joanne Anderson 1/3, Shem Maxwell 19/27, Glatta Gabriel 1/1, Indira Laurencin 7/8).  Quarter scores: 17-8, 29-15, 44-18 (Barbados).

STANDINGS
Team P W L D GF GA GDif Pts
Jamaica 8 8 0 0 688 182 506 16
Barbados 8 7 1 0 567 256 311 14
T&T 8 6 2 0 543 255 288 12
St Lucia 8 5 3 0 402 345 57 10
Canada 8 4 4 0 336 377 -41 8
USA 8 3 5 0 328 395 -67 6
Grenada 8 2 6 0 288 484 -196 4
Bermuda 8 1 7 0 263 567 -304 2
Guyana 8 0 8 0 154 708 -554 0

-Rachael Thompson-King

www.guardian.co.tt

Trinidad and Tobago's Renny Quow finished fifth in the men's 400 metres event at the Cork City Sports meet, in Ireland, on Tuesday. The 2009 World Championship bronze medallist clocked 46.66 seconds.

The race was dominated by Rabah Yousif, the Sudanese runner getting home in 45.30 seconds for a huge cushion on American Manteo Mitchell, the runner-up in 46.27. Ireland's Brian Gregan (46.29) and Great Britain's Jarryd Dunn (46.53) finished third and fourth, respectively.

Quow is preparing for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England. At the 2008 Games, in Beijing, China, he advanced all the way to the men's one-lap final, finishing seventh in the championship race in 45.22 seconds.

One month before his Beijing campaign, Quow dived under 45 seconds for the first time in his career, clocking 44.89 for second spot at a meet in Barcelona, Spain.

This season, though, Quow has not enjoyed the same type of success. His best 2012 clocking to date came at the Jamaica International Invitational, the 24-year-old quarter-miler finishing second in 45.48 seconds.

Quow's next best clocking this season, 45.60, was produced in the National Open Track and Field Championship final. However, he surrendered his title in that race, finishing second to Lalonde Gordon (45.40).

In London, Gordon, Quow and 19-year-old Deon Lendore will represent T&T in the men's 400m. In the National Championship final, Lendore (45.74) copped third spot.

-Kwame Laurence

Source: www.trinidadexpress.com

Four-time Olympic medal winner Ato Jabari Boldon paid a visit to the Olympic House yesterday. Only 2 other men in history, have won as many Olympic individual event sprint medals. He is the current national record holder in the 50, 60 and 200 metres events with times of 5.64, 6.49 and 19.77 seconds respectively. He also held the 100m national record at 9.86, having run it four times, until Richard Thompson ran 9.85 on August 13, 2011. He also holds the Commonwealth Games record in the 100 m.