ASAFA POWELL, co-holder of the record for being the fastest man on earth, has become uncharacteristically vocal over the past week. We can understand the reasons for this, but we believe it is not such a good thing.
It is out of character - not just for Asafa, but for Jamaican sportsmen and sportswomen, generally.
We hope that Asafa has not been taken in by the misguided advice recently offered by Michael Johnson, the retired United States Olympian, who suggested that the Jamaican was 'too quiet' and should be more outspoken.
At the risk of being considered culturally deterministic, we believe that this indicates a fundamental difference in disposition between athletes from the two countries who have competed for decades in producing the world's greatest sprinters.
It has not been the way of Jamaican athletes to emulate their American counterparts who celebrate victory with a swagger of invincibility and a pounding of the chest. Sadly, in too many cases when there is not a win to celebrate, the reaction has been an excuse rather than a concession to the fact that the winner was better.
The Jamaican way - and the mould into which Asafa has fitted until a few days ago - has been a more understated acknowledgement to coaches, friends and family, and sometimes gratitude for spiritual guidance, followed by acknowledgement that the competition was good. In cases where there is no win, the winner generally is graciously congratulated in a spirit of genuine sportsmanship.
We offer no value judgements on these differing attitudes. We make the distinctions as a warning to Asafa, and to any sportsmen or sportswomen who may be taken in by
Mr. Johnson's misplaced advice that is apparently born of a fundamental lack of understanding of the Jamaican disposition.
Ironically, in a typically colourful Jamaican manner, Asafa, in congratulating Justin Gatlin when it was thought that the American had set a new 100m record, had said that Gatlin has simply 'borrowed' the record.
That should be enough. Asafa is overdoing it with references to Mr. Gatlin being a likely 'coward' if the American pulls out of a sprinting match at the impending meet at Gateshead. We do not believe that Mr. Gatlin is a coward. He has raced against all comers, and has his gold medals to show his mettle.
We would advise Asafa to return to his calm disposition that has done him well in the past. He should preserve his emotional energies for running, and not waste them in uncharacteristic verbal battles with his competition.
Hyperbole is not the track on which Asafa should run. He should let his legs do the talking.
THE OPINIONS ON THIS PAGE, EXCEPT FOR THE ABOVE, DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE GLEANER.
