GAMES

"It's a wonderful feeling, knowing that I put my name out there. People should know who I am now."

Before the 2012 Olympic Games started, Lalonde Gordon was certainly not a household name.

That changed at the Olympic Stadium, here in London, England, last night, the 23-year-old becoming only the second athlete from Trinidad and Tobago to earn Olympic precious metal in the 400 metres event.

Gordon got home in 44.52 seconds in the men's one-lap final to secure bronze, joining 1964 silver medallist Wendell Mottley in what is now an elite club of two.

Kirani James became Grenada's first ever Olympic medallist. The 19-year-old achieved the feat in style, striking gold in a personal best 43.94 seconds, becoming the first non-American to dive under 44 seconds.

"I'm very proud for me," said James, "very proud for my country, and everyone who's affiliated to my country and me. Words can't explain. There's probably a huge street party going on right now."

Another teenager, 18-year-old world junior champion Luguelin Santos picked up silver for the Dominican Republic in 44.46.

Gordon's bronze completed a Caribbean sweep of the medals.

Gordon was drawn in lane four for the final, while James was in five. The Grenadian pulled away from Gordon on the back straight, and dominated the field coming home. Gordon, though, was strong enough towards the end of the race to battle with Santos for silver, holding off the rest of the field in the process.

"The last 60/50 metres, I knew I had it. I had the bronze medal."

Gordon told the Express he was very grateful to his coach, Trevor Green.

"Believing in God, my coach and his training—tonight it paid off. A dream come true. It's just a wonderful feeling to be an Olympic medallist."

After the race, an exhausted Gordon stooped on the track, before draping a T&T flag across his shoulders and enjoying a celebration very few had anticipated.

With his 44.52 personal best in the championship race, New York-based Gordon moved into second spot on the all-time T&T performance list.

In Sunday's semifinal round, the Lowlands, Tobago quartermiler won the opening heat in 44.58 to move into joint-third with Patrick Delice. Yesterday, he pulled away from Delice and edged past Renny Quow (44.53). Gordon now has his sights set on bettering the 44.21 seconds national record, established by Ian Morris in the semifinal round at the 1992 Olympics, in Barcelona, Spain.

"If I have any more meets after the Olympics, I hope to take it. If not, maybe next year."

Dexter Voisin, the T&T track and field manager here in London, was very pleased with Gordon's performance.

"Lalonde is an expressionless type of athlete. In his own subtle way, he would have decided to come and give 100 per cent in all rounds."

Gordon's mother, Cynthia Cupid, is also in London.

"I started crying," she told the Express.

"I know he's a great runner. He has a lot of potential. Lalonde needs a lot of support. He can get much better."

Gordon's next Olympic assignment is the 4x400m relay. The team, though, will have to do without Quow.

The 2009 World Championship bronze medallist pulled out of the individual 400m event, here in London, with a hamstring injury. He has since returned to his training base in the United States for treatment.

Though Quow's absence is a big blow to the team, Gordon is still targeting a podium finish.

"We have a good chance at medalling," he declared.

But whether or not the 4x400 men finish in the top three, Gordon will leave London with precious metal, his 400m bronze taking T&T's all-time Olympic medal tally to 15.

By Kwame Laurence

Source: www.trinidadexpress.com

21-year-old Phillip ready for battle with Kenny in men's sprint

The world may have tuned into the 100m final on the running track at the London Olympics, where Trinidad and Tobago finished seventh with Richard Thompson but the tiny island nation has little cycling history, especially at the Olympics Games. Today however, spectators will watch as the young Trinidad and Tobago sprinter goes up against Great Britain's Jason Kenny in the men's sprint.

Track cyclists from the country have competed at past Games but it would seem that Njisane Nicholas Phillip may be one of the country’s biggest hopes for the track in the coming years. The men’s sprint competitor is the sole track entrant at these Games and says "I feel like a VIP," according to The Associated Press.

Phillip has progressed into the semi finals of the individual sprint where he will come up against current Olympic recorder holder and Great Britain's gold medal hope, Jason Kenny. The young rider came up against the now popular German Robert Forstermann who, thanks to a photo on Twitter, has become one of the sport’s most recognised sprinters - at least concerning his quad muscle size.

Despite a lacking in funding from his country’s federation, which focuses its resources on the track and field, Phillip's has been able to receive the kind of high performance training necessary for him to be a real force at these Games. There is a joint agreement with the United States which has meant that some of Phillip’s time has been spent with US Cycling’s track coach Jamie Staff.

"He's a very, very talented kid, just raw talent," Staff said. "The tactics just come naturally."

"He's a racer, I know what he's capable of and some days in training I'll be like, 'What was that?!"

While Phillip is unlikely to beat the former world champion Kenny in the semi finals, his biggest goal - making it to the Games - has already been achieved.

"I've already made it here, so I'm happy with that," he said.

By: Cycling News

Source: www.cyclingnews.com

A man has been arrested after a bottle was thrown on to the track seconds before the start of the men's 100 metres final at the Olympic Stadium.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said a man had been heard shouting abuse and was then seen throwing a bottle.

The suspect is being held in police custody at an East London police station on suspicion of causing a public nuisance.

The bottle landed behind the sprinters (pictured top), coming to a halt a few feet behind Jamaican Yohan Blake, the eventual silver medallist, in lane five.

The sound of the item landing just behind athletes, including eventual winner Usain Bolt, could be heard on video footage just after the starter told the runners to "set".

United States athlete Justin Gatlin, who won bronze, said the bottle had been a "little distraction".

Nobody was injured and the event was not disrupted, police confirmed.

Speaking after the race, Gatlin said: "I didn't know what it was, but when you're in those blocks and the whole stadium's quiet you can hear a pin drop."

Gatlin said the incident had not affected the race: "You just have to block it out and go out there and do what you got to do.

"You can't complain about that, the race went on and it was a great race."

Bolt, from Jamaica, told reporters he had been unaware of the incident and said: "I don't know who would have done that."


Blake added: "I was so focused on just running to the line I didn't see anything."

Dutch judo bronze medallist Edith Bosch claimed on Twitter that she had "beaten" the person who had thrown the bottle.

She said: "A drunken spectator threw a bottle onto the track! I HAVE BEATEN HIM... unbelievable".

One spectator wrote on Twitter: "Man in front of me threw bottle onto track just at start! Had to be wrestled off..."

Another said: "So a drunk p---- actually threw a bottle onto the track as 100m started! He got punched by Dutch judo bronze medallist Edith Bosch tho".

"A man was arrested inside the Olympic Stadium on suspicion of causing a public nuisance on the evening of Sunday, 5 August," said a Scotland Yard spokesman.

"The man had been heard to shout abuse and then throw a plastic bottle on to the track immediately prior to the start of the men's 100m final.

"He remains in custody at an East London police station."

A London 2012 spokesman commented: "We are aware of the incident and are looking into it."

By Mike Rowbottom at the Olympic Stadium in London

Source: www.insidethegames.biz