FORMER Olympian, Hasely Crawford, who won the Men’s100-Metre dash at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada, has cleared the air on circulating rumours that he wanted to be Trinidad and Tobago’s only gold medallist.

During a Sunday Newsday interview on Thursday at his home in Federation Park, St James, Crawford responded to critics, whom he claimed, said that he wanted to be the country’s only gold medallist, following Keshorn Walcott’s overwhelming success in the recently-concluded Olympic Games in London, United Kingdom.

Walcott, 19, of Trois Roche village, Toco, did the country proud when he attained a gold medal in the javelin competition at the Games with a record- breaking throw of 84.58 metres. He became T&T’s second gold medallist after some 36 years.

Deeply upset by the statement, Crawford, who has been a long-standing member of the National Amateur Athletic Association (NAAA), said he had sat down for lengthy periods with other members of the association’s executive to try to develop track and field in this country over the years.

“Late in the night in Couva we have been planning for the Olympic Games (London). Is that someone who wanted to be the only gold medallist?” he asked.

“Wanting to be the only gold medallist is of no value to me. If I was getting millions of dollars for that, of course.”

If he had wanted to be T&T’s sole gold medallist, Crawford said, “It would be an indication that we were not doing something right if we cannot produce a medallist after 36 years. It upsets me. That is so far from the truth,” he said of the statement.

Crawford, who turned 62 on Thursday, said he had also followed and supported the careers of sprinters Darrel Brown, Marc Burns, Richard Thompson and others over the last decade

“Most of them never came for advice in the way they should but I made sure I was there for them. Is that a person who want to stay the only gold medallist?” he asked.

Crawford, who had attended the London Olympics, said it was joy to see Walcott perform in the javelin toss against some of the world’s heavyweights.

The former Olympian said he later instructed permanent secretary in the Ministry of Sport, Ashwin Creed and NAAA President, Ephraim Serette, to prepare for the country’s next gold medallist.

“A lot of people did not expect him to win but everything went in his favour, including the breeze, when he threw. Is as though God was in this thing,” he said.

Crawford added, “The Olympic Games is a spiritual thing. To win a gold, the mental, spiritual and physical must become one at that moment. It happened on that day for Keshorn.”

He added, “When you are competing you evoke a spirit. It’s a fact. Here it is a junior ,19, the world record holder and you beat them (European athletes). You telling me there is no spirit in that?” he asked.

By COREY CONNELLY

Source: www.newsday.co.tt