GAMES

A rare sight was witnessed at the Olympic Stadium, here in London, England, yesterday. For only the second time in Olympic history, the Trinidad and Tobago flag was raised during a 400 metres medal ceremony.

The man responsible for the hoisting of the Red, White and Black, Lalonde Gordon, was moved by the moment.

"Breathtaking. I can't believe it. I'm proud to make my country's flag raise."

The 23-year-old quartermiler wants to make such occasions the norm, rather than the exception.

On Monday, Gordon clocked a personal best 44.52 seconds to earn bronze in the one-lap final. Only Grenada's Kirani James, the winner in 43.94, and Dominican Republic's Luguelin Santos (44.46) got to the line ahead of the Lowlands, Tobago, quartermiler.

James is only 19, while Santos, who recently won the world junior (under-20) title, is 18. All things being equal, both men will again be in the hunt for precious metal at the 2016 Olympics, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. But so will Gordon, and he plans to make an even stronger bid for the top spot.

The New York-based athlete told the Express that in addition to usurping King Kirani's crown in Rio, he wants to join the Grenadian in the sub-44 club.

"My goal is to drop the national record into the 43s."

Ian Morris' 44.21 seconds T&T standard has been in the books for two decades. But Gordon is not daunted by the longevity of the mark. And he shouldn't be. After all, he just broke an agonisingly long drought, becoming the country's second Olympic 400m medallist, 48 years after Wendell Mottley became the first with silver at the 1964 Games, in Tokyo, Japan.

Gordon told the Express that when he woke up, yesterday, he was in a state of disbelief.

"I thought I was in a dream. My roommate, Ade Alleyne-Forte, had to remind me that I won the medal. I still couldn't believe it. I'm the underdog, and I made it to the top."

For a couple weeks, early in 2012, Gordon was the world leader in the indoor 400m. He clocked 46.51 seconds on January 13, and followed up with a 46.43 run eight days later.

Leading the world, he said, inspired him on the Road to London.

"I told myself I have to try to repeat it outdoors and show the world who I am."

Though he has lived in New York for most of his life, his family having moved there permanently when he was just seven, not even the people in his Queens neighbourhood were aware of Gordon's exploits on the track, before Monday's historic run.

"Nobody knows me... just a few friends in the area. The bronze has given me a great sense of confidence. I've made my country and area proud. I hope people will recognise me now."

They should. Lalonde Keida Gordon is the newly crowned King of Queens.

By Kwame Laurence

Source: www.trinidadexpress.com

SEMOY HACKETT became the first Trinidad and Tobago athlete to book a spot in the women’s 200-metres final in an Olympic Games.

The 23-year-old atoned for her failure to make the women’s 100-metres final, last Saturday, with a third-place finish in the second of three semi-final heats in 22.55 seconds at the Olympic Stadium in London, England, yesterday, equalling the national record time over the women’s half-lap.

Hackett followed on the heels of fellow Tobagonian Kelly-Ann Baptiste, who became the first national sprinter to make an Olympic final of the women’s 100 metres.

Speaking from London yesterday, manager of the TT track and field contingent Dexter Voisin noted, “We have Semoy, who became the first TT athlete to make it to the women’s 200-metres final. The competition is tough, but we want to ensure we get as many finalists as possible.

“I don’t want to make any predictions but we’re just hoping for the best,” he added.

The other TT finalists thus far at the Games are Lalonde Gordon, who copped bronze in the men’s 400 metres race, Baptiste, Jehue Gordon (men’s 400 metres hurdles), Richard Thompson (men’s 100 metres) and swimmer George Bovell III (men’s 50 metres freestyle).

In the second heat of the women 200 metres semis, Allyson Felix of the United States (US) was victorious in 22.31 seconds while Murielle Ahoure of Ivory Coast was next in 22.49.

According to the event’s rules, only the top two finishers, in the three semi- final heats, automatically advanced to today’s final, which is carded for 4 pm. But Hackett, as well as France’s Myriam Soumare (22.56 seconds) qualified as the “fastest losers”.

Felix and Ahoure were always in the fray for the top two spots, but Hackett showed tremendous grit and determination, in the last 50 metres, to claim third place.

Hackett’s other rivals in the final will be Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica and Carmelita Jeter of the US (who took the top two spots in heat one in 22.32 and 22.39 seconds respectively); Sanya Richards- Ross of the US and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (who were the top two in heat three in 22.30 and 22.34 seconds respectively).

The other TT participant in the women’s 200 metres semi-final, Kai Selvon, placed fifth in heat three in 23.04 seconds. Trinidad and Tobago had mixed results in the men’s 110 metres hurdles’ first round yesterday morning, as 24-year-old Mikel Thomas was fourth in heat three in 13.74 seconds, with Orlando Ortega of Cuba victorious in 13.26.

Another fourth-place finisher in the heats was Wayne Davis III, a 20-year-old American-born of Trinidadian parentage entrant, who clocked 13.52 seconds in heat one. Jason Richardson of the US was the winner in 13.33 seconds.

But Davis’ time ensured he will progress to today’s semi-final phase, as one of the fastest losers, while Thomas’ Olympic debut ended as quickly as it began.

On his Twitter page yesterday, Thomas blogged, “thank you all for your love and support. I know I’m capable of more and, with your continued support, the limit is the sky.”

And Rondel Sorrillo was eliminated in the first round of the men’s 200 metres.

The 26-year-old could only muster a fifth place finish in the second heat, in 20.76 seconds.

The heat was won by Christophe Lemaitre of France in 20.34 seconds.

At the London Velopark, 21-year-old American-based cyclist Njisane Phillip took the seventh place in the men’s keirin.

He would later tweet, “all done! Thanks to all my sponsors for supporting me. TT thank you very much again, I love my country. Gotta give thanks to God for all these blessings, came in (and) shocked the world, I’m coming (2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil).”

Source: www.newsday.co.tt

How do you go for gold in your career? Are you a Usain Bolt, sprinting towards your goal, or do you take things at a more relaxed pace?

We are in the throes of Olympic fever. Thousands of us are flocking to Olympic venues every day, eager to get a glimpse of an aerodynamic cycle helmet whizzing by, horses’ hooves kicking up sand and sails battling it out in the water.

We’ve been screaming with joy, shouting in frustration and weeping into our super-sized cups of Olympic-sanctioned beverages.

So which athlete do you take after in your career strategy? Are fastest out of the blocks or playing the long game to get to where you want to be?

The sprinter

Are you the career equivalent of Mr Usain Bolt? Have you left others for dust and zipped to the top in record timing?

There are ways and means of pin-pointing you. You love being the centre of attention and thrive on the thrill and chase of hunting down a new account or closing a deal. You’re pretty damn cocksure, like The Bolt-ster - if you were on a starting line you’d be pulling some pretty impressive signature moves. Let’s face it, you are probably in sales.

But while the sprinters on the track find their advantage in power, being a career sprinter can be more of a tactical affair. “If you are shrewd there are certain sectors in which you can achieve a career sprint,” says Yvonne Smyth, director at Hays, a leading recruiting expert. “If you look at in-demand skills in the sector you wish to work and train up in them, you can accelerate faster than your peers.”

If you are brilliant with clients and quickly collect a bursting contacts book, you can get all of the success and glory of the 100m final.

Just be careful not to burn out.

Most likely to find you in: Sales or recruitment

The marathon runner

In certain industries and organisations in which your progression can seem more like a marathon. You work hard to put the ground work in, keep up your stamina, and through sheer resilience get to where you want eventually.

Chances are you are not a massive fan of change. You like to keep a steady pace and are quite happy waiting it out in the same company for quite some time to get to the top. You don’t like the feeling of being out of your depth and always like to have a clear schedule in front of you - ideally for the whole year.

“In some organisations and sectors, with experience comes an assumption of age. There are certain clients that expect you to have a certain number of years behind you before appearing before them. This can often be the case in professional services, in which there are rigid structures and certain gates to progress through.”

The older-style business culture that favoured marathon careers is being eroded in many industries, making this kind of career less of a necessity for many. Whether you need to wait it out your dream promotion the full length of the marathon now depends on the hierarchical nature of the company.

“In the old world (before the .com age) there was an element of needing a big of grey hair to prove you’ve gone the distance with senior people look to recruit in their own image,” explains Smyth. “Things have changed. [Now] if you have the idea and the energy to generate revenue, you will not be left slogging to get round the first corner for long.”

Most likely to find you in: Law, accountancy, medicine

The pole vaulter

You are a creation of the digital era. It used to be a rare occurrence that workers were catapulted from zero to hero overnight, but now it happens quite regularly.

Mark Zuckerberg is the ultimate example of a pole vaulter. Still in college when he started, his career as skipped the maturing process and flipped him straight into the driving seat of one of the world’s best-known companies. Not a silver hair in sight.

You are a big risk taker because you chase those high rewards. If you’re not a plucky tech entrepreneur, replete with black rimmed glasses and one really good idea, you’re probably a trader. The trading floor can make or break someone in seconds, and you have to have nerves of steel. It’s high up there at the top of that jump that you could lose it all in a moment.

Most likely to find you in: Technology, finance

The triple jumper

You have more of a segmented career, punctuated with jumps. It’s all about tactical moves at the right time to build your CV and land on the last jump, exactly where you want to be. It’s about being bold and making the right step at precisely the right time and place.

There’s a high chance you work in PR or marketing, where the average stint in any job is only a couple of years. You make swift and powerful leaps in your career and are decisive in the steps you take, landing with familiar aplomb into the next sandpit.

“We have seen increasingly across the board that in the contract between the employer and the employee, the latter says, ‘I give you X, what do you give me?’ We see much more savvy workers for whom loyalty isn’t rewarded. A generation ago loyalty would have been a sought-out trait,” says Smyth.

“Candidates are happy to hop, skip and jump as long as it demonstrates progression. Employers have to work even harder as these candidates are less risk-averse.”

Most likely to find you in: Marketing or PR

The heptathlete

You are hard to find. Being a complete all-rounder can be hard when advice tell us to specialise in order to get ahead. But some of you just can’t help being a dab hand at just about everything you turn your hands to.

It is often the case that good all-rounders still excel in certain areas, but learn fast and are open to expanding their skill base beyond what is required.

You heptathletes often make great leaders – able to manage, strategize and fight fires. You work particularly well in a start-up where pretty much anything can be thrown at you.

“These type of employees have real breadth,” says Smyth. Though she warns: “Even if you are truly multi-skilled, you have to be an expert in one thing to really stand-out. Real generalists only ally their full range of skills when they reach a leadership role.”

By Gabriella Griffith

Source: www.londonlovesbusiness.com