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Celebrated athletics Coach Glen Mills believes local and international track and field authorities have failed to capitalise on the popularity of retired Jamaican sprinting icon Usain Bolt and is calling for sweeping reform of the sport’s marquee event, the World Athletics Championships.
Mills, who coached Bolt to eight Olympic and 11 World Championships gold medals as well as world records in the 100m and 200m, believes it is an indictment of the sport’s leadership that track and field remains over-reliant on the Olympic Games and believes the World Athletics Championships — which has its next instalment in Eugene, Oregon in July — has failed to elevate the sport into the mainstream.
“One of the things I will lament is that both locally and internationally, with a star performer of Bolt’s level, the sport did not capitalise on it in the way it should,” Mills told the Jamaica Observer.
“When I look at the impact of the advent of Tiger Woods, it’s clear that golf made the most of his popularity. You look at what the NBA became after Michael Jordan and how they have grown with their superstars, and we could go on. Whenever there is a superstar, these sports benefited immensely and continue to do so. Track and field in its semi-amateurism continue to miss the boat and it is time for track and field to become a fully professional sport,” Mills added.
A key element, based on his assessment, would be the elevation of the World Athletics Championships as the most important event in the sport and for its athletes – a position currently held by the Olympic Games, with changes ranging from the level of participation to athlete branding.
“Track and field need to create its own Mecca and not depend on competing at the Olympics as the main endorsement for the sport and its athletes. All the other major sports have their Mecca competition … golf has the Masters and tennis has its grand slams. Football — I wouldn’t even mention the World Cup or Champions League. For these sports, getting to the pinnacle, winning at their own top event supersedes any Olympic medal and that is where track and field needs to go if it is going to survive,” Mills shared.
https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/spor...-boat-on-bolt/
Mills, who coached Bolt to eight Olympic and 11 World Championships gold medals as well as world records in the 100m and 200m, believes it is an indictment of the sport’s leadership that track and field remains over-reliant on the Olympic Games and believes the World Athletics Championships — which has its next instalment in Eugene, Oregon in July — has failed to elevate the sport into the mainstream.
“One of the things I will lament is that both locally and internationally, with a star performer of Bolt’s level, the sport did not capitalise on it in the way it should,” Mills told the Jamaica Observer.
“When I look at the impact of the advent of Tiger Woods, it’s clear that golf made the most of his popularity. You look at what the NBA became after Michael Jordan and how they have grown with their superstars, and we could go on. Whenever there is a superstar, these sports benefited immensely and continue to do so. Track and field in its semi-amateurism continue to miss the boat and it is time for track and field to become a fully professional sport,” Mills added.
A key element, based on his assessment, would be the elevation of the World Athletics Championships as the most important event in the sport and for its athletes – a position currently held by the Olympic Games, with changes ranging from the level of participation to athlete branding.
“Track and field need to create its own Mecca and not depend on competing at the Olympics as the main endorsement for the sport and its athletes. All the other major sports have their Mecca competition … golf has the Masters and tennis has its grand slams. Football — I wouldn’t even mention the World Cup or Champions League. For these sports, getting to the pinnacle, winning at their own top event supersedes any Olympic medal and that is where track and field needs to go if it is going to survive,” Mills shared.
https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/spor...-boat-on-bolt/
Paul Marin -19 is one thing, 20 is a whole other matter. It gets even worse if they win the UCL. *groan*. 
05/18/2011.MU fans naah cough, but all a unuh a vomit?-Lazie 1/11/2015