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Twenty-year-old 400 metre rising star, Machel Cedenio, might need a really big truck to hold his gang of new fans, as the young first-time Olympian now represents Trinidad and Tobago’s last chance of an individual track medal at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Michelle-Lee Ahye became the second athlete in red, black and white gear to advance to an Olympic final, as she faced the starter’s gun in the 100 metre final last night. But, like shot putter Cleopatra Borel, Ahye’s best was not good enough to get on the podium in a supremely gifted field, as she finished sixth.
(Courtesy Sean Morrison/Wired868)
According to the quality of your liming partners, this may or may not mean that she should burn her boots and take up water polo.
Mr Live Wire would love to give such bandwagonist “sport fans” a chance to try water polo. While wearing concrete shoes. With no lifeguard on duty.
So it has been a comparatively lean tournaments so far for Trinidad and Tobago.
Blame the likes of retired icon Ato Boldon and ageing Richard “Torpedo” Thompson, who ensured that the tiny two island republic had a competitive showing in three of the last five Olympics. And, arguably, provided unrealistic expectations for sport fans.
For a dose of reality, consider that the UK invests upwards of £260 million on its own Olympic programme with a cost, according to the UK Telegraph, of roughly £4.6 million of taxpayers’ money per medal.
Now Mr Live Wire isn’t saying that Finance Minister Colm Imbert—or whoever does the real work while Sport Minister Darryl Smith is cutting ribbons—should necessarily try to emulate anything like that investment.
(Courtesy Sean Morrison/Wired868)
We just think that if you give an athlete a dozens bricks and ask him to build a mansion… Well, maybe it isn’t the athlete who is the failure when, occasionally, he or she can only come up with an outhouse.
But back to Rio.
Trinidad and Tobago super heavyweight boxer, Nigel Paul, lost by knockout in the round of 16 against Nigeria’s Efe Ajagba. And there were more than a few compatriots who probably knew exactly how the flattened boxer felt.
Kelly-Ann Baptiste (100 m) and Deon Lendore (400 m) could not get past the heats while Semoy Hackett (100 m) and Lalonde Gordon (400 m) got only as far as the semifinal round.
It was worse in the 100 metre showpiece event as all three men’s sprinters, Richard “Torpedo” Thompson, Rondel Sorrillo and Keston Bledman, failed to advance past the first round.
(Courtesy Sean Morrison/Wired868)
Mr Live Wire blames the Trinidad and Tobago Customs. Because while we’re turning Jamaicans away from a side at Piarco, Bahrain and Turkey giving them passports and spikes!
Kemarley Brown and Andrew Fisher will both represent Bahrain in the 100 metre semifinals while Jak Ali Harvey—dude went “balls in” and changed his name from Jacques Montgomery Harvey—will fly Turkey’s flag in the same event.
New rule for Customs: If a Jamaican can get out the airport door in under 10 seconds, he can stay!
The IOC is obviously much more lax about this sort of thing than our Immigration Division; and the result is that six Jamaicans will line up in the Rio 2016 Olympics 100 metre semifinals, representing three different countries.
The entire Caribbean should feel more than a tinge of pride in the performance of 24-year-old Jamaican upstart, Elaine Thompson, who gatecrashed her compatriot Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s party to become the Olympic 100 metre women’s champion.
Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson celebrates winning the Women’s 100m Final at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro on 13 August 2016.
Trinidad and Tobago’s Michelle-Lee Ahye is second from left.
(Copyright: AFP 2016/Franck Fife)
Fraser-Pryce was aiming to become the first woman to win three successive Olympic golds in the same event.
Maybe, at 8pm tonight, Cedenio will also steal the spotlight for himself and his country. Bear in mind though that his current personal best of 44.34 would not have even won him a medal at the 2015 World Championships.
Grenadian gentleman and defending Olympic champion Kirani James, South Africa’s World Champion Wayde Van Niekerk and American contender LaShawn Merritt are the favourites.
Cedenio is one for the future. So let’s not crush him with impractical forecasts just yet.
But, at the same time, Live Wire will be watching with his “Friends and Dem” and hoping young Machel can “Jumbie” his more experienced rivals “Like ah Boss” with “Endless Wuk” and become the “Happiest Man Alive”.
Fog them up, Cedenio! Fog them up!
(Courtesy: Sean Morrison/Wired868)
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Mr. Live Wire is an avid news reader who translates media reports for persons who can handle the truth. And satire. Unlike Jack Nicholson, he rarely yells.
http://earnwithinvite.com/index.php?ref=201465
It’s wonderful , to see this topic . we always love trinidad and want to be there for u all , likewise u to we (jamaica) . we can work together to build the Caribbean, that we all love .the young man in the 400 and the tatoo girl in the 100 done Trinidad good and I believed that if they were training in Jamaica it would make a big different in the game but one thing I can say we always love Trinidad and always do. From Jamaica.
OK Kwame Laurence spoke to Sorrillo and Thompson:
Sorrillo: “Being in lane one by yourself, it’s harder to run fast, but it was a pretty good run. I didn’t feel like I eased up. I wasn’t sure where I was, and was scared to look over. I was pretty much trying to stay in the zone and in the moment. If I had looked I probably would have been able to gauge better and would have leaned.”
Thompson: “I gave a disappointing performance,” Thompson told the Sunday Express. “It’s been a very hard season for me. To be honest, early on this year I had a lot of injuries, but by Senior Champs I had found my legs. After Senior Champs, there’s maybe a two-week period that I had a hamstring injury and was unable to do any work on the track for about two weeks.
“But I don’t want to make that an excuse,” the three-time Olympic silver medallist continued, “because in reality, leading up to the Games I had some really good sessions. The times that I hit in some of the runs was an indicator that I was ready to come here and run well. Ato (Boldon) was excited about what he was seeing. I was excited about what I was seeing and feeling. Unfortunately, it didn’t come together today.”
Love your writing style
Thanks
Lol
Oh man, I would love to be in that TTO room with Cedenio and the coaches studying the 400M heats and semi-final races as they strategize. Well, I hope they are, at least!
I hope Van Niekerk and Drugsmerrit don’t spoil a Caribbean connection as the late great Merchant once sang about lol
That would be as sweet as the song!
Well done again Lasana. Darryl Smith cutting ribbons while our athletes suffer. Buh you eh notice he only getting fatter and fatter because he eh have shit all to do but eat and send congratulatory messages to sportsmen he never help. Typical excuse ” I can”t interfere” but nothing doh interfere with he stomach doh. Let’s keep up the support for our athletes while the rest of the government on a “well earned” vacation.
Interesting article… but I don’t understand the “OUT AH TIMING” part about our “CUSTOMS & IMMIGRATION” ..no relevance to the topic at hand!
It’s not meant to be taken literally Sherwin. That’s the style of the column. To raise ideas and poke at serious stuff with a bit of humour.
The issues are real but they are dealt with in an intentionally light manner.
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport/Now-that-they-re-not-running-for-Jamaica_70596
Lester Logie..read and understood..but in my openion we need to see about our own before we even consider importing ! besides THE “IMPORTED” ATHLETE’S COUNTRY WILL STILL HAVE A CLAIM TO THE VICTORY…IT’S JUST NOT THE SAME. MY NATIONAL PRIDE DON’T ALLOW ME TO SUBSCRIBE TO THAT OPTION…ESPECIALLY WITH THIS GIVEN RELATIONSHIP STATUS WITH THAT OTHER COUNTRY.(NO OFFENCE)
I don’t think Lasana is talking about importing either. Satire was used to highlight our problem with Immigration and our Caribbean neighbours
Harsh reality with a spoonful of sugar. 😉
Yes, indeed…and just how we Trinbagonians love it! Thanks for always whetting our appetite with your “sweet-hand” articles 😀
I also hope people read carefully the part about Machel PB. Even though he’s running very well and I’m excited to have him in the final..unless those other guys make some huge mistakes it will take a miracle for a medal. Kirani ran his semi in 44.02 I think and he wasn’t even breathing hard. So he going and buss a 43 something tonight.
Yes. I will be screaming him on and hoping for that miracle. It’s out job as supporters. But we have to be realistic when we analyse how they did.
An if we don’t get the miracle I will rejoice with Grenada yes! We have to keep it in the family
Kirani is one of my favourite athletes. He is as brilliant and noble as his compatriot Braveboy is sickening. Lol
Haha. She really gives Grenada a bad name yes! But if anybody deserves to hold on to his title it’s Kirani James. That guy has been so consistent in the last 4 years. And humble and focused. Plus a great inspiration to his compatriot Taplin. I want salt for Merritt tonight yes?
Yep. If it can’t be Machel, then I’d want the Grenadians to do the business. But Machel first of course!
Agree with you Lasana. Trini first, Caribbean second.
Thanks for breaking it down. 6 Jamaicans! Wow. Jamaicans are such a proud people you just know that even though they running under somebody flag their heart still belongs to Jamaica. I wonder how the Bahrain and Turkey public feel about them? I’m guessing they glad Jamaica putting them on the sprint map.
RMILF,
As far as you are aware, did any of them earn his place in the dead of night at the expense of a young Bahraini or Turk who had a reasonable expectation of earning that place?
Did any of them declare that he’s a Jamaican at heart when he’s out there on the track?
Did any of them behave like a Dick?
So I’m guessing you’re right about how the Bahrainis and Turks feel. However, I’m much more interested to know how the Jamaicans feel. And I’d be even more interested in that question if, perish the thought, one of them should be the one responsible for denying Lightning Bolt the chance to set the incredibly enviable record of doing the double – the triple? – three times in a row.
I think it is unlikely that any of those Jamaicans will medal, much less deny Bolt… But if one of them gets on the podium…
That would be VERY interesting. Maybe it would make Jamaica look closer at its own selection of athletes.
I’m just ruminating. In no way implying that the Jamaicans on those teams make any of the “dick moves”. It’s really a testament to how prolific Jamaican sprinters have become that those that may not have been good enough to make a Jamaican national team could be lapped up by other countries and STILL end up reaching so far. And like you I’m pretty certain that none of them have a chance at shutting out Bolt. As to how the Jamaican public feels I’m fairly certain that even though these guys competing for Bahrain and Turkey, the Jamaicans love them all the same. I would too if we had so much overflowing talent we could export?
??
Really thought-provoking and humorous articles all the time.
Ahye 6th in the world and Cleo 7th in the world….how many TnT nationals can say they gave a top 8 in the world performance…..the police, the health sector, judiciary, regional corporation,..etc….? Well done ladies…Machel is in the finals and I realistically expect a credible performance so he is already a boss…
Good point I think.
1 2 3 for the Caribbean in the men’s 400 m.
I’ll say it again – LiveWire is da bomb!
Love you too bad yes Mr. Livewire???
Haha
Nice work again Sean-miguel Morrison 😉
Thanks bro
Yeah those are some boss shots!