A section of the training facility at the University of Technology (UTech) in St. Andrew.
-Ricardo Makyn photo
Howard Campbell, Gleaner Writer
FIFTY-SIX years after Arthur Wint won Jamaica's first gold medal at the Olympic Games in London, England, sprinter Veronica Campbell made a golden run in the 200 metres in Athens, Greece. It was Jamaica's fourth individual gold medal at sport's greatest showpiece.
On Friday, two days after winning the 200 metres, Campbell anchored the 4x100 metres to victory to become only the second Jamaican since George Rhoden in 1952 to win two gold medals at an Olympic Games. But how possible would victory have been for Campbell, a former Vere Technical High School student, had she not earned a scholarship to a United States college where so many Jamaican athletes have developed their skills?
Not very far, says Bertland Cameron, the former Jamaica Olympian and 400 metres world champion.
"I don't think it would be possible. Looking around there's not much here for an athlete like Veronica Campbell," Mr. Cameron told The Sunday Gleaner. "And it's not just the (lack of adequate) facilities, it's the coaches... they don't want to share their knowledge with each other to make things better."
Mr. Cameron, along with other Jamaicans including Grace Jackson, Merlene Ottey and Raymond Stewart, attended American colleges during the 1980s. He got a scholarship to the University of Texas at El Paso shortly after leaving St. Jago High School; within two years he won the 400 metres at the World Championship in Helsinki, Finland and was favourite for the event at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
He stressed that college in the U.S. opens new doors for the foreign athlete.
"When you're an elite athlete you train and go to class, you don't have to worry about things like transportation and food. There are quality meets weekly and a psychologist who travels with the team to make sure the athletes are focused," Mr. Cameron explained. He added that until Jamaica puts similar systems in place, he would encourage young athletes to take up scholarships abroad.
SPORTS PROGRAMME
The local sports programme is a far cry from the one in neighbouring Cuba, the only Caribbean country with a stronger Olympic record than Jamaica's. Cuba has produced world beaters like boxer Teofilo Stevenson, quarter-milers Alberto Juantoreno and Ana Quirot and high jumper Javier Sotamayor, all of whom benefited from their country's state-funded training regimen.
In Jamaica, land of the Helsinki Four (Arthur Wint, George Rhoden, Herb McKenley and Les Laing), Donald Quarrie and Merlene Ottey, there are only four all-weather tracks (two at the National Stadium in Kingston, one at G.C. Foster College in Spanish Town and another at Catherine Hall in Montego Bay) that meet international standards and training facilities are generally inadequate. Mr. Cameron says it is little surprise Jamaica lags behind Cuba when it comes to nurturing talent.
"You tell me, how many athletes training in Jamaica have ever won a medal for this country?" was his challenging question.
