Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Islanders capture track medals - Connaughton claims silver, bronze; McCormack triple jumps to a bronze at nationals
TORONTO — Sprinter Jared Connaughton of New Haven missed gold by a whisker Sunday at the Canadian track and field championships on the weekend.
Connaughton, the defending champion, was beaten by .07 seconds in the 200-metre final.
The silver medal was added to the bronze he won Saturday in the 200 metre.
Another Islander is also bringing home a medal.
Souris native Kurt McCormack claimed a bronze in the triple jump Sunday.
Brian Barnett of Edmonton won both the 100- and 200-metre titles, making him the first male to win both sprints since Nicholas Macrozonaris in 2003.
Barnett won the 200 metres in 20.71 seconds on the wet track at Varsity Stadium, leaning in at the finish to edge Connaughton.
Sam Effah of Calgary was third in 21.02.
Connaughton won the event last year with a championship record and personal best time of 20.34.
In the qualifying races, Connaughton finished first in 20.95, while Effah was second in 21.03 and Barnett was fourth in 21.20.
McCormack also ran in the 200-metre qualifying, finishing 23rd overall in 22.85.
Gerry MacAdam of Charlottetown finished 27th with a clocking of 23.24.
In the triple jump, McCormack had a best jump of 15.02 metres to finish in third place.
He also had other jumps of 14.55, 14.26 and 15.01.
The top-two finishers were Jacob Zorzella (15.14) and Sean Jestadt (15.09).
In the qualifying jumps, McCormack was fourth with a 14.81, behind David St. Bernard (15.29), Jason Goetz (14.88) and Jestadt (14.82).
Saturday, Connaughton finished third in the 100-metre final in 10.462, just edging out Effah for the bronze, who was timed in 10.469.
Barnett won with a time of 10.28 while Hank Palmer of Montreal was second in 10.40.
Connaughton was also third in his semifinal heat in a time of 10.41, finishing behind Palmer (10.33) and Barnett (10.39).
The Islander had Canada’s best 100-metre time of 10.15 last year.
Barnett, Connaughton, Effah, Palmer and Anson Henry are all members of the Canadian 4x100 relay that finished sixth at the Beijing Olympics.
The championships also serve as the qualifying meet for next month’s world championships in Berlin
Only four athletes met the qualifying marks over the four-day event that they needed for the world championships — 100-metre hurdlers Perdita Felicien and Priscilla Lopes-Schliep, Sultana Frizzell in the women’s hammer throw and shot putter Dylan Armstrong.
The men’s and women’s 4x100 relay teams have already qualified.
Athletes have until July 24 to reach their qualifying marks, and Athletics Canada was hoping to send a team of about 30 athletes to the meet.
P.E.I.'s Connaughton just misses 200-metre gold
New Haven's Jared Connaughton picked up two medals at the 2009 Canadian Track and Field Championships. (Courtesy Athletics Canada)Jared Connaughton of New Haven, P.E.I., missed a gold medal by 0.07 seconds Sunday at the Canadian Track and Field Championships in Toronto.
Connaughton, 23, the country's defending champion in the 200 metres, won silver in the event. He also brought home a bronze in the 100 metres.
Edmonton's Brian Barnett won gold in both the 100 and 200.
Another P.E.I. athlete, Kurt McCormack of Souris, won bronze in the triple jump on Sunday.
Connaughton finished 14th in the 2008 Summer Olympics in the 200 and was a member of the sixth-place Canadian 4x100 sprint relay.
In August, Connaughton heads to the world championships in Berlin as part of the relay team.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
The Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay Unveiled
http://www.vancouver2010.com/en/news/news-releases/The Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay: a 10-day celebration of extraordinary achievements Starting point, steel blue torch design,
official uniform, and relay’s emblem unveiled
Jun 25, 2009
Vancouver, BC — Three days after the Olympic Flame is extinguished on the West Coast, a new flame will light in Ottawa — in the heart of Canada’s national capital — sparking the official start of the 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay on March 3, 2010. The 10-day inspirational journey will illuminate the extraordinary achievements of Paralympians and celebrate the endless possibilities of the human spirit through sharing the message of courage and determination embodied by the flame.
The relay, supported by the Government of Canada, will involve an estimated 600 torchbearers and visit several celebration sites, which the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) is actively working on and will announce at a later date. The Paralympic Flame will travel to BC Place in downtown Vancouver for the opening of the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games on March 12, marking the first time Canada has hosted a Paralympic Winter Games. Tickets for all Paralympic events are on sale now at www.vancouver2010.com.
“The Paralympic Games are about celebrating unbelievable athletic performances and triumphing repeatedly over adversity. The flame — and the Paralympic Torch Relay — is a powerful physical reminder of this, of how a dream can spark a personal and emotional transformation in the pursuit of excellence,” said Sir Philip Craven, President of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), who participated in today’s announcement with a host of dignitaries. “I know in 2010, Canadians will give a warm welcome to the flame wherever it visits, and be great hosts to the world’s finest Paralympians.”
As well, for the first time the Paralympic Torch Relay will have its own unique emblem. The 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay emblem — “Spark Becomes Flame” — shows a human figure with its arms raised and joined, much like a candle’s flame. Contained within the arms is the glow of the fire within everyone, symbolizing the moment when imaginations are ignited and dreams are born. The design was created by Vancouver 2010’s in-house design team.
“We felt it was important for the Paralympic Torch Relay to have its own emblem because of its special ability to shine its own light and reveal amazing stories of courage and perseverance in our communities and at the Games,” said John Furlong, VANOC’s Chief Executive Officer. “To honour the remarkable achievements of Paralympic athletes, we are planning extraordinary relay events that will inspire and garner attention for the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games and the Paralympic Movement.”
The March 3 lighting ceremony in Ottawa will have a uniquely Canadian flair; the Paralympic Flame has no ancestral home, hence each Organizing Committee has the freedom to choose a lighting method and celebration significant to the Host Country. The details of the ceremony will be revealed this fall by VANOC, along with the torchbearer selection process and the relay celebration stops en route from Ottawa to Vancouver.
“The Government of Canada is proud to present the Paralympic Torch Relay, and we encourage all Canadians to follow the flame from the relay’s start in Ottawa to its exciting homecoming in Vancouver,” said the Honourable Gary Lunn, Minister of State (Sport). “The Paralympic Torch Relay will spread the Paralympic spirit from coast to coast to coast and celebrate the talents and achievements of our great Paralympic athletes, who are an inspiration to us all.”
Over 1,300 athletes and officials from more than 40 countries will take part in five sports (alpine and cross-country skiing, ice sledge hockey, wheelchair curling and biathlon) during the 10-day 2010 Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver and Whistler next March. The big international sporting event comes just 12 days after the region hosts the Olympic Winter Games.
“The Paralympic Torch Relay will bring the spirit of competition and triumph that our Paralympic athletes personify to communities across British Columbia and Canada,” said the Honourable Gordon Campbell, Premier of BC. “We’ve already witnessed how truly incredible these athletes are and how fierce the competition is when we hosted several Paralympic sport events at the 2010 venues earlier this year. British Columbians are excited to host Canada’s first-ever Paralympic Winter Games and to share in seeing the dreams of our athletes come true right here in their home.”
At the news conference today with Sir Philip, VANOC also unveiled the torch and uniform design for the 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay. Brad Lennea of Whistler, BC, a retired member of Canada’sPara-Alpine Ski Team and a Paralympic Torchbearer in Beijing, and fellow skier Karolina Wisniewska of Vancouver, BC, carried the distinctive steel blue torch, inspired by the Canadian winter landscape and the lines etched on ice by winter sports.
The one-metre-long torch, designed by Bombardier, has an ergonomic, curved and modern design and features the emblem of the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games, a red maple leaf air intake cut-out and an engraving of the Games motto With Glowing Hearts/Des plus brillants exploits. It also has robust technology created by Bombardier’s aerospace and transportation design teams to weather the extremes of the Canadian winter. The torch can be operated in temperatures ranging from -50 C to over 40 C, through rain, sleet, snow and wind.
The Paralympic Torchbearer uniform, which seamlessly blends in with the torch design, is steel blue in colour and accented with bright bursts of blue and green on the jacket’s left arm. The uniform, designed and produced by the Hudson’s Bay Company, consists of a jacket, pullover pants, toque and knitted red mittens. The uniform is a commemorative keepsake for torchbearers.
The uniform also features the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay emblem on the chest and the IPC symbol, known as agitos, on the back. Silver reflective elements, including “Vancouver 2010” on the right jacket sleeve and right back pant leg, have been added for prominence and visibility.
Further information on the 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay, including photos of the torch and torchbearer uniforms, is available online at www.vancouver2010.com/torchrelay.
Fulton Campbell - A hot, humid run - Happy Birthday Doug
It was 25 degrees humid and no wind and mostly cloudy.The Fulton Campbell Memorial Run at Montague school.
The first 10km of the half marathon I started walk and break because the climate too hot and humid and back on track at 12km mark of race to soak the cap and drink.
I passed 8 runners from before Poole's Corner and end of the race.
Jamie Nickerson won the race and Rebecca Pike for the top female.
Jamie biked from Charlottetown. Scott Clark biked from Summerside, got to race after start and finish 12th. More people biked to the race.
Adam Lamb won the 5km race and Laura Smith for the top female.
I finished in 2:01:25 and came in 46th out of 72 runners.
More Photos
Deborah's PEI RoadRunners Photos
Official Result: 46th out of 72
Half-Marathon in 2 hours, 1 minute, 25 seconds
Fulton Campbell 2008
Fulton Campbell 2007
Fulton Campbell 2006
Fulton Campbell 2005
Fulton Campbell 2004
I working at UPEI Track as volunteering for Canadaian Jr. Track and Field Championships in July 17-19.
Happy Birthday Uncle Doug!
acceptance, inclusion, awareness
Connaughton keeps on running
TORONTO — Jared Connaughton of New Haven had the fourth-best time in the men’s 100-metre qualifying heats Friday at the Canadian track and field championships.
Friday, June 26, 2009
The Truth About Hydration in the Heat
The Truth About Hydration in the Heat
Most articles about exercising in the heat are all about hydration. But did you know that drink fluids during exercise in hot weather actually does very little to prevent the body's core temperature from rising? It's true, and the studies prove it.
For example, a 2007 study from the University of Exeter, England, found that fluid consumption did not prevent a rise in body temperature or improve performance in a half-marathon running event. This was the first study to monitor internal body temperature continuously throughout a real race, using high-tech sensors that runners actually ingested the night before the race, which took place in hot and humid conditions.
Runners consumed as much or as little fluid as they wished during the race, and there was a high degree of variability in drinking rates. Runners replaced between 6 and 73 percent of body fluid losses over the course of the run. Researchers found no correlation between the amount of fluid runners consumed and their body temperature or performance. Thus, they concluded that drinking fluid had no effect on body temperature or performance in this context.
However, there is another way to interpret these results. Evidence from other recent studies suggests that the nervous system regulates body temperature and performance during exercise in the heat through a mechanism called regulatory anticipation. Essentially, the brain allows the body to work hard enough--and only hard enough--to reach his highest safe core body temperature, which is more or less the same in all humans.
Therefore, as long as they are working at maximum capacity--as one does during a race--runners competing in the heat will reach the same core body temperature whether drinking has a cooling effect or not, because inasmuch as it does have a cooling effect, the runner's brain will simply allow him to run a little harder so that he still reaches the same body temperature.
But, if this is so, wouldn't the authors of this study at least have observed a performance benefit to hydration? The answer is that they probably would have observed a performance benefit if they had looked for one within individual runners (by having each of them run the race twice--once without fluid consumption and once at the runner's natural rate of fluid consumption), but instead they looked for a general correlation between drinking rate and performance in the general study population. Presumably, however, each runner instinctively consumed fluid at the proper rate to maximize his individual performance.
This speculation is borne out by a more recent study performed by researchers at the University of Cape Town South Africa. In this study, cyclists performed a time trial in a hot environment on several occasions, consuming fluid at a different rate in each. The authors of the study found that the rate of fluid intake had no effect on core body temperature, but it did affect performance. The cyclists performed best when they drank at an "ad libitum" (freely chosen rate).
So while drinking while running in the heat will not cool you down, it will speed you up. Specifically, drinking during hot-weather runs will keep your blood volume at close to normal levels, which in turn keeps your sweat rate high. And since oxygen is delivered to the muscles through the blood, maintaining your blood volume through drinking also enables your heart to deliver more oxygen per contraction, so you perform better than you can if you allow your body to become too dehydrated.
How much should you drink? Studies such as the one above suggest that you should simply drink according to your thirst. Drinking more will neither keep you cooler nor improve your performance; but it will increase your chances of suffering from GI distress.
By far the most effective way to prevent your body from overheating while running in the heat is not to drink a ton of fluid but simply to slow down. But your brain, through its anticipatory regulation mechanism, will strongly encourage you to do this anyway, at first by making you feel uncomfortable at your normal pace and then, if necessary, by simply refusing to allow your muscles to work as hard as you want them to.
This mechanism is no failsafe, however. During exercise in the heat, it is possible for the brain itself to overheat, causing this protective mechanism to fail and opening the door to heat illness. So, to avoid this dangerous situation, take all the usual precautions such as avoiding exercise during the hottest part of the day, wearing appropriate technical apparel, and heeding warning signs such as dizziness, lightheadedness and cessation of sweating.PEI In Motion - Training for the PEI Marathon
www.getinmotion.caThe PEI In Motion running clinic started last week.
We run Thursday night and Sunday long runs.
New Haven’s Jared Connaughton will be running the 100- and 200-metre events - Canadian track and field championships and world trials
http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?sid=264421&sc=99Runner's world
New Haven’s Jared Connaughton will be running
the 100- and 200-metre events
The Guardian
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Mark Arendz - Training season underway
The Guardian
Mark Arendz 
The Guardian
Email: markushook@hotmail.com
A native of Springton, P.E.I., Mark Arendz is preparing to compete for Canada in the upcoming Paralympic Winter Games March 12-21 in Vancouver, B.C.
Arendz will provide Guardian readers with updates on his training and highlights of his participation in the games.
Photo courtesy of Molson Canada
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
This weekend's Races - Fulton Campbell Half Marathon & 5 K and 5th Annual Bennie Bernard Memorial
Saturday June 27,
Points Race (Half Marathon only)
Registration: 8:00 a.m. at Montague Consolidated School, Princess Dr., Montague (Find it on the Map)
Sponsor: Stewart McKelvey Law Firm
Contact: Kimberley Bailey 902-368-9019 dkbailey@pei.sympatico.ca
Special Instruction or Notice: The Half marathon is a Points Race. The 5K run is not a Points Race. Neat entrance
gifts, post race BBQ with all the trimmings, door prizes drawn. Great value for your
dollar.
Fee: $10 for 5K, $20 for Half, free for kids under 16. All proceeds of the Fulton go to 2 families with children with special needs and 1 group of "Youth Can Do" students.
Course Description: The Half Marathon starts at MCS and proceeds through a residential area. The run
then goes along the Montague River, towards Knox's Dam. Onto Queens Rd and then Union, the race become more rural. Take a right hand turn onto Rte #3 which will take you to Pooles Corner, hang a right onto Rte 4 . Bells Hill is just ahead! The race continues straight into Montague, at the intersection turn right onto Queen's Road, continue and then turn left at Princess Dr. Back at the School. The 5K race finishes on the Union Rd. Hilly, challenging...a little something for everyone!! Scenic and hilly.
Map (5K is the first 5K of the Half-Marathon)
Photos from the Fulton Campbell 2004-2008
~*~
2009 5th Annual Bennie Bernard Memorial
Sunday June 28,
6K Run/Walk and 3K Kids(10 & under)
Registration: 12:00 p.m. at Palmer Road Church (Find it on the Map)
Fee: $5.00
Fundraiser: Parish Fundraiser
Contact: Randy Allain (902)882-3467 rallain@pei.sympatico.ca
Special Instruction or Notice: The 3K kids run is a 1.5K out and back with safety for all participants #1 priority
of the organizers
Course Description: Out and back on Route 155, Thompson Road Palmer Road-Nice run and event for
all family members
2007 Bennie Bernard Memorial Run
~*~
Brookvale trail run #2
(training for the August 2nd Brookvale Ultra Trail Marathon)
Posted on June 16, 2009 by Shawn
For anyone interested in running the trails again, or missed the first time out, we will be going on Sunday, June 28 at 7am leaving from the nordic center.
We had a great turn out the last time and everyone seemed to be having lots of fun.
Again bring lots of water, and maybe some food and be ready for a 3hr run
(Find it on the Map)
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Islanders on the Run - This Weekend at The Johnny Miles
www.johnnymiles.caFull Marathon
3(Place) - Mark McCosham - 2/26(Div. Place) - 2:53:09*Full Results
4(Place) - Leo McCosham - 3/26(Div. Place) - 2:53:27*
13(Place) - David Forsythe - 3/19(Div. Place) - 3:16:14*
29(Place) - Ken Taylor - 13/26(Div. Place) - 3:33:59
30(Place) - Mark Victor - 14/26(Div. Place) - 3:34:15
35(Place) - Pam Power Mckenna - 2/6(Div. Place) - 3:38:38*
40(Place) - Francis Fagan - 10/19(Div. Place) - 3:41:05*
41(Place) - John Van Ekris - 16/26(Div. Place) - 3:42:21
43(Place) - Michael Shea - 12/19(Div. Place) - 3:45:07
46(Place) - Jackie Chaisson - 1/5(Div. Place) - 3:47:24
54(Place) - Karen Moore - 4/12(Div. Place) - 3:52:46*
56(Place) - Paul Burnley - 20/26(Div. Place) - 3:53:20
57(Place) - Brenda Benson - 3/5(Div. Place) - 3:54:52
65(Place) - Carolyn Rowe-Turner - 6/12(Div. Place) - 4:00:09
67(Place) - Elaine Burkholder - 6/6(Div. Place) - 4:00:25*
87(Place) - Pam Montgomery - 9/12(Div. Place) - 4:21:54
88(Place) - Cheryl Tanton - 10/12(Div. Place) - 4:21:54
90(Place) - Jennifer Galle - 5/5(Div. Place) - 4:31:47
91(Place) - Cathy Vaniderstine - 11/12(Div. Place) - :33:17
92(Place) - Debby Hughes - 12/12(Div. Place) - 4:33:19
94(Place) - Lianne Murray - 6/7(Div. Place) - 4:38:09
96(Place) - Dianne Pye - 8/9(Div. Place) - 4:40:22
52(Place) - Brodie O'Keefe - 10/19(Div. Place) - 1:36:56Full Results
115(Place) - Sandy Carson Mcguire - 6/72(Div. Place) - 1:44:39
137(Place) - Beth Ellen Brown - 6/29(Div. Place) - 1:47:35
138(Place) - Lynn Meredith - 3/43(Div. Place) - 1:47:11
175(Place) - Lisa Doiron - 12/72(Div. Place) - 1:51:29
176(Place) - Kimberly McNeill - 18/84(Div. Place) - 1:51:30
178(Place) - Mike Murrins - 30/58(Div. Place) - 1:51:09
183(Place) - Judy West - 5/43(Div. Place) - 1:51:38
189(Place) - Loretta Van Ekris - 14/72(Div. Place) - 1:52:38
196(Place) - Eva Strongman - 23/84(Div. Place) - 1:53:37
207(Place) - Jo-Anne Shea - 7/43(Div. Place) - 1:53:53
214(Place) - Rick West - 10/21(Div. Place) - 1:54:49
223(Place) - Kim Horrelt - 19/72(Div. Place) - 1:56:17
265(Place) - Paul F Johnston - 60/72(Div. Place) - 1:59:28
276(Place) - Sandra Gregory - 3/5(Div. Place) - 2:00:39
277(Place) - Dorothy Gregory - 13/43(Div. Place) - 2:00:39
321(Place) - Elaine Chessman - 17/43(Div. Place) - 2:05:58
325(Place) - Paul Chessman - 43/58(Div. Place) - 2:06:03
333(Place) - Magan MacDonald - 24/29(Div. Place) - 2:07:16
336(Place) - Tracey Clements - 49/72(Div. Place) - 2:06:53
377(Place) - Rose Murphy Cheverie - 23/43(Div. Place) - 2:12:27
380(Place) - Jennifer Kearney - 26/29(Div. Place) - 2:14:06
393(Place) - Erin Peterson - 27/29(Div. Place) - 2:16:35
394(Place) - Matthew MacKay - 48/58(Div. Place) - 2:16:35
410(Place) - Sherry Rooth - 75/84(Div. Place) - 2:18:44
445(Place) - Cheryl Delaney - 70/72(Div. Place) - 2:55:35
122(Place) - Szarina Gauthier - 6/83(Div. Place) - 52:00 5:12Full Results
183(Place) - Alexis Clements - 14/83(Div. Place) - 55:31 5:34
232(Place) - Bria Brown - 20/56(Div. Place) - 57:56 5:48
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Deltaware 5K
It was sun and cloud and 19 degrees.The Deltaware 5km fun run in Charlottetown.
Gord from UFIT do the warm up.
There was head wind on the boardwalk.
Kris Taylor won the race and Rebecca Walker repeat for the top female.
I finished in 20:32 and came in 27th out of 175 runners.
Next week I going to Montague at Fulton Campbell half marathon.
More Photos
Deborah's PEI RoadRunner Photos
Official result: 27th out of 175
5K in 20 minutes, 32 seconds.
Deltaware 2004
Deltaware 2005
Deltaware 2006
Deltaware 2007
Deltaware 2008
(Kara Grant & Alex Bain in Bilingual running shirts)Good Luck to all PEI runners
at Johnny Miles!
Running For Autism
acceptance, inclusion, awareness
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
This Saturday's Race - Deltaware 5K
Saturday June 20, 2009
5 K
Registration: 8:00 a.m. at Atlantic Technology Centre (Find it here on the Map)
Fee: $10.00
Sponsor: East Coast Cresting
Fundraiser: Island Hospice Association
Contact: Allana Cameron 628-4624 Allana.Cameron@Deltaware.com
Sarah Zakem 368-8122 Sarah.Zakem@Deltaware.com
Course Description: A nice run for all abilities through the streets of Charlottetown.
Race Map
The top male and female winners of this year's Deltaware 5K will again receive an entrance certificate to the Battle of the Champions this year. Last year's winners, Stan Chaisson and Rebecca Walker, both participated in the Battle of the Champions.
As part of the 3rd Annual Credit Union Atlantic Lung Run on Sunday, August 9th, 2009, they will be hosting the 2nd Annual Battle of the Champions. This will take place as part of the Credit Union Atlantic Lung Run 5k. This will encourage the best of the Maritimes to compete head-to-head in a 5k run at peak form.
They have identified a number of premier 5km and 10km runs across the Maritimes including Deltaware Systems 5k in which they will invite the male and female winners from each race. These winners will be given a free entry certificate*, and an elite bib number. This will give local elite athletes a national caliber competition experience in their own back yard. The Battle of Champions will also provide media a chance to highlight our sport to the public. In year 1, the winners were featured in a full page write up in the Canadian Runner, our sports national running magazine.
Deltaware 2004 ~ Deltaware 2005 ~ Deltaware 2006 ~ Deltaware 2007 ~ Deltaware 2008
Photos from the Deltaware 5K 2004-2008
~ Deltaware 2008 ~
*** 5K Personal Best ***
Sunday, June 14, 2009
PEI Parks Trail Run 2009
It was cloudy and 10 degrees and windy.The trail run on 5km out and back.
The long sleeve shirt kept me warm.
Scott Clark won the race and Jen Nicholson for the top female.
Scott biked 61km to the race.
I finished in 44:52 and came in 20th out of 82 runners. I won a Big Break hat and gave it to my uncle from Calgary. He liked it a lot.
More Photos
Official Result: 20th out of 82
10K in 44 minutes, 52 seconds
PEI Parks Trail Run 2008
PEI Parks Trail Run 2007
PEI Parks Trail Run 2005
PEI Parks Trail Run 2004
Running For Autism
acceptance not cure
Friday, June 12, 2009
Good timing - Canadian Tara Whitten solidifies overall title in the final stage of Tour de P.E.i.
:Related photo galleries
:
| Canadian Tara Whitten, wearing the leader’s yellow jersey, stays near the top of the pack to win the overall title during the fifth stage of the Tour de P.E.I. international women’s cycling event Thursday in Charlottetown. (Guardian photo by Nigel Armstrong) | ||
Canadian Tara Whitten solidifies overall title
in the final stage of Tour de P.E.i.
CHARLES REID
The Guardian
Bolt gives 'em taste of speed
| Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt of Jamaica looks back as he crosses the line to win the 100-metre event at the Festival of Excellence in Toronto on Thursday. In the background, centre, is Jared Connaughton of New Haven, P.E.I. (Canadian Press photo) | ||
P.E.I.'s Jared Connaughton finishes sixth in 100 metres at Festival of Excellence
LORI A. MAYNE
THE CANADIAN PRESS
TORONTO — Usain Bolt loped out of the blocks trailing the field under a miserable and steady downpour on Thursday night. But the way he hit his second gear and left the field in his wake made the fans at Varsity Stadium forget all about the rain.
The world’s fastest man put on a show at the inaugural Festival of Excellence, galloping to victory in the 100 metres in 10.00 seconds. The time was well off the Jamaican’s 9.69 world record that he ran at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but Bolt was simply using the event to gauge where he is at this point in his season, and he admitted to be cautious in the rainy conditions.
“That’s the right thing to do,” Bolt said afterward. “You’ve got to be very careful because they have a lot of running to do and you can’t manage to get injured at this time of the season.”
Shawn Crawford of the U.S. was second in 10.25, and Ivory Williams, also of the U.S., finished third in 10.28.
Jared Connaughton of New Haven, P.E.I., finished sixth in a 10:51, off his top Canadian mark of 10:15 from last year.
The meet featured 50 Olympians, but Bolt, who reportedly earned $250,000 for his appearance, was the headliner and clear fan favourite in front of a large Jamaican-Canadian crowd of 5,835 — a near-sellout in the revamped 6,500-seat venue.
“It felt good, I think I should have done a little better. For me it’s all right, I got through it injury free so that’s a good thing,” said Bolt, who jogged a victory lap with dozens of young children.
Jared Connaughton of Charlottetown was sixth in the 100 in 10.51 while Anson Henry of Pickering, Ont., was seventh in 10.57.
The race was delayed by two false starts which led to Bolt’s countryman Marvin Anderson being ejected from the eight-man field. The 22-year-old wasn’t thrilled to have to wait at the start in the rain.
“This is a part of the game,” said Bolt. “Some day you have a good day, some day you have a bad day. I guess I’ll put this down as a bad day for me.”
Minutes before Bolt stepped into the starting blocks, Canada’s female hurdlers gave the crowd a thrill. Priscilla Lopes-Schliep of Whitby, Ont., won the women’s 100-metre hurdles in 12.86, edging fellow Canadian Perdita Felicien of Pickering, Ont., who crossed second in 12.88. Damu Cherry of the U.S. was third in 13.01.
Felicien praised the crowd for supporting the event, and hopes it’s only the beginning for the sport in Toronto.
“(The crowd) was ridiculous, and the tickets were expensive, but it was well worth it,” Felicien said.
“There is a crowd and there is a market for it,” she added. “I love Usain and I’m thankful to him that he won all those medals last year so we can have an event like this. The big message is sustainability and getting an event out here every single year.”
Fans paid from $25 up to $250 for finish line seats.
One particular fan thought Bolt’s performance was worth the price of admission.
“I wanted to come here and see him do his thing, on Canadian soil,” said Bailey, Canada’s former 100-metre world-record holder and Olympic champion. “You have to understand that this is the very best specimen in track and field ever. He’s going to do things that none of us have seen. . . including me, who once held that title.
“As a fan I’m just here watching and cheering him on and hoping that he stays healthy so that we see some really good things in Berlin.”
*****
Order of finish in the 100 metres:
1. Usain Bolt, Jamaica, 10:00
2. Shawn Crawford, U.S., 10:25
3. Ivory Williams, U.S., 10:38
4. Bernard Williams, U.S., 10:47
5. Mario Forsythe, Jamaica, 10:48
6. Jared Connaughton, Canada, 10:51
7. Anson Henry, Canada, 10:57
Disq. - Marvin Anderson, false start.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
This Saturday's Race - PEI Parks Trail Run
PEI Parks Trail Run
10 K
Registration: 8:00 a.m. At the Trail entrance in Milton (on Route 248) (Find it on the Map)
Fee: $15, includes free t-shirt for first 80 registered
Sponsor: PEI Provincial Parks
Fundraiser: Canadian Cancer Society
Contact: Paul Baglole 566-4834 (h) or 368-6334 (w) pamandpaul@islandtelecom.com
Course Description: Flat and easy on Confederation Trail
Connaughton in his ready-to-run phase - Bolt-mania electrifies track world
CHARLES REID
The Guardian
| Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt of Jamaica smiles after winning the 2009 Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award Wednesday in Toronto. (Canadian Press photo) | ||
P.E.I.'s Jared Connaughton to race against
Olympic star tonight in festival
THE CANADIAN PRESS
TORONTO — Usain-mania officially hit Toronto on Wednesday, complete with beefy bodyguards and stretch limousines.
Jamaican sprint star Usain Bolt arrived to a jam-packed news conference, the likes of which Olympic sport rarely enjoys in Canada, on the eve of the Festival of Excellence at the revamped Varsity Stadium.
And if all hopes are pinned on the affable 22-year-old to be a saviour of a sport that’s taken a beating for years, it appears to be working.
“A lot of people put me up there and I’m OK with that,” Bolt said on the lofty expectations people have placed on him. “I’m trying my heart out, I’m doing my best, I’m showing the people my personality, to come out and watch and just enjoy track and field again.”
Bolt raced to three gold medals and two world records at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and his post-victory lightning bolt pose and his victory dances are enduring images from China. His astonishing performances earned him the 2009 Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award, presented Wednesday.
The six-foot-five runner is the main headliner for the Festival of Excellence (TSN, 7:30 p.m. ET), an event that features a star-studded field of 50 Olympians, including Canadian hurdlers Priscilla Lopes-Schliep and Perdita Felicien, American sprinter Shawn Crawford, decathlete Bryan Clay, and pole vaulter Stacy Dragila, and Kenyan middle-distance runner Shedrack Korir.
Felicien said she doesn’t mind getting lost in the attention that’s being aimed at Bolt if it shines the spotlight on her sport.
“I don’t mind, this is great for Toronto,” Felicien told several dozen journalists assembled in a ballroom of a swanky Yorkville hotel. “It needs to be sustainable over the years, I don’t think Usain Bolt should be the only reason we have a major track fixture in Toronto, but thanks to him it’s opened some doors.
“But I didn’t know there this was this much media for track and field in Toronto,” she added, perhaps half-joking. “I’ve been to 10 national championships. . . you guys do exist!”
Toronto hasn’t hosted a world-class track event since the 150-metre showdown between Donovan Bailey and Michael Johnson in 1997 that turned into a bust when Johnson pulled up with an injury.
“We see the hype and crowds and the excitement in Europe, but we hadn’t seen that in North America in a long time,” said sprinter Jared Connaughton of Charlottetown. “For (Bolt) to bring back the sport to a global stage that competes with the NHL playoffs and the NBA finals, to have reporters here to cover a track and field event is pretty unique, especially in Canada.”
Bolt ran 9.69 seconds to win the Olympic 100, breaking his own world record. He followed that with a victory in the 200, running 19.30 to break Johnson’s 12-year-old world 200-metre mark. He capped the Games by running the third leg of Jamaica’s 4x100-metre relay that won gold.
The most astonishing thing about Bolt’s 100-metre race was he slowed down to celebrate a good 20 metres before hitting the finish line, prompting endless questions about how fast he can really go.
Bolt thinks 9.5 seconds is within reach.
“But I think it’s going to take a lot of work to get there,” Bolt told a throng of reporters squeezed around him six-deep. “But it’s going to take a lot of work to get there, I’m going to have to work hard always.
“I don’t go for times, for me it’s all about championships. I guess if I work hard and win championships, the time will come.”
Johnson, a five-time Olympic champion and nine-time world gold medallist, said the stars were aligned perfectly for Bolt in Beijing. So it remains to be seen how much faster he really can go.
“What we saw last year was certainly the most incredible athletic performance over a championship that I’ve ever witnessed,” Johnson said. “Now it will be interesting to see how he can follow that up.
“Obviously he has the ability to run faster, because had he run through the finish line there he would have run faster. (But) he will never have that opportunity again, there will never be a first Olympic Games for Usain Bolt again. . . another first opportunity to break a world record at an Olympic Games again.
“All those factors are certainly a part of his performance and why he was able to perform so great. That was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that he took great advantage of.”
Bolt has already broken the world record this season in the seldom-contested 150 metres, blowing away the field on a temporary track in Manchester, England.
The Festival of Excellence will be his first major 100 metres of the season, and he’s using the race to gauge his progress.
“Just go out there and see where I’m at, and stay injury-free,” Bolt said.
Connaughton and Anson Henry of Pickering, Ont., both Beijing Olympians, are the lone Canadians in the 100-metre field. Bolt’s main competition should come from Crawford, runner-up to the Jamaican in the Beijing 200 metres and the 2004 Olympic champion over that distance.
Crawford joked there’s only one way to beat Bolt.
“I’m going to go down to the (hotel) front desk and I’m going to tell them, `My name is Usain Bolt.’ Hopefully they’ll give me a key. I’m going to go up to his room and I’m going to tie him up and he’s going to miss the track meet,” Crawford said laughing.
As for the throng of reporters, the glare of the spotlight and the countless fans that have followed the Jamaican since that stunning two weeks in Beijing, Bolt said he’s come to expect it. Not that he’ll ever get used to it.
“I went down the street once to get some food maybe a month after Beijing, and I had to go back home. I couldn’t get the food,” Bolt said. “People kept stopping me, taking pictures, it was really rough.
“I decided next time to send one of my friends. . . It’s been hard, but it’s getting easier.”
Tickets for the Festival of Excellence at the 6,500-seat Varsity Centre range from $25 for “Lane 9” seats — street-side seating on the opposite backstretch — to $250 near the finish line.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/prince-edward-island/story/2009/06/11/pei-connaughton-bolt.htmlPrince Edward Islander ready to race Bolt
New Haven, P.E.I.'s Jared Connaughton races against Usain Bolt at a meet in Toronto Thursday night.
Jared Connaughton hopes to get a quick start on the world record holder. (CBC) And while the spotlight has been on the Jamaican Olympic gold medallist, Connaughton told CBC News he's ready to run at the Festival of Excellence. He set a personal best last weekend running the 100 metres in a time of 10.09 seconds during a meet in Texas. Bolt ran a 9.69 at the 2008 Olympics.
Connaughton said he hopes to take advantage of his quickness out of the blocks.
"Bolt, if he has any weaknesses, which is, they're few and far between, but I think any weakness is probably his start," said Connaughton.
"On any given day I think I would be considered one of the best starters in the world. So if I really get out, I stay in my race pattern, I think, I don't know if I'm going to hold him off but I definitely think I'm going to run a fast race here in Toronto."
The P.E.I. athlete is also looking forward to the Canadian championships in a couple of weeks.
The 100 metre race will be run just after 8 p.m. ET, and is being televised on TSN.
Also in the race will be Toronto's Anson Henry.
Other Canadian Olympians competing at the Festival of Excellence include hurdlers Perdita Felicien and Olympic bronze medallist Priscilla Lopes-Schliep, 400-metre runner Tyler Christopher, Nate Brannen in the mile and women's 800-metre wheelchair racer Tracey Ferguson.
