Jamaica have throughout the London Olympics,demonstrated that it is one of the most successful nations in the world of athletics. This however has not gone without suspicion and innuendos from some. They either hate the fact our dominance had no assistance from them or, are just bad-minded and jealous of our achievements.
Recently Carl Lewis, who had questioned whether our athletes were indeed drug-free subsequent to the Beijing Olympics, renewed that pronouncement .
We must, however, not be too concerned about this narcissist who has no moral authority to point finger at any athlete as a drug cheat, because he himself was tested on two occasions prior to the 1984 Olympics.
Unlike other Sports personalities Lewis did not attract lucrative endorsement contracts, many argue this latest salvo from him is an opportunistic attempt to garner some attention. A crass attempt at re-energizing his non-existent career. Others point to plans Lewis has to run for the US Congress as a reason for his self serving outburst. It doesn’t stop there , recently International Olympic Committee member Dick Pound in an interview with Reuters Television claimed that the (IOC) was experiencing difficulties find and testing Jamaican athletes.
Of course the local Anti Doping body in Jamaica, The Anti Doping Commission (JADCO) debunked those assertions,through an executive member wondered whether such suspicion would have been directed at a developed country like the United States. Dick Pound is a white male from Canada.
Jamaica is a proud Nation which have stamped it’s presence on the world stage, detractors ‘who seek to garner attention from our success by casting aspersions should know that this little rock of 2.8 million is as we say (“wi likkle but wi tallawa”) translation , we are small but we are a force to be reckoned with.
Errol McLeish.