The great chance for the youth
by Marty Post
SINGAPORE; Aug. 21. - As the track and field medal competition at the
Singapore Youth Olympic Games got underway today, one can only wonder
which of these young champions will someday also wear an Olympic Games
medal around their necks. Who will be the next Wilson Kipketer, the next
Sebastian Coe, the next Frankie Fredericks, the next Sergey Bubka?
This quartet not only stands among the greatest stars in the history
of athletics, but they personally attended these first Youth Olympic
Games to offer their encouragement and observations.
Kipketer, an Olympic medalist and multiple World champion, was
honoured as an Athlete Role Model. He went beyond the disappointment of
not being able to compete in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games because of a
change in national allegiance from Kenya to Denmark to still become one
of the great 800m runners of all-time. His outdoor World record of
1:41.11 has stood for 13 years.
"The Youth Olympics is a time for young athletes to learn, to get
used to everything," said Kipketer. "The Games are a platform for them
to plan for the future. I ran in the world junior championships and when
I lost it gave me an idea of everything required to be a top athlete."
"Young athletes can use the Youth Olympics as a chance to see what
running is about and how to handle the media, the pressure, the
training, the warm-up process and travelling," he added. "This is an
opportunity for them to know each other, to learn about other countries,
to have their minds opened as they meet with the world."
Sebastian Coe, the double Olympic 1500m gold medalist and the man who
preceded Kipketer as 800m World record holder, is now also the chairman
of the London 2012 Olympic Games organising committee and an IAAF Vice
President. He began running at age 12 and made his Olympic debut 11
years later (1980) and reflected, "I would have loved halfway along my
journey to have had that opportunity (to compete in a Youth Olympics).
It is a critical asset for the overall experience for athletes to deal
with the pressures and stresses and strains that come when under the
Olympics."
"The way sports are presented to youth has to change," Coe explained.
"They don't want a nine-day track and field championships," he said.
"They want action, and they want the event to flow. These are the sort
of things we can learn from."
Frank ("Frankie") Fredericks never struck Olympic gold but he has the
singular honour of earning double silver medals at both 100m and 200m at
two consecutive Olympic Games (1992 and 1996). In 1993 he became
Namibia's first World champion with a gold medal at the 200m and he
still holds the indoor world record of 19.92 at that distance set in
1996.
"These Youth Olympics are yet another chance for young athletes to
gain experience. As a small kid coming from the small country of Namibia
I had no such chance," he said.
"The Cultural and Educational Programme (part of the YOG) is also
another way to prepare athletes at a young age. It is important for them
to see and meet those from other cultures around the world," added
Fredericks, a member of Champions for Peace, a group of elite athletes
who promote world peace through sport.
Addressing a gathering of 600 young athletes at a Chat with the
Champions held at the Youth Olympic Village, IAAF Senior Vice President
Sergey Bubka told them, "You are lucky to be at the first Youth Olympic
Games. I did not have such an opportunity."
Bubka was the 1988 Olympic Games gold medalist in the Pole Vault, was
on the next three Olympic teams, and as reigning World champion would
probably have been at the 1984 Games if not for politics. He broke the
World record 35 times and still owns the World record indoors (6.15m,
1993) and outdoors (6.14m, 1994).
(Courtesy: IAAF)
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