Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 14/Aug 18:14

Ex-TTOC boss: Paris Olympics, an investment for LA 2028

DAVID SCARLETT FORMER Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC) president Brian Lewis has defended his "10 golds by 2024" initiative despite it not achieving its target. He also looked to the positives from TT's medal-less Paris Olympics campaign. Many on social media have criticised Lewis, the TTOC, government and sporting bodies for not putting a proper structure in place to achieve the lofty objective of winning ten gold medals in ten years. In an interview with Newsday, after TT's second straight Olympic Games without a medal, Lewis stood by the initiative, launched in 2014. As part of the initiative, the then Lewis-led TTOC introduced medal bonuses, the athletes’ welfare and preparation fund, merchandise, and funding for athletes who aspired to win an Olympic medal, which complemented the other programmes that already existed. Since its inception, TT won one Olympic bronze medal (Keshorn Walcott – men’s javelin throw, 2016) and three Paralympic medals (Akeem Stewart – gold in the men’s javelin throw, silver in the men’s discus throw; Nyoshia Cain – bronze in the women’s 100m). There was also success for the 4x400m men's relay team with gold at the 2017 World Championships in London, an improvement from their silver at the 2015 meet in Beijing. The team also won gold at the 2019 World Relays in Japan. Lewis said, “In hindsight, many may question if ‘10 Golds 24’ was an unrealistic goal. The ten-year plan, in terms of long-term athlete development, is the normal length of time to develop an Olympic-level athlete and champion. If we don’t set a goal of going for gold, then what is the goal? We have to start with a goal. “I’m not making any excuses or apologising for setting a goal. I’d like anyone who achieved anything of significance to tell me that they didn’t set a goal. To me, the conversation is not based on accepting limits. The real conversation is about what we have learned from our failures." He said the initiative was geared towards creating a space for youths to dream big. “If you say that ’10 Golds 24’ was unrealistic, then what you’re really saying is that the aspirations of our young people, to be the best that they can be, was unrealistic.” Lewis commended the national athletes for their performance in Paris. “Our athletes, each and every one of them, would have done their best. So we can’t ask where they would have gone wrong,” TTO’s closest chance for a medal came through 400m sprinter, Jereem Richards, who broke the national record, clocking 43.78 seconds to finish fourth, four hundredths of a second behind the bronze medal recipient. Lewis said, “Jereem Richards made TT history. No other TT athlete ever clocked sub-44; 43.78 would have won a gold medal in previous years.” “Keshorn Walcott, after suffering a potential career-ending Achilles tendon injury strived through to not only qualify for Paris 2024, but to also finish seventh by throwing his best distance in an Olympic Games (86.16m), which was also his season’s best.” “Also, Nicholas Paul made the (keirin) quarterfinals, Kwesi Brown sacrificed his body, life and limb trying to ensure that he represented his country and gave them a shot at an Olympic medal.” “We also had Zuri Ferguson, a 17 year old in swimming; (on the track), Jaden Marchan, the Frederick twins – also teenagers, Leah Bertrand, Shakeem McKay and Devin Augustine, all young athletes making their debut on a global stage.” He also applauded 36-year-old Renny Quow for persevering despite losing his shoe on the opening leg of TT's 4x400m preliminary race.TT placed last and failed to qualify for the final. "So while the results were certainly not what we would have expected, anticipated or hoped for, in challenges, there are opportunities. For the young ones, it was an investment in Los Angeles 2028. I cannot, in all honesty, ask our athletes where they went wrong.” “It is important to not get too high with our highs and too low with our lows. We can’t change the past, but we can learn from it.” Lewis, now the Secretary General of the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC), believes that the current TTOC leadership should continue to set goals ahead of the 2028, 2032 and 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games. He is also adamant that local athletes will be inspired by Olympic first-time medallists Julien Alfred (women's 100m gold) of St Lucia and Dominican Thea Lafond (women's triple jump gold), who proved that dreams can be achieved. Revamp coaching strategies, national plans “What I believe needs to happen is continuous learning and acquiring updated knowledge. Our coaches need to review their methodologies because the standard has gotten higher. For example, a 400m coach can no longer prepare athletes to run 44s. They have to now push for 43s. Likewise, improve training to meet the standards for the sprint events. “We must also review our approach to youth development and change our mindset if there’s a national consensus that we want to win Olympic gold on a consistent basis. There must be a focus on socio-emotional learning and mental health. That is a significant part of most top athlete programmes. We have a thing in this country that if we have to go to a therapist or a psychologist, something’s wrong with us, it’s a sign of weakness. But that’s a sign of strength.” “Also, traditionally, the medal-potential sports for us have been the timed sports – athletics, swimming and cycling. We can look into providing athletes with opportunities to get into the newer urban sports like breaking, skateboarding or BMX freestyling.” “The main thing is that we have to believe that going for gold is not far-fetched. That has been a problem because we tend to laugh at people who set high aspirations and use terms like ‘unrealistic’. But everything that we now take for granted – like planes or lightbulbs – were once considered unrealistic.” The Summer Games may be over, Team TTO is not done. The nation will be represented at the second leg of Paris 2024 – the Paralympic Games – by 2016 gold medallist Akeem Stewart. The Games will take place between August 28 and September 8 and the former champion will be aiming to add to his medal tally and, once again, bring glory to TT. The post Ex-TTOC boss: Paris Olympics, an investment for LA 2028 appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.