Belize’s athlete qualifies for Olympic hurdles semi-finals
There are four Belizeans are among the thousands of athletes in Beijing, China, doing their best to make their country proud in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. So far only one of the Belizeans has competed and tonight Jose Sanchez takes a look at his performance and the scandal that had the local airwaves buzzing.
Jose Sanchez, Reporting
On the eighth of August we saw the opening ceremonies and the Belizean contingent walking through Beijing China’s Bird’s Nest stadium. All seemed well … until a U.S. based athlete representing Belize embarrassed the country with a public complaint.
Owen “Sonny” Meighan, P.R., Belize Olympic and Commonwealth Games Assn.
“One of the athletes Mr. Jones complained that he hadn’t gotten any outfit to run in. But that’s so far from the truth. On the eighth, our contingent left. Mrs. Josephine Flowers, who is the president of the athletic association, did not get her luggage until the twelfth, four days after. Her luggage had all the equipment, all the running gear for the athletes; the track and field athletes. That comment by Mr. Jones apparently was taken just after the opening ceremony.”
Besides that minor issue, Public Relations Officer for the Belize Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association, Sonny Meighan, says he expects all the athletes to represent Belize well.
Owen “Sonny” Meighan
“We have three track and field. We have Trecia Flores, who will do long jump. We have Jonathon Williams who will do the four hundred meter hurdles event. And Jayson Jones, who is gonna do the two hundred meters and Alfonso Martinez who is our Taekwondo athlete.”
This morning Jonathon Williams ran in the first heat of the four hundred meter hurdles.
[Video of race provided Caribbean Media Corporation]
The first three runners automatically qualified and it appeared that it was over for Williams. However, his time of forty-nine point six one seconds left some hope.
Owen “Sonny” Meighan
“He came fourth in his heat but after the other heats were finished—because what they do is they take the first three winners, they go on, and the four best times. And Jonathon happened to have had one of the best times. So he goes on to run again tomorrow morning at seven fifteen.”
The competition for Williams in the semi-finals will be quite difficult when you examine the performance of his competition in another round one heat.
[Video of race provided Caribbean Media Corporation]
Caribbean Media Corporation Commentator
“The Jamaicans really put on a good show we have three Jamaicans and we have one from Belize in the semi-final round which is I think very, very good for the Caribbean as well.”
Jonathon runs proudly tomorrow morning with every Belizean’s hope for glory. Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.
Trecia Flores will be competing tonight in the women’s long jump preliminaries, while Jayson Jones will get take to the track on Sunday night. Immediately following tonight newscast, Channel Five will be broadcasting two hours of the Caribbean Media Corporation’s coverage of the Olympics entitled Caribbean Dream. Other episodes of Caribbean Dream will air on Saturday night at seven and Sunday following Duets.
