Members of Grenada's Olympic Team in London

Team Grenada opens pre-Olympic Games camp in Sunderland

by Michael Bascombe

SUNDERLAND, UK, July 3, 2012 – Members of the Grenada team for the Olympics Games in London have begun assembling for the first of two camps which officially opened on Monday.

Three athletes - Kurt Felix (Decathlon), Joel Redhead (200m), Neisha Bernard-Thomas (800m) – moved into Sunderland University for a pre-Olympic Games training camp.

They were also joined by chef de mission Conrad Francis, national coach Albert Joseph, and Felix’ coach Jeff Petersmeyer.

They will spend the next week training at the University’s modern facilities in preparation for the Games opening on July 27.

The other members of the team – Rondell Bartholomew (400m), Kirani James (400m), Kanika Beckles (400m), Paul Williams (100m), Janelle Williams (200m) and Esau Simpson (swimmer) - will join the camp on July 11 at the Broadbridge Heath Leisure centre near Horsham District in West Sussex. Andrea St. Bernard (Taekwondo) will join the team on July 25.

Simpson will be the first among his team members to see competitive action. The swimming competition starts on July 28 while track and field and taekwondo begin on August 3 and 8 respectively.

Grenada's Athletic Chief confident of 4x400m Relay Team

File Photo/Bascombe

by Michael Bascombe

ST GEORGE’S, June 14, 2012 – The Grenada Athletics Association (GAA) is pulling out all stops to ensure that a 4x400m Relay team qualifies for the Olympic Games in London.

In the most recent Best Relay Performances issued by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), Grenada is 20^th among the top relay teams. However, only the top 16 teams will qualify for the Games, opening on July 27.

The IAAF will announce the 16 teams to qualify on July 3, based on the aggregate of the two fastest times achieved in the qualification period of January 1, 2011 to July 2, 2012.

Officials of the GAA and the Grenada Olympic Committee (GOC) have been discussing with Grenadian quarter-milers the possibility of entering a relay team for the 2012 Sagicor Trinidad and Tobago’s Senior Track and Field Championships at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port-of-Spain next weekend.

World 400m champion Kirani James, along with finalist Rondell Bartholomew, Bralon Taplin and Joel Redhead are the athletes who are expected to make the trip to Trinidad.

Bartholomew, who has not run competitively for the season and Taplin are also expected to compete in the individual 400 metres.

President of the GAA, Charles George is confident that Grenada’s 4x400m relay team will be in the top 16 by the July 2 deadline.

“This is our best opportunity but hinges on the availability of our top athletes,” he said. “As it is, that is a possibility since Rondell (Bartholomew) has indicated his availability for competition coming off an injury”.

Taplin, who has Grenadian roots, is a new entry to the relay team but will be attempting to lower his personal best of 45.36 seconds. His target is to better the Olympic “A” Standard of 45.30.

George said that the GAA has been in regular contact with both James and Bartholomew along with their coaches and agents but declined to give specifics. He said that it is customary for the association (GAA) to keep in constant contact with the athletes and their management team, and especially in the lead up to major events like the World Championships and Olympics.

At the Penn Relays in Philadelphia in April, the team of Redhead, James, Kevin Bowen and Keron Toussaint was 12^th overall in 3:08.85. James had a second-leg split of 43.8 seconds.

Seven athletes have already qualified for the London Olympics. They are James (Men’s 400m), Bartholomew (Men’s 400m), Kanika Beckles (Women’s 400m), Redhead (Men’s 200m), Kurt Felix (Men’s Decathlon), Janelle Redhead (Women’s 200m) and Neisha Bernard-Thomas (Women’s 800m).

The team will also include Andrea St Bernard (Taekwondo) and Esau Simpson with a wildcard in swimming.

Grenada’s sprinters hoping grass training brings first Olympic medals

Photo illustration of Grenada's medal hopefuls

by Scott Cacciola – The Wall Street Journal

At Olympic competitions, the reigning world champion typically faces gold-medal expectations. But Kirani James, world champion in the 400-meter sprint, needs only to win a bronze medal in London this summer to ignite what would be the most spirited sports celebration in the history of his homeland, the Caribbean island of Grenada.

Since launching its first Olympic team at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, Grenada has never won an Olympic medal, coming closest in 2004 when Alleyne Francique finished fourth in the men's 400 meters in Athens. This year, Grenada boasts not only the world champion 400-meter sprinter; it's also sending to the Games a runner who last year posted the third-fastest time in the event.

How a nation of 110,000—roughly the equivalent of Peoria, Ill.,—produced two world-class 400-meter sprinters is a mystery. But many in Grenadian running circles point to the same factor: a cultural tradition of training on grass. This training method, which is now being widely praised, was actually foisted on the country's current Olympians by accident: When Hurricane Ivan struck the island in 2004, it destroyed its only synthetic track, leaving its young athletes with little choice. "Running on grass makes you stronger," said Francique, the retired Olympian who now coaches track at Texas A&M.

Of the world's 204 countries, about 80 have never won an Olympic medal. The medal-less hail from Asia (Cambodia), Africa (Liberia), the Middle East (Jordan), Europe (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Central and South America (El Salvador and Bolivia).

But each Summer Games, four or five countries usually reach the podium for the first time, and this year no nation is better positioned to do that than Grenada, a country best known for exporting nutmeg.

Grenada's hopes for 2012 can be traced in large part to its moment of near-glory at the 2004 Games in Athens. By finishing fourth there, Francique inspired runners all across Grenada. Further deepening his influence, he won the indoor 400-meter world championships in 2004 and 2006.

Watching Francique represent Grenada in 2004 were two young countrymen: James, now 19, and Rondell Bartholomew, 22. James, who was 11 years old at the time, said he can still remember watching Francique's 400-meter final on television with his family and being totally transfixed. "He gave us the belief that we could compete," James said.

It wasn't only in honor of Francique that James and Bartholomew gravitated toward the 400. As in Jamaica and other Caribbean ports, sprinting is a popular pastime in Grenada—but James and Bartholomew explained that it's nearly impossible to post blazing 100- or 200-meter times on grass, which is too slippery from the starting blocks.

James and Bartholomew grew up in different parts of Grenada and didn't even meet until a few years ago. After attending different U.S. colleges, they rarely cross paths even now. James has an endorsement deal with Nike, Bartholomew with Adidas.

But something they shared growing up was a plush, green training environment. Bartholomew said he also spent countless hours sprinting on soft sand under the direction of his former Grenadian coach Neville Glean. "He really believed in that stuff," said Bartholomew, who now lives and trains in Levelland, Texas, where he attended South Plains College. He still devotes most of his preseason training to grass and builds up only gradually on a synthetic track, where he said, "You have to be really careful you don't get shin splints."

At Texas A&M, Francique is exporting his Grenadian philosophy. Several days a week, he directs his sprinters away from the track and onto playing fields for their workouts. He estimates that his athletes spend up to 75% of their time training this way. "The track will beat you up," he said. It's worth noting that Texas A&M has won three of the last four national men's outdoor track-and-field team titles.

Whether training on a soft surface like grass actually improves performance is unclear, said Dr. Reed Ferber, a professor of kinesiology at the University of Calgary. Ferber, who directs a running-injury clinic, said there has been little research on the topic. But it is apparent, he said, that running on more rigid surfaces, such as asphalt or synthetic tracks, typically results in "more loading on the joints" and a greater likelihood of injury.

Of course, grassy fields pose risks too, as Bartholomew discovered when he visited his family in Grenada over the winter. Returning to the grass track of his youth, he stepped in a hole and injured his hip, though it has recovered.

The concept of working out on softer surfaces isn't exactly groundbreaking. Roger Black, who won silver in the 400 meters at the Atlanta Games in 1996, was part of a coterie of top-notch British runners who trained on a grass track at the University of Southampton. And when Jamaican sprinter Don Quarrie arrived at Southern Cal in the late 1960s, he eschewed the school's newly installed, top-of-the-line synthetic track in favor of an old cinder track. According to Peter Thompson, a longtime coach and former official with IAAF, track and field's governing body, Quarrie felt he could more effectively build muscle and develop tendon elasticity on cinder. He became a four-time Olympic medalist. "He recognized that it wasn't necessarily an advantage to train all the time at a high-class facility," Thompson said.

James turned professional after his sophomore year at the University of Alabama but has remained in Tuscaloosa, where he runs under the direction of Harvey Glance, who retired as Alabama's track coach last year. James is the only athlete he still coaches. "When you have the pleasure of working with the No. 1 athlete in the world, that's a no-brainer," said Glance, who won gold as part of the U.S. 4x100-meter relay team at the Montreal Games in 1976.

If either James or Bartholomew medals in London, the celebration in Grenada would be spectacular. Last year, after James won his world title at age 19, a street was named after him in St. George's, the capital.

Asked what would happen if James and/or Bartholomew were to medal, Conrad Francis, the country's coordinator of sport, put it this way: "Euphoria."

Rooting for Grenada’s Olympic-bound athletes

By Lincoln “Toro” Depradine

ST GEORGE’S, June 4, 2012 – South St. George MP and Minister of Labour, Glynis Roberts, says Kirani James appears in “fine form’’ as the Grenadian athlete builds up to the Olympic Games this summer in London, England.

Roberts was among Grenadians at home and abroad that followed last Saturday’s 400 meter race at the 38^th Prefontaine Classic in Oregon in the United States.

James, the 400 meter World Champion, was just beaten into second place by American LaShawn Merritt.

However, James was disqualified because he jumped the starters’ gun. 

“It was entirely my fault. It was nothing I was confused about; I just wanted to go out there and compete,” 19-year-old James told reporters after the race. “It’s also a learning experience in terms of just being patient in waiting for the gun.’’

Labour Minister Roberts said that the disqualification aside, James demonstrated that he is in “good shape and is on target to compete with the top athletes at the Olympics. I wish him all the very best. I know Grenadians everywhere are rooting for him, Rondel and the rest of the Grenada team that will be going to London.’’ 

James is expected to compete in at least two more meets before the London games.

Rondel Bartholomew will open his 2012 season by competing in the 400 meters at this coming weekend’s Adidas Grand Prix in New York.

Another Grenadian athlete makes Olympic team

Neisha Bernard-Smith

NASHVILLE, TN June 3, 2012 - Neisha Bernard-Smith attained a B Standard Qualifying time in the Women’s 800 metre for the London Olympic Games, starting next month.

Bernard-Smith won the Women’s 800m Invitational at the Music City Distance Carnival hosted at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN on Saturday. Her time of 2:01.21 is a season best and Meet Record (2:01.81) and also better than the Olympic B Standard of 2:01.30.

Last month she ran 2:01.91 at a meet in Los Angeles. However, her personal best is 1:59.60 which she ran in Kingston, Jamaica on May 1, 2010.

The other Olympic-bound athletes so far are Kirani James, Rondell Bartholomew and Kanika Beckles (400m); Joel Redhead (200m); Kurt Felix (Decathlon); and Andrea St Bernard (Taekwondo).

The Distance Carnival is perennially one of the strongest gatherings of middle-distance and long-distance runners in the United States.

The event draws athletes from all over North America and routinely attracts U.S-based National record holders and Olympians from other countries.

The 2012 meet saw runners travel from 24 different U.S states and two Canadian provinces, and also a total of 15 different nations represented with many runners looking to stamp their tickets to the London Olympics later this summer.
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Let's start the conversation

by Michael Bascombe

In a matter of weeks, some of our most cherished and celebrated athletes will be flying the national colours at the Olympic Games in London, and with all the recent disappointing news stealing the spotlight it is a good time to look to our sportsmen and women for encouragement and hope.

There are a number of athletes who are putting all their time and effort into improving their standings or attempting to qualify in their respective events.

Chief among them are Kirani James, Rondell Bartholomew, Joel Redhead, Kurt Felix, Kanika Beckles and Andrea St Bernard (Taekwondo).

We are traveling to Eugene, OR this weekend for a star-studded line-up of athletes at the 38^th Prefontaine Classic meet at Hayward Field.

Of interest to Grenada would be the Men’s 400m which is considered a dress rehearsal for the Olympic 400 metres rivalry involving the reigning Olympic champion and world leader LaShawn Merritt; the 2004 Olympic champion Jeremy Wariner and the reigning World champion Kirani James.

And hopefully next weekend we could see Rondell Bartholomew competes for the first time in 2012. There are indications that he may open his season at the adidas Grand Prix in New York on June 9.

That same weekend, Kanika Beckles and Kurt Felix will be competing in the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa. Beckles, in particular, has shown remarkable improvement over the past five (5) months.

Consider the athlete running 53 and 54 seconds in March and under the guidance of Alleyne Francique is a leading contender among college athletes with a personal best of 51.72 a few weeks ago.

The hope is that my colleagues will find some time to give attention to the athletes’ preparations and performances through their regular bulletins, blogging, and social media. We are sometimes blamed for fuelling the negatives. Why not assist in changing the “conversation”? By doing that you may also educate our population about a competitor’s preparation for an international event as the Olympic Games.

My best wishes to our sportsmen and women as they continue their journey. 

Here is a guide to what some of our athletes have or attempting to achieve.

200m (Men 20.55 A, 20.65 B) (Women 23.10 A, 23.30 B),

400m (Men 45.30 A, 45.90 B) (Women 51.55 A, 52.35 B),

400mH (Men 49.50 A, 49.80 B)

800m (Women 1:59.90 A, 2:01.30 B)

Decathlon (8200 A, 7950 B)

Long Jump (Men 8.20 A, 8.10 B) (Women 6.75 A, 6.65 B)

Triple Jump (Men 17.20 A, 16.85 B) (Women 14.30 A, 14.10 B)

Top 16 teams 4x400m (As of May 20, 2012, Grenada was ranked 18^th with an aggregate of 6:08.96 and an average of 3:04.48).

According to the IAAF, athletes must reach the standards as set by the IAAF during the following prescribed periods:

     -   10,000m, Marathon, Race Walk and Combined Events: 1 January 2011 to 8 July 2012

     -   All other individual events: 1 May 2011 to 8 July 2012

     -   Relays: 1 January 2011 to 2 July 2012
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Kirani James to open 2012 outdoor season in South Korea

By Michael Bascombe

NEW YORK, May 9, 2012 - The World 400m Champion Kirani James of Grenada will open his 2012 outdoor season next week when he competes in the IAAF World Challenge at the Colorful Daegu Championships Meeting in South Korea.

James, who ran a blistering 43.8 second-leg split for his national team’s 4x400m Relay at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia two weeks ago, is yet to face the starters in his outdoor individual 400m event.

The 19 year-old, who lifted Grenada’s first title at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Daegu last summer, has been preparing for end of semester examinations as a full-time student at the University of Alabama.

He had to skip invitations to compete at last weekend’s JN Jamaica International Invitational and the inaugural Cayman Invitational scheduled for Wednesday at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex.

James will instead focus on opening his season on the same track he won his first World Championship in August 2011. It’s his only competitive race this month but expected to start June competing at the Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon at the Samsung Diamond League, scheduled for June 2.

James appears to be the only certainty in the quarter-mile for Grenada this season since Rondell Bartholomew, who skipped the indoor season, remains on the injured list and may have a late start to his outdoor campaign.

Triple Jumper Randy Lewis will jump at a small meet near his training base in Leverkusen in Germany on Saturday but will officially open his season on May 20 in Garbsen, with another meet in Wesel on May 28.

Meantime, Kurt Felix is ranked eighth among Decathletes on the IAAF Top List. Felix, who is in final year at Boise State University, pushed himself inside of the World’s Top 10 when he won the Decathlon at the Mt. SAC Relays in Azusa, California on April 19.

His career-best score of 7,972 points was a Grenada national record as well as a school record and qualification for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

The other Grenadian athlete listed on the world rankings is Kanika Beckles. The quarter-miler, who is coached by Alleyne Francique at Texas A&M University, posted a personal best of 52.92 seconds at the Miami Hurricane Alumni Invitational in Coral Gables, Florida on April 14.

The Men’s 400m is led by American LaShawn Merritt with his 44.73 seconds clocked in Guadeloupe last Tuesday.

Grenadian parliamentarian urging nationals to support Olympians

File Photo: Sen. Arley Gill

by Michael Bascombe

ST GEORGE’S, Grenada, March 27, 2012 - A Grenadian Parliamentarian is urging his nationals to support their Olympians for the London 2012 Olympic Games this summer.

Senator Arley Gill, who is also the Culture Minister in the Grenada Government, said that this is the best opportunity for Grenada to medal at the Olympic Games, scheduled for July 27 to August 12, 2012.

“I believe that the entire nation must start rallying around our athletes for the 2012 Olympics. Not just Kirani (James) but Rondell (Bartholomew) and all the other athletes in 2012,” Senator Gill told a sitting of the Grenada Senate on Tuesday.

“August 2012 could very well be a watershed moment in the development of the country”.

Senator Gill suggested that a “Mini-Carnival” for the Olympics would be an excellent marketing strategy for the country.

“Those of us recalled that when Trinidad and Tobago qualified for the FIFA World Cup Finals in Germany that they send soca artistes and masqueraders,” he said.

Trinidad and Tobago, also known as the Soca Warriors, currently holds the record of being the smallest country to ever qualify for a FIFA World Cup Finals

“I think we need to do something on a smaller scale in London for 2012 Olympics”.

He said that with the recent success of Kirani James, sports tourism represents an exciting economic frontier for harvesting. “We must therefore support our national sportsmen and women in the different disciplines,” said Gill.

Five Grenadians – four in athletics and one in taekwondo - have already gained qualifying standards for the London 2012 Olympics. James, who is the current World 400 metres champion and Bartholomew, also a finalist at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Deagu, are among favourites in the Men’s quarter-mile.

Janelle Redhead and her brother Joel are the other two athletes to have earned qualifying times while Andrea St Bernard will be the first ever taekwondo athlete to represent Grenada at the Olympic Games.

FLASHBACK: Randy Lewis 2008 Beijing Olympics

A National Sports Hall of Fame

                                                

By Michael Bascombe

Legendary Donald Pierre

One of the biggest lessons learnt from Grenada’s campaign at last weekend’s IAAF World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey is to prepare for disappointments during the careers of our top flight competitors – Kirani James and Rondell Bartholomew.

James’ failed attempt at the World Indoor 400 metre title last weekend is a clear indication of the ups and downs we must expect during his career. It’s no different to Bartholomew’s disappointment in Daegu, South Korea last summer. Bartholomew entered the IAAF World Championships in Athletics as a favourite with a world leading time of 44.65 seconds. However, he was the victim of a long season and finished outside of the medals.

He decided to skip the indoor season this year and concentrate on competition starting in late spring.

James on the other hand, started the season with a bang, winning permit meets in Boston, Arkansas and Stockholm, Sweden but missed out on adding a second world title to his short but distinguished professional career.

Retired quarter-miler Alleyne Francique won the 2004 edition in Budapest, Hungary and repeated that performance in Moscow, Russia two years later.

I was particularly impressed with the 19 year-old acceptance of defeat. He displayed great maturity in his post-race interviews. He has been described as a true ‘champion’.

It was also a disappointed weekend for Colleen Felix (University of Georgia) and Kurt Felix (Boise State University) at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Idaho. Colleen, a favourite in the women’s triple jump, only managed one successful jump while Kurt (DNF) in the men’s heptathlon after a no height in the pole vault and a (DNS) in the 1,000 metres.

But despite the inclement weather at home there were the National Athletics Championships at the stadium and the opening of the “Grenada Super League” organised by the Grenada Football Association in Grenville, St Andrew.

I was also happy to hear that our longstanding sports administrator, Veda Bruno-Victor was unanimously re-elected to the executive committee of the Pan American Sport Organisation (PASO) at their meeting in Mexico this week.

Founded on August 8, 1948, Pan American Sports Organization (PASO), comes with the mission to strengthen the bonds of union and friendship between the peoples of the Americas, to encourage and promote sports development. PASO, recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), comprises 42 member countries.

It was announced in the 2012 Budget Presentation that the Grenada Government has decided that the secondary stands at the National Cricket Stadium will be named in honour of former West Indies cricketers Junior Murray and Rawl Lewis.

But except for an increased in the budgetary allocation for tourism marketing, nothing has been said about sports tourism. How are we positioning ourselves to benefit from the foundation being laid by our sportsmen and women?

We are into the track and field season and the names of Kirani James and Rondell Bartholomew would be highlighted among world ranked athletes. The Jason Roberts Foundation and the Shalrie Joseph Soccer Academy are two additional areas of sports tourism interests. What is the role of the Grenada Board of Tourism to capitalise on this mega-marketing initiative?

Jason Roberts should be given the role as a lead spokesman for the Olympics-bound Team Grenada, given his status in the UK media. He is a true sports ambassador!

While on the Olympics, it’s becoming clearer that Grenada’s medal hopes will lie in the individual events, particularly in the men’s 400m. It’s highly unlikely that a 4x400m relay team will qualify for London.

The uncertainty surrounding Bartholomew and possible knee surgery for Joel Phillip would certainly hamper chances of a relay team qualifying. Bartholomew skipped the indoor season and there is no word as to when he will open his outdoor campaign. Phillip, who has a personal best of 45.29 seconds, has been in training but up until this month announced that he has to undergo knee surgery. This leaves James and Joel Redhead as the only two sureties.

The 2013 World Championships in Athletics in Moscow, Russia should be on target for the relay team.

Finally, the time has come for the authorities to start thinking on establishing a National Sports Hall of Fame. This will certainly put to rest the unnecessary chatter about recognition of our sports legends who have blazed the trails and paved the way for many of our current sportsmen and women.

This Hall of Fame, part of an evolving national sports policy, should be seen as another way to honour the lifetime achievements of our greatest sportsmen, women and administrators. A Hall of Fame Selection Panel could be created to administer the process by which these nominees will be inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame.

The likes of Donald Pierre, Maurice “Bull” Williams, Tyrone “Sampat” Harbin, Victor Joseph, Theophilus “Papitette” Redhead, James “Ox” Johnson, Oswald Clovey, Evelyn Gresham, Joseph “Joe” Gibbs, Walter St John, Alston “Heads” George, Raymond Anthony, Kenny Hobson, Veda Bruno-Victor, Janice Celestine, Harold “Flash” Williams, Bernard “Bunny” Wilson, among others are certain to have their names etched into the Hall of Fame.

Kirani James prepares to rewrite the history books

Workers finalising track on Thursday

by Michael Bascombe

Reporting from Istanbul, Turkey

ISTANBUL, Turkey, March 8, 2012 - Grenada's 400-metre World Champion Kirani James is all set for a shot at another world title this weekend as he competes in the IAAF World Indoor Championships starting here on Friday.

This will be his fourth indoor event for the year following consecutive victories in New York, Arkansas and Stockholm, Sweden.

But his attempt at the indoor world title is seen as important mental and physical preparation for the London Olympic Games this summer.

He may also add to the Grenada record books as the first athlete to win both world titles. Former national quarter-mile champion Alleyne Francique twice won the Indoor title but was edged out of a medal at the Olympic Games in Athens.

Preparations in Media Tribune

James is strongly favoured to win gold at Saturday's final but that depends on the opening round on Friday. His strongest challenge is expected from the defending Indoor Champion, Chris Brown of the Bahamas as well as Tabarie Henry of the United States’ Virgin Islands and the American duo of Gil Roberts and Calvin Smith. But previews have also listed Britain’s Nigel Levine as a contender.

The IAAF has reported that these championships are on course to become the biggest gathering in terms of participating national IAAF Member Federations in the history of these championships, exceeding the previous record set four years ago in Valencia, Spain.

The IAAF said that with 172 National Member Federations entering athletes to compete at the Atakoy Arena this weekend, Istanbul 2012 should surpass Valencia 2008 where 147 countries, also a participating record at the time, contested the event.

A total of 1,299 athletes and officials are also expected to attend what will be the IAAF’s most important event of the 2012 World Athletics Series. Following the February 27 deadline for Final Entries, 349 male athletes, 334 female athletes and 616 officials have entered.

James is the lone competitor for the Spice Isle following a withdrawal by Rondell Bartholomew and Triple Jumper Randy Lewis' decision to skip the indoor season.

In 2011 James became the youngest ever World or Olympic at 400m and was named a Sports Ambassador by the Grenada Government. Earlier this year, the Government also renamed a major roadway in the capital, the “Kirani James Boulevard”.

Joel Redhead prepares himself for London 2012

by Michael Bascombe

STARKVILLE, Mississippi, February 29, 2012 - World 400m Champion Kirani James is not the only Grenadian athlete with his sights set on an Olympic medal in London this summer.

Not much is known about 24 year-old Joel Redhead, a determined track competitor who has been battling adversities.

Redhead, the brother of Janelle Redhead, 2011 IAAF Women’s World 200m semi-finalist, has been preparing himself for the competition of his life – London Olympic Games.

Redhead, who doubles in the 200m and 400m, will open his 2012 season next month competing in the one-lap event.

“I will be competing in the 400m but the emphasis on competition will be in the 200m,” he said in an interview from his training base in Mississippi.

Redhead, a founding member of the SpeedZone Track Club, has joined two other Grenadian athletes who have sat out the indoor season in preparation for the Olympics. German-based triple jumper Randy Lewis and quarter-miler Rondell Bartholomew have decided to concentrate on outdoor competition this year.

Redhead said he is about 80 per cent ready for competition this year and is working to ensure that he peaks at the right time.

“I started training in February last season and by May was running 20.57 and 46.20, so my coach believes I could do better this season,” Redhead said. “I am trying to keep a calm mind, stress free and get myself focus for competition,” he added with confidence.

He said that his goal is to reach the final of the Olympic Games. “I am capable of running quality times in both the 200m and 400m but my coach will make a decision based on my progression,” he said.

Redhead was scheduled to compete at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics in Daegu, South Korea but withdrew due to injury and logistical issues. He has admitted that the performances of James, Bartholomew and his sister in Daegu are motivating factors for him to succeed this year.

“One if the things motivating me is the performances of the athletes at the World Champs last year,” he said. “Kirani and Rondell in the final and how my sister reached the semis are encouragement to train harder.”

He is in regular contact with all three athletes. “We have a mutual friendship where we keep in touch regularly. Both Kirani and Rondell always inquire about my training. We care about each other.” 

FLASHBACK: Kirani James & Rondell Bartholomew

Some highlights of Kirani James and Rondell Bartholomew in 2009 at a track meet in St Andrew, Grenada.
It was a tune-up for the Junior CARIFTA Games in Castries, St Lucia later that year and they didn't disappoint.
It came without some fun including a faulty starting pistol in the 4x400m Relay, with Kirani running the opening leg.

Grenadian athletes intensify preparations this weekend

File Photo: Kirani James

By Michael Bascombe

NEW YORK, February 10, 2012 - A number of Grenadian athletes will be competing in various track and field meets across the United States this weekend.

Chief among them will be World 400m champion Kirani James who will compete in the USA Track & Field Classic in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

James opened his 2012 season with a world leading 45.96 at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston last weekend. James’ challengers include Demitrius Pinder, Tabari Henry, Calvin Smith, LaJerald Betters, David Neville, Jamaal Torrence, Joshua Smith and Miles Smith in a timed final.

An impressive performance on Saturday should put the world champion in pole position for the Indoor title at the World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey in one month’s time.

James may be the lone quarter-miler for Grenada at the World Indoors since his compatriot Rondell Bartholomew will skip the indoor season.

“I have decided to concentrate on outdoor competition this year and will skip the indoors,” said Bartholomew. “I had a long season last year and reflected on my disappointment in finishing outside of the medals”.

File Photo: Kurt Felix

Bartholomew, who finished sixth in the final, believes he has gained valuable experience in 2011 and looks forward to an ‘explosive’ season this year.

Coincidentally, both Bartholomew and James recorded their personal best timings in the 400m indoor at the Randal Tyson Centre in Arkansas last February. Bartholomew clocked a PB of 45.84 on February 11, 2011 and two weeks later on February 26, James recorded his personal best of 44.80.

Also skipping the indoor season this year will be Randy Lewis. The Germany-based triple jumper, who underwent knee surgery last year, said that his goal is to prepare for the Olympic Games in London this summer. “My main focus is going to be on the summer season,” he said.

File Photo: Sherine Wells

However, there are other athletes who will be destined to record qualifying marks in other competitions this weekend.

The USA Track & Field Classic is being held in conjunction with the 2012 Tyson Invitational which will also include Janelle Redhead, Sherine Wells, and Keron Toussaint.

Redhead of Wayland Baptist University and Wells of Oklahoma University will compete in the 60m, 200m and the 4x400m relay while Toussaint, a former Kansas University sprinter, runs in the 400m.

Over at College Point, Texas, Kanika Beckles will make her debut for Texas A&M under coach Alleyne Francique at the Texas A&M Invitational. She will compete in the 200m and the 4x400m relay.

Joel Redhead is expected to run the 400m at the Vulcan Invitational in Birmingham, Alabama and Kurt Felix of Boise State University, who copped the double in the long and high jumps in the competition last weekend, will compete in the Men’s Heptathlon at the Boise State University’s Team Challenge in Nampa, Idaho.

Weekend major conference and honouring of sporting heroes

By Lincoln Depradine

St. George’s, January 17, 2012 – Dozens of journalists from regional and international media are expected in Grenada this weekend for an important trade and business meeting involving representatives from the United Kingdom and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

The journalists will be here primarily to cover the 7^th UK-Caribbean Forum. However, their visit coincides with the honouring of track star, Kirani James, and the hosting of the 2011 National Sports Award at the Grenada Trade Centre in Morne Rouge, St. George’s.

The UK-Caribbean Forum is held every two years for the purpose of what has been described as “establishing priority areas for cooperation, discussing key areas of concern and proposing mechanisms to facilitate greater collaboration’’ between Britain and CARICOM nations.

The Grenada get-together, to be hosted by Foreign Minister Karl Hood, will be held over three, starting Friday, January 20, at the Grenadian By Rex Resort.

Minister Hood will be joined by his foreign affairs counterparts from other Caribbean countries; CARICOM Secretary General, Irwin LaRoque; and a UK delegation headed by Foreign Secretary, Hon. William Hague.

“The UK’s relationship with the Caribbean should be a broad-based partnership that involves business, civil society and ordinary people,’’ Mr. Hague said. “That is why I am so pleased that we are starting the Forum with a meeting of UK and Caribbean companies.’’

The Forum closes Sunday afternoon with a 12-overs’ cricket match at the SSU Grounds at Point Saline. A team of UK ministers and officials will compete against a CARICOM squad led by Foreign Minister Hood.

For the visiting journalists, their presence is also an opportunity to cover Saturday afternoon’s event at which Lagoon Road will be renamed after James, the current World 400 meter champion.

Saturday’s unveiling of the Kirani James Boulevard, as well as a roundabout to be named after athletic coach and former 400 meter indoor record holder, Alleyne Francique, will be attended by government officials and representatives of the Grenada Olympic Committee.

On Saturday evening, 19-year-old James will be attending the National Sports Awards where he is one of the nominees for Grenada’s Male Athletes of the Year.

James and Janelle Redhead, a women’s 200 meter semifinalist at the 2011 World Championships in South Korea, are among 16 male and female athletes vying for the top sportsman and sportswoman awards.

The keynote speaker at the awards’ ceremony is Trinidad Olympic medalist, Ato Boldon.

Another Trinidadian who will be in Grenada to deliver an address is journalist, Tony Fraser. He is the featured speaker at Sunday’s 6^th annual awards’ ceremony of the Media Workers Association of Grenada (MWAG) at the Trade Centre.

“We are very excited that Tony has agreed to come and speak at the awards,” said MWAG president Rawle Titus.

Grenada's sports personalities to be announced in January

File/Ato Boldon

ST GEORGE’S, December 31, 2011 - Grenada's Sports Personalities for 2011 will be announced at a ceremony in St. George's on Saturday January 21, 2012.

Grenada’s world 400m champion Kirani James, 400m finalist Rondell Bartholomew, 200m semi-finalist Janelle Redhead and coaches Albert Joseph and Alleyne Francique as well as other top performers for 2011 are expected to attend the ceremony.

Four-time Olympic medallist and Commonwealth Games 100m record holder, Ato Boldon of Trinidad and Tobago will be the guest speaker. Boldon is also a CBS and NBC Sports television broadcast analyst for track and field.

The ceremony will be held at the Spice Basket Grenada (outskirts of the capital) from 7:00 p.m. Grenada (6:00 p.m. ET).

SOURCE: Michael Bascombe

UN environmental workshop for Grenada

ST GEORGE’S, December 26, 2011 – Grenada is to be the venue of a United Nations’ environmental workshop.

It will be held here around June 2012, Environment Minister Joseph Gilbert has announced.

“This workshop, which will be funded by the United Nations Environment Programme, will put Grenada on the map as being the first country in the western hemisphere to host  such a meeting. Environmentalists from all over the world will converge on Grenada for that important forum on the environment,’’ Minister Gilbert said in his 2011 Christmas Message.

He said Grenada has been getting increased international support from countries such as Germany, South Korea, Japan and China for projects aimed at preserving the nation’s natural environment.

“One of the critical tasks for us now, as a government, is to ensure that when these environmental projects come on-stream, that as many persons as possible obtain some degree of employment,’’ said Hon. Gilbert, who is also Minister for Foreign Trade and Export Development  

The outlook, he said, is that “things would get better’’ in 2012 for Grenadians, including the people of the Parish of St. Patrick.

“For us in St. Patrick, this New Year would see the commencement of work on the St. Patrick's Road Network Upgrade Project. It is also the year when the people of Snell Hall, La Fortune, Madeys and Morne Fendue will see their age-old dream to have their own playing field and resource center become a reality,’’ said Mr. Gilbert who MP for St. Patrick West. The MP for St. Patrick East is Prime Minister Hon. Tillman Thomas.

In his message, MP Gilbert thanked his constituents for their “clear demonstration of solidarity, love and patriotism.’’

“Your support for me as your MP since 2008, and particularly over the  past three months, has been a source of strength and consolation,’’ he added. “I look forward to serving you with even greater commitment and fervour in 2012.’’

Here’s the text of the Christmas Message delivered by MP Joseph Gilbert, Minister for the Environment, Foreign Trade and Export Development.

Fellow Grenadians:

As we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, I bring you warm and fraternal season's greetings.

Christmas for most of us is a time of sharing. It is a time when we remember the less fortunate in our society and ensure that they, too, share in the joys and festivities of the season.  For many of us, Christmas is celebrated as one of the most important time in the Christian calendar: a time of praise and worship; a time to refocus our lives, and make the extra effort to reflect on the mysteries of man's salvation – a salvation that was ushered in with the birth of Jesus Christ more than two thousand years ago.

Brothers and Sisters, we are celebrating yet another Christmas in a world that continues to struggle to cope with one of the worst economic recessions in history.  Several of the major world economic powers are grappling with the problem of high unemployment and social unrest.

Despite all these global challenges, we in Grenada still have much to be thankful for in the year 2011: our country rose to world fame as we captured the spotlight on the stage of international athletics.   Kirani James, Rondell Bartholomew and other national sports men and women did Grenada proud. At home, notwithstanding localised flooding and its associated problems in some parts of our country, by the grace of God and through His blessings, we suffered no hurricane whatsoever. Bearing in mind the negative impact of the effect of green-house gas emission on global weather patterns – such as the increased frequency and severity of storms and other adverse weather conditions – we in Grenada must indeed be truly grateful that in 2011 we were  spared the worst of these negative impacts.

Since assuming my new portfolio as Minister with responsibility for Environment, Foreign Trade and Export Development, we have consistently informed you of the growing international support that Grenada is receiving to undertake several projects related to the preservation of our natural environment.

In this season of sharing and thanksgiving, I want to take this opportunity to thank the several countries that have committed to help us with our local environmental challenges. These countries include Germany, South Korea, Japan and the People's Republic of China, to name but a few.  One of the critical tasks for us now, as a government, is to ensure that when these environmental projects come on-stream, that as many persons as possible obtain some degree of employment.

Grenada is also expected to host an international workshop on the environment in the middle of 2012.  This workshop, which will be funded by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), will put Grenada on the map as being the first country in the western hemisphere to host  such a meeting. Environmentalists from all over the world will converge on Grenada for that important forum on the environment.

In 2012, also, my Ministry is expected to participate in an important trade expo in South Korea. The opportunity for our local manufacturers and entrepreneurs to capitalise on this exposure to international markets is tremendous. The point I am making, is that there is great prospect that things would get better for us as a Nation and as a people in 2012.

I take this opportunity to extend special season's greetings to all my constituents of St. Patrick West. You have been there for me in good times and in tough times. Your support for me as your MP since 2008, and particularly over the past three months, has been a source of strength and consolation. Your clear demonstration of solidarity, love and patriotism must never go unnoticed. I look forward to serving you with even greater commitment and fervour in 2012.

For us in St. Patrick, this New Year would see the commencement of work on the St. Patrick's Road Network Upgrade Project. It is also the year when the people of Snell Hall, La Fortune, Madeys and Morne Fendue will see their age-old dream to have their own playing field and resource center become a reality. 2012 will also feature important progress with regard to the Sauteurs Road Network Expansion Project; that would ultimately result in the construction of several new streets in the Town of Sauteurs.

 The coming on-stream of these major projects in St. Patrick is intended to complement the long list of small infrastructure projects that would be undertaken at the village level in the New Year, with God's help.

Brothers and Sisters, as we continue to celebrate this festive season,  I admonish you to also remember the true reason for Christmas. Let us show others that we truly care. Let us ensure that our neighbours have a decent meal. Let us ensure that every child has a toy. Let us ensure that the elderly and the shut-ins are visited and taken care of. Let the true spirit of “good will among men’’ manifest itself by our unselfish giving from the heart.

I take this opportunity, also, to wish the diligent management and staff of the Ministry of Environment, Foreign Trade and Export Development a very happy Christmas, and a bright and productive New Year.

To all my fellow Grenadians at home and abroad, on behalf of the Staff of the Ministry of Environment, Foreign Trade and Export Development and myself and family, I wish you a Blessed, Peaceful and Enjoyable Christmas; and a Healthy and Prosperous New Year.

Ministry welcomes home track stars

ST GEORGE’S, Grenada December 23, 2011 - The Ministry of Youth Empowerment and Sports has welcomed home World 400m Champion Kirani James and Rondell Bartholomew home for the Christmas Holidays.

Both athletes arrived on the island earlier this week and already taking some well-deserved relaxation following a successful 2011 season.

“The Ministry welcomes Kirani, Rondell and other sportsmen and women who are here to spend the holidays with their families and friends,” said Sports Minister Patrick Simmons.

The Minister said that the planned Homecoming for the athletes and coach Albert Joseph will be held in January which will coincide with the National Sports Awards Ceremony.

Grenada’s athletics were thrown into the spotlight when Kirani and Rondell reached the final of the Men’s 400m at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Daegu, South Korea last summer.

Kirani edged the defending champion American LaShawn Merritt to secure his island’s first gold medal at the outdoor version of the World Championships while Rondell finished sixth.

Janelle Redhead, the other Grenadian athlete at the championships, was a semifinalist in the Women’s 200m.

The Grenada Government has announced plans to award the athletes and coach including former two-time World Indoor champion Alleyne Francique.

James relying on national support

NEW YORK - World 400m champion Kirani James has said that continued national support of athletes is important as they set sights on Olympic medals in 2012.

James, who was in New York on the weekend to receive an award from the Grenada Boys’ Secondary School’s Alumni Association of New York, warns that attention would be drawn on himself and Rondell Bartholomew in the one-lap event but they are prepared for the challenge.

“The journey has just started and I am relying on your continued support. It will take a lot for me and my colleagues to deliver at the Olympic Games in London but we are training hard to bring home the victory,” he said to thunderous applause.

“Next year will be challenging for us since Grenada has set a mark and the world will be coming for revenge, especially at the Olympics but we are determined to work hard and do our best in both the indoor and outdoor championships,” he said.

James, a 2009 graduate from the G.B.S.S., was one of two former alumni honoured at the 20^th Alumni Scholarship Awards and Dinner Dance. He was joined by Dr Anthony Bridgeman, a 1983 graduate and High School Principal in Long Island, New York.

Also in attendance were Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister Peter David, Ambassador Gillian Bristol and Consul General Derrick James.

“I want to thank you for your role in promoting tourism in Grenada,” said David, who is also an alumnus of the G.B.S.S. “Many times we think of tourism as persons who are non-Grenadians visiting Grenada and that is far from the truth. The truth is that Grenadians returning home play a significant role in our tourism industry,” he said.

He also thanked Kirani for his gold medal performance at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics last August.

President of the Alumni Association-NY, Michael Bascombe also acknowledged telecommunications company LIME Grenada Ltd in supporting the Gala event.

“We have also noted the interest shown in collaborating with the Association in the future and I would like to acknowledge the support of Telecommunications Company, LIME Grenada Ltd, for ensuring the participation of Kirani James here tonight,” he said.

He said that LIME Grenada has already indicated its willingness to support the association in its Scholarship Awards Programme.

The Alumni Association-NY presented scholarship awards to Brendan Nesfield and Danielle Regis.

Nesfield is majoring in Political Science and Pre-Law studies at Duke University and Regis attends Cornell University, where she is majoring in Environmental Engineering.

The association also presented an award to long-standing member and former president Dr Kenrick Lewis.