Sprinting into history

IT IS a credit to the Caricom region that we have again produced a clutch of world-class sprinters. Previously, Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica were predominant in this regard but yesterday little St Kitts-Nevis joined the big league when Kim Collins sped to victory in the 100 metre finals at the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Paris. The results emphasised the fresh predominance of the region's sprinters as Collins edged out TT's 18-year-old star Darryl Brown by a mere one tenth of a second. Both West Indian "pacemen" in fact made history at these championship games. Collins, already the Commonwealth sprint king, yesterday took the world title from Maurice Greene who pulled up lame in the semis.

The tall slim Kittitian, benefiting from an excellent start on the inside lane, led from start to finish. Brown, who didn't come off the blocks as quickly, showed his class by getting ahead of the rest of the field. The 100m finals, in fact, demonstrated once more the vital importance of getting a good start and it seems to us that Darryl will have to concentrate some more on improving this aspect of his performance. It seemed to us that had Darryl gotten a better start, the results of the race may well have been different. In any case, our contratulations go to the two sprinters who made the people of our region proud by beating the rest of the world yesterday. Apart from his Silver Medal in this premier event, Darryl made history in Paris in two impressive ways. At 18, he is the first World Junior Sprint Champion to reach the 100m finals at the world open championships. And in winning the quarter finals on Sunday he clocked the spectacular time of 10.01 seconds which was not only the fastest run at the Paris championships but also smashed the world junior record for the distance, 10.06, held by Englishman Dwain Chambers.

Yesterday's finals, seen by millions across the globe, sets the stage for a fascinating rivalry between the world's two leading sprinters who happen to come from the Caribbean. Also, Darryl's performance in Paris proved a continuing fulfilment of the promise that TT's world class teenaged sprinter has shown since he began winning medals at home and the region. His 10.01 now places him second on TT's list of all-time great sprinting achievements, behind the 9.86 of Ato Boldon who failed to make the Paris finals and ahead of 1976 Olympic gold medallist Hasely Crawford's 10.06. We may have another reason to be particularly proud of Darryl's achievement in the French capital yesterday. He achieved his world class status as a sprinter based largely on his training at home where the facilities and level of professional coaching can hardly be considered of the highest standard. So we can safely hail him as a home-grown hero. Earlier this year, Darryl entered Auburn University in the USA where he will now have some of the world's best coaches to help him. At 18, his achievements are already remarkable. In his new competitive environment and assisted by top class coaching and facilities, the young TT sprinter can only get better. The absolute conquest of the athletic world is virtually at his feet, beginning, hopefully, with the Athens Olympics next year.