Jamaica Just Misses Medal as Alia Atkinson Finishes Fourth in Breastroke

Alia Atkinson 

Jamaica just missed its first medal of the 2012 Olympics as Alia Atkinson finished fourth in the 100m women’s breastroke.

Atkinson, a native of St Andrew, finished in 1:06:46, less than a second behind Japan’s Satomi Suzuki, who finished in 1:05:55 for the bronze.

Lithuania’s Ruta Meilutyte took home the gold, followed by the United States’ Rebecca Soni.

Jamaica has a contingent of 25 athletes competing in London.

Atkinson, 23, is also competing in the 50m freestyle and the 200m breastroke.

She attended Texas A&M University in the United States. This is her third Olympic Games, after competing in Athens and Beijing.

Jamaica's flag-bearer for the Olympic opening ceremony, the doctor, the honourable Usain Bolt

Usain Bolt is the undoubted star, not just of Jamaica but arguably the whole London Olympics. World records at 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay explain why. He will, however, come under pressure from teammate Yohanne Blake who beat him in the Jamaican trials and ran the second fastest 200m of all time in 2011. Asafa Powell could create a clean sweep in the 100m event. Veronica Campbell has been a sprinting stalwart for her country over the years and she will again compete in all the sprint events with strong chances of gaining a medal.

Jamaica's men's 4x100m relays at the IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea

BIRMINGHAM, England — Speculations are that the same Jamaican foursome that ran a World Record 37.04 seconds to win the men's 4x100m relays at the IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea last year could line up on August 12 in the final should the Jamaican team qualify.

Sources close to the Jamaican team told the Jamaiaca Observer yesterday, that given Asafa Powell's absence from the pre-Olympic training camp at the Monrow track on the University of Birmingham and the limited time available for relay practice in the Olympic Village, the former World Record holder may be left out.
With both Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake set to contest the sprint double and will have a heavy competition schedule in the Olympics, there will not be sufficient time for all the men to go through the paces, it is said.
Team officials here have, however, shot down the speculations and said there was still enough time to get more relay practice done before the start of the Games on July 27 in London.
Donald Quarrie, the Technical Leader, told reporters at a meeting yesterday there would be time to work on baton changes and said the relays would "come down to execution" when the time comes.
The managers were expecting Powell to arrive in Birmingham today with the team expected to leave for London come Thursday with track and field set to start on August 3.
Quarrie did not seem too worried by what he saw of the USA teams that competed at the Heculis Grand Prix in Monaco on Friday, saying the men's team made some mistakes even though they ran a fast 37.61 seconds, while the women's 'A' team failed to complete their baton passes and was disqualified.
Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Yohan Blake and Usain Bolt, who set the present World Record in the final in Daegu last year, along with Kemar Bailey-Cole, have all spent time in the camp and have been able to practice.
Bailey-Cole, who was fifth in the men's 100m finals at the JAAA/Supreme Ventures National Senior Trials in a personal best 10.00 seconds, could be asked to anchor in the first round as was Dexter Lee in Daegu last year.
If Powell, who anchored the team to gold four years ago in Beijing is not in the team, the projected order could be Carter, Frater, Blake and Bolt for the final, assuming they get there.
Powell, who was third in the men's 100m at Trials despite nursing a sore groin, has started the relay for his MVP club on several occasions, including at the 34th Milo Western Relays in Montego Bay in February where he got the baton to Frater ahead of everyone else.
Powell also led off a Jamaican squad at the Penn Relays last year, also handing over to Frater.

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Jamaicans treated like royalty ahead of Olympics

Usain Bolt was barely visible through the thick row of hedges that guarded the track.
Still, the curious fans tried to sneak a peek at the world's fastest man, if only for a brief second. Some climbed on railings in an attempt to peer over the top of the bushes, while others pushed the prickly branches to the side.


That is, until security sent them scurrying away.


Want to catch a glimpse of Bolt, Yohan Blake and the rest of the Jamaicans in action? Sorry, you're going to have to wait for the London Olympics to start. They are well protected at their training compound inside the University of Birmingham campus.


And well taken care of, too.


The university has rolled out the red carpet for the roughly 47 athletes from the tiny Caribbean country who have shown up to train in peace. The organizers have brought in special beds - including a 7-footer so Bolt can comfortably rest his 6-5 frame - offered up an assortment of entertainment and catered meals to their particular taste in food.


No food request is over the top.


Well, almost.


Wayne Willis, one of the chefs in charge of the food spread, couldn't find a goat's head that someone desired. Other than that, he's made sure they want for nothing, preparing a lot of jerk chicken and pork.


For added authenticity, Willis brought in Jamaican chef Karl Thomas to lend a hand in the kitchen.


"The food is flying out," said Willis, who's trying to keep up with the demand for grapes and kiwi fruit. "This is probably the most high-profile sort of thing I've been involved with in my career."


So far, he's earning a four-star review.


"The food is great," said Veronica Campbell-Brown, who's going for a third straight Olympic gold in the 200. "I really appreciate all the accommodations and the hospitality. The track is lovely."


Around here, the Jamaicans are treated like rock stars. Pete Jackson, a defenseman on the school's field hockey team, stopped by for a quick look at the squad. He climbed on a railing, clinging to the hedges to avoid falling, and glanced at Bolt stretching on the other side of the track.


"That's him right there," he called out to his buddies down below.


Indeed, it was. And Blake, too.


Think one of them is going to win the 100 when the training partners line up in London?


"I'd like Tyson Gay to win," Jackson nonchalantly said. "I just like his attitude. ... (but) it's nice to see (the Jamaicans) here. It's exciting."


The Jamaicans are staying within walking distance of the track, in a place that's under heavy watch. It's simply to give the athletes their privacy without any interruptions.


That's why the track isn't more open to the public. Banners even hang in the places where the shrubs aren't as thick, pretty much eliminating any sort of viewing.


"If we allowed open access, you'd have thousands trying to pour in," explained Zena Wooldridge, the director of sport at the university. "They're a team trying to prepare for the biggest days of their lives. They need to do that in privacy.


"This is about not just physical work, but psychological as well. You can't do that with loads of people."


The only thing the organizers haven't provided is, well, more sunshine and warmer weather. Some of the athletes showed up Thursday decked out in jackets with their hoods pulled up.


"It's been raining here for three months," Wooldridge said. "But I think the sun is due to come out now and should stay out for the next couple of weeks."


When Bolt & Co. aren't on the track, the organizers have made sure they aren't bored. There's a garden to stroll through, not to mention games such as dominoes, Scrabble, chess and backgammon. They also have an Xbox console and two televisions, one with a DVD player.


Not only that, but there are also outside activities lined up for the athletes: Seeing the new Batman movie, attending a special church service, being the guests of honor at a welcome dinner and taking in a live concert.


"But we don't want to do too much and have them over-programmed," Wooldridge said. "They're here to prepare for the Olympics. It's important they don't end up doing too many public engagements.


"We're absolutely delighted to be hosting them. We hope we can play a small part in their success at the Olympics."

From the 

Lock out! J'can journalists barred from athletes' training camp

In stark contrast, the American team which is sharing the same training facilities as the Jamaicans, will be hosting daily press briefings with their athletes.


The USTAF's website said they would make two athletes available each day and the names would be posted a day in advance.


Also on Tuesday morning the USTAF also invited dozens of locals to an open training session at the stadium.


At a Monday Exchange with the Observer staff two weeks ago, Quarrie had given the assurance that given the good relations between the Jamaican media and the athletics body, exceptions will be made as long as the media members recognised their boundaries and did not get in the way of the athletes or the coaches.


On Tuesday morning we were told by Jenna Hadley, the Olympics communications officer for the University of Birmingham that reporters would not be allowed access, but if the Jamaican officials gave the go-ahead then they would reconsider.


After finding the heavily guarded premises where the team was staying and requesting that messages be sent to either Quarrie or Ludlow Watts, the treasurer for the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA), the Observer news team was again rebuffed.
After passing the message trough at least three different persons — the guards at the gate, to their supervisor and then Hadley again.


This time, with the cold rain increasing in intensity, the security supervisor called Hadley in our presence. She allegedly called Watts, who she then told the supervisor we would not have access until July 24.


Later in the day when the Observer team returned to the accommodation, we were advised by a man who said he was a security specialist that it would be better off if we did not stay there, as it "may aggravate situation", and advised us to contact someone in the Association of Jamaicans National (Birmingham) who should be able to assist.

Sex and the Olympic Village

When the lights and competitions go out, the home of the athletes hosts some of the wildest and exclusive parties in town

Daily Mirror

     

Posted On Wednesday, July 18, 2012 at 09:08:31 AM

It probably shouldn’t come as any surprise. Imagine thousands (in the case of this year’s games, seventeen-thousand) of muscly, toned athletes crammed together in one place and either celebrating their Olympic success or simply enjoying the experience of the games having finished their events.  The booze flows, international relations are improved over a few bottles of whatever someone can get their hands on and inevitably one thing leads to another.   Yet despite the longstanding rumours of the athlete’s village being the ultimate party venue, few of those to have experienced it had revealed its sexy secrets until now.  In a revealing piece from the ESPN magazine’s latest ‘Body Issue’ several Olympic stars of past and present have lifted the lid on some of the late-night antics.  American target shooter Josh Lakatos recounts tales of a house in Sydney that he turned into the ultimate party house following the end of his and his team’s participation in the Games, and as things swiftly got very steamy a wave of realisation hit him, “I’m running a friggin’ brothel in the Olympic Village! I’ve never witnessed so much debauchery in my entire life.”  •   Gymnast Alicia Sacramone told the magazine about how adolescent gymnasts got sassy with the water polo and judo boys who shared their training room. “That’s where most of my socialisation took place,” she said. (Top) Hope Solo, the US football goalkeeper, observed, “There’s a lot of sex going on.” While not every athlete ends up running a knocking shop like Lakatos, where a duffel bag of thousands of condoms was left by the door to ensure that all of the X-rated comings-andgoings were at least performed safely.   It’s no new phenomenon either, as three-time Olympic diver and fourtime Olympic gold medallist Greg Louganis revealed about the US team’s friendship with the Russians in the Montreal village in 1976: “Once events were over, our entire diet was caviar, vodka and Russian champagne.  It was crazy,” and the sexual interactions weren’t confined by orientation as one married Russian was “hooking up with one of the other male divers on the team” in plain view of his compatriots and newly-found chums.  The Winter Olympics are no exception, with a skier that took part in the 2010 games in Vancouver lifting the lid on a six-way “whirlpool orgy” that occurred between “some Germans, Canadians and Austrians” in Whistler.  Unsurprisingly, as more events come to their conclusions the party gets kicked into full flow. Hope Solo, the US women’s soccer goalkeeper who became famous for her looks as well as ability in the last Women’s World Cup, succinctly observed, “There’s a lot of sex going on.”  How much? “I’d say it’s 70 percent to 75 percent of Olympians,” says American swimmer Ryan Lochte. Solo goes on to recount a story about the Beijing closing ceremony: “I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but we met a bunch of celebrities. Vince Vaughn partied with us. Steve Byrne, the comedian.  And at some point we decided to take the party back to the village, so we started talking to the security guards, showed off our gold medals, got their attention and snuck our group through without credentials — which is absolutely unheard of.”  And, she reveals, “I may have snuck a celebrity back to my room without anybody knowing, and snuck him back out.  But that’s my Olympic secret.” Whether London will see such debauchery, we are yet to see, but American 400m star LaShawn Merritt is going to try and leave his stamp on the 2012 games, “An Olympics to remember has to have those stories,” Merritt says.   “But I was too locked in in Beijing. This time, when I’m done leaving my legacy on the track. I’ll make sure London remembers me.”

Yohan Blake breaks Lucerne meet record in final race before Olympics

LUCERNE, Switzerland — Yohan Blake warmed up for the London Olympics by timing 9.85 seconds to win the 100 metres at a Lucerne meet Tuesday in his first competitive race since beating Usain Bolt twice at the Jamaican Olympic trials.

Blake was far from the fastest out of the blocks but powered through the field with legal wind assistance of 1.6 metres per second. Jamaica teammate Michael Frater was second in 10.00.

“Definitely I am on the right path for the Olympics,” the 21-year-old world champion said. “This is where I am supposed to be. I want to remain unbeaten and that’s what I am doing.”

Blake chose the low-key Spitzen Leichtathletik meeting to make what is expected to be his only appearance between the trials and the London Games.

He is scheduled to open his Olympic program when the 100 heats start on Aug. 4.

Blake lowered the Lucerne record of 9.86 set by fellow Jamaican Nesta Carter two years ago.

“I got the meet record, which is wonderful,” Blake said. “I didn’t come here to run a quick time but it’s still a fast time. Not many guys run 9.85.”

Only three-time Olympic champion Bolt (9.76) and 2004 Olympic winner Justin Gatlin (9.80) have run faster this season.

There was still obvious room for improvement out of the blocks.

“My first part was poor but, as you can see, the last part is always ’The Beast’ part,” said Blake, referring to the nickname given him by his training partner, Bolt.

Blake clocked a personal best and world’s season-leading time of 9.75 to beat Bolt in Kingston last month. He also ran a world-leading 19.80 to beat Blot and win the 200.

After his brief trip to Switzerland, Blake will return to the Jamaican team training camp in Birmingham, England.

About the Olympic Village

The Olympic Village is located in the Olympic Park, within walking distance of the venues – enhancing the experience of athletes and officials who will stay there during the Games.

The design and build

The Olympic Village has residential apartments for around 17,000 athletes and officials during the Games, along with shops, restaurants, medical, media and leisure facilities, and large areas of open space.

There are 11 residential plots, each made up of five to seven blocks built around communal squares and courtyards, with water features accentuating the closeness of the River Lea.

Each apartment provides comfortable accommodation and state-of-the-art communications facilities, including internet access and wireless networking.

The Village also includes a ‘Village Plaza’ where athletes can meet with friends and family. The plan retains London's tradition of building homes around communal squares and courtyards, with water features accentuating the closeness of the River Lea.

Construction of the Village began in May 2008, following planning approval for the first blocks. Work on the other blocks was staggered throughout 2008 and 2009, and by mid-2012 five plots had been structurally completed and the others were approaching their full height.  As construction of the plots was finished, they began to be fitted out. Temporary partitions have been put in to create the rooms for the athletes and officials.

After the Games

After the Games, the Olympic Village will be a lasting legacy of essential new housing for east London. It will be transformed into 2,818 new homes, including 1,379 affordable homes and houses for sale and rent, and will create a new residential quarter to be known as East Village.

The communities that develop in the area after the Games will be supported by new parklands, open space, new transport links and community facilities. These will  include Chobham Academy – a world-class new education campus with 1,800 places for students aged 3–19 – and a new health centre, which will provide medical facilities to existing local communities and the residents of the Village after 2012.

The accommodation will range from one bedroom apartments up to four- and five-bedroom townhouses. Temporary partitions needed during the Games will be removed to form the final living spaces and bedrooms. Kitchens will be installed, along with new carpets or timber floors.