Sprint legend to boost Chinese teamPublished: Sunday, 29 October, 2006, 09:52 AM Doha Time
A file photo of Don Quarrie in his prime
China’s Athletics Association (CAA) have turned to track legend Don Quarrie in a bid to inspire their sprinters ahead of the 15th Asian Games Doha 2006.
The 55 year-old Jamaican won four Olympic medals in a glittering career, including 200m gold at the 1976 Games in Montreal.
Quarrie’s feats on the international stage have been massively inspirational in his homeland, which has gone on to become one the world’s richest sources of sprinting talent, led by current 100m world-record holder Asafa Powell.
China is now hopeful that Quarrie can have a similar impact on their nation. He is to deliver a series of coaching clinics which will start in the coming days and conclude on November 27.
This will be the second time Quarrie’s skills have been utilised by the CAA, having conducted training sessions for athletes and coaches during a 10 day trip last November to the National Training Camp in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province.
Commenting on his previous visit, CAA Deputy President Fung Shufeng told the Jamaica Observer newspaper at August’s World Junior Championships in Beijing: “I think what he did has really helped a lot with the development of sprinting events in China because he gave some ideas which our sprint coaches didn’t know before.
“We hope that we can invite coach Quarrie or one of your other good sprinting coaches to China to prepare our athletes for one or two months just before the Asian Games, in December this year in Doha.”
Consequently, the authorities in both countries quickly came to an agreement and Quarrie’s return was confirmed.
Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association (JAAA) President Howard Aris said: “This proposal for Donald Quarrie to go back to China has come out of the agreement between the governments of Jamaica and China. The JAAA was asked to facilitate the process and we recognised Quarrie as the person who we believe was best suited to do that.
“He has the stature, name, recognition; he’s an active coach and he often gives lectures. Mr Quarrie has responded positively and we’re very pleased to be a part of the process as an association, primarily because not only do we want to co-operate with the government of Jamaica, but we would like to assist our counterparts in the development of track and field.”
China has enjoyed greater success in the longer distance events on the world stage, but with the breakthrough of 110m hurdles world-record holder Liu Xiang in recent years and five Chinese athletes reaching finals at the World Junior Championships in the summer, Fung is optimistic.
“I hope that we will be learning the theory and also that those tactical training drills will help to improve our level in the sprint events, even though it is really difficult for the Chinese sprinters to be as good as Americans or Jamaicans because physically we are different and it will take a long time,” he said.
Meanwhile, of more immediate concern, China has confirmed that it will send a team of 41 track and field athletes to Doha 2006. Olympic champion Liu will lead the team as he looks to defend the 110m hurdles gold which he won in Busan 2002.
Also included is exciting high jump talent Huang Haiqaing, gold medallist at the 2006 World Junior and 2005 World Youth Championships. There is no place for 2004 Olympic women’s 10,000m champion Xing Huina who has failed to recover from a knee injury.
China topped the medal table at the 2002 Asian Games with a massive haul of 308 medals, including 150 gold.