Ato Boldon's career was celebrated yesterday, at the National Amateur Athletic Association's (NAAA) awards ceremony, at the Hilton Trinidad Ballroom, Wrightson Road, Port of Spain.
By Kwame LaurenceFollowing a video presentation, featuring Boldon's 1997 World Championship 200 metres triumph and his silver run in the 2000 Olympic Games 100m final, the retired sprint star was presented with an attractive award by International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) vice president Dr Amadeo Francis.
Afterwards, Boldon saluted Trinidad and Tobago.
"No one can celebrate, no one can support and no one can party like a Trinidadian and Tobagonian. What I remember of having represented this country consists mostly of all the good times, all the prayers, the well wishes, the strangers on the street who have treated me as though they have known me their entire lives ... that is what I will take with me. I ask for the generation to follow mine, that we are as supportive at all times, in good and bad, for these youngsters that are trying, in essence, to represent you on the world stage."
The quadruple Olympic medallist surprised a packed Hilton Trinidad Ballroom by declaring his support for the current NAAA administration in Saturday's elections.
"I have always been such a critic when things have not gone the way it should have. And I believe that now that we have Sagicor on board, that we have adidas on board, that we have the honourable Minister (of Sport and Youth Affairs) being supportive, that this administration should be supported and I will ask you all to support them in the coming elections."
In closing, Boldon quoted an unknown onlooker who saw him shed tears following his first round elimination from the 100m dash at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.
"Don't cry because your career is over. Rejoice because it happened."
The two major awards for performances in 2004 were earned by Jamil James and Candice Scott.
James was named Male Athlete of the Year. The Quantum athlete bagged 400m silver at the Carifta Games in Bermuda and 200m bronze at the CAC Junior Championships in Mexico. He saved his best, though, for the World Junior Championships in Grosseto, Italy, where he produced a shocker, finishing third in the 200m final.
The Female Athlete of the Year award went to Scott. The University of Florida student warmed up for her Olympic debut with a successful defence of her NCAA Outdoor Championship hammer throw title, in Austin, Texas. At the Olympic Games in Athens, Scott finished ninth in the hammer throw final with a national record throw of 69.94 metres. Her ninth-place finish was the best-ever Olympic performance by a female athlete from T&T. Scott also became the country's most successful field athlete in Olympic history.
