Obadele Thompson, Barbados’ only individual Olympic medallist has dedicated his Sydney 2 000 success to legendary track and field coach Frank “Blackie” Blackman.
The United States-based Thompson who won bronze in the men’s 100 metre final in Australia 21 years ago, believes his career was fashioned and molded by the former Barbadian sprinter.
Blackman, renowned as the doyen of local athletics died on Saturday in his 80s.
“I don’t think I would have gotten to where I am without him. Nobody else in Barbados could have done it. Blackie was a coach, mentor and another dad to me. Orlando Greene handed me over to Blackie right before my first CARIFTA Games in 1991, so from since then until the end of my career, regardless of where I was, I trusted his judgement 100 per cent. I think the results I got early on, really proved to me that my trust wasn’t misplaced,” Thompson told NATION SPORT yesterday during a telephone interview from Austin, Texas.
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