The Jamaican super star Bolt is unimaginably fast. At 25 years old, he's the first to win both the Olympic 100M and 200M in consecutive olympics. And he's already the favorite for 2016. On the biggest stage, he wins not by inches, but yards, demoralizing the world's other fastest humans. He is in a class by himself. He is aguably the most famous athlete alive.
Kirani James is also famous... in Grenada. James runs for the tiny island nation most of us only know for Ronald Reagan's cute little "Look at me, I'm a tough guy" war. But to James, it's home.
And this week, James did his nation proud with its first ever Olympic medal when he won the 400M Olympic gold medal.
When Bolt wins a big race, as he did twice this week, he strikes his made-for-TV-and-print-media "Bolt" pose. Along with being perhaps the greatest sprinter ever, he is a showman.
When James won his 400M semi-final, he didn't pose. He didn't seek the cameras. He didn't think of himself. He sought out and swapped numbers with another runner in the semi-final, one who didn't advance to the final, Oscar Pistorious. It was a simple, human, symbolic gesture, a showing of unparalleled sportsmanship, and a very public sign of respect, one athlete to another, for the first double-amputee to compete in the "regular" olympics. (My post about the also amazing Oscar).
Before every race, Bolt mugs for the cameras and crowd, does an admittedly cool shimmy dance move, and ceremoniously wipes the sweat from his scalp, and flicks it from his brow.
Before his races, James kisses the symbol of Grenada on his singlet, drawing attention to his nation, not himself.
James says he wants to bring attention and prosperity to his nation. Born in Grenada , training in America, he could have changed citizenship and run for the USA, the usually dominate force in the 400, and likely turned his Gold Medal into a big pile of dollars. Instead, he chose to run for Grenada because, he says, a medal for that tiny nation would mean more to them, and could do more good there.
When asked for an autograph by an NBC TV crew member for her daughter James wrote, "Dear Susan, your mother is very proud of you. Kirani James". He's 19.
Something tells me, given the same circumstances, Usain Bolt would not have written that.
The 2012 London Olympic games will forever be linked to the performance of Usain Bolt, who is a tremendous, once-in-a-lifetime athlete.
But I will always remember, and will remind my children of, Kirani James, a tremendous, once-in-a-lifetime person who also happens to run wicked fast 400.
Good running,
Doug
Hey Doug, your blog post nailed it.
ReplyDeleteKirani James, in my opinion, was the breakout athlete of these games. Such a talented young man with character beyond his 19 years. The only moment of the last two weeks that got me choked up was when he signed an autograph for an NBC employee - the autograph you referenced above.
To paraphrase a popular movie franchise: Bolt is the athlete the Olympics needs, but Kirani James is the athlete the Olympics deserve.
-Pat Lorentz
Thanks, Pat! I couldn't agree more.
ReplyDeleteI like the blog post but you must first do your research on Kirani's background,his parents are Grenadians
ReplyDeleteThose who request homework be done should first do so themselves. Kirani is born, raised AND trained in Gouyave, Grenada. I am Grenadian and suggest that Shakaluss not assume that because he runs a wickedly fast 400m, he learnt to do that in the good ole USA. He learnt that in the town that never sleeps! Go Gouyave. Go Grenada. Go KIRANI!!! Fantastic article Doug!!!
DeleteCan you please double check your facts. Kirani James is 100% Grenadian with Grenadian Parents. He is attending a US University and thats it!! Kirani is Grenadian.
ReplyDeleteso where in the post was there any mention that James isnt Grenadian or anything relating to his parent? maybe i missed it i'll read over
Deleteohh my bad he corrected it before i saw the error
DeleteDoug, your information is not factual. Kirani was not born to American parents. His parents are Grenadian, so please remove the Lies on this article, its hurting my feeling!! Why do you guys want to tie America into his success. He is living in America now but he's a Grenadian.
ReplyDeleteShakaluss, and Anonymous, and Anonymous. My apologies for the error. I had bad information. I hoped not to claim this amazing athlete for America, but rather highlight his strong ties and love for his native Grenada. I've corrected the post. - Doug
ReplyDeletethank you Doug for correcting the post, we don't want the wrong information out there do we!!
ReplyDeletePlease make some corrections to your article re: Kirani James. Ge is from GRENADA not Granda and the symbol of the country is the NUTMEG not the cacao.
ReplyDeleteTo my new Anonymous readers from Grenada. Thank you for your editorial input. I am a blogger in the American Midwest, not a journalist on site in London. I wrote the post with the information I had, from the heart, and with intentions to bring attention to an amazing athlete. I imagine you are very proud of James as Grenadians. I am proud of him as a human. I hope in reading you saw that, and not just the errors. Thanks for reading.
ReplyDeleteas an expat.Grenadian i accept.compared To NBC&michael johnson.. you are a saint..now those guys really ticked me off
DeleteThanks Doug for the correction.
DeleteHello Doug,
ReplyDeleteGreat article, you captured the humanity of a great athlete but there are a few errors.
Firstly the island is called 'Grenada' not 'Granada'.
Secondly the parents of Mr. Kirani James are 100% Grenadian, there is NO American connection.
I would thank you to make these corrections to maintain the authenticity of your posts.
Best,
TM
Just saw this article, thank you, for your polite and swift corrections and an awesome article.
ReplyDeleteGrenadian girl
.the stuff you wrote reminded me of the nbc piece..if not for reagan & America - no kirani - WRONG. PS.men..100,200,400,4x1&4x4 ALL won by West Indian nations..previously dominated by America
ReplyDeleteThank You Doug for the Awesome article. I'm extending an invite to you and your readers to come visit Grenada and see for yourself where Kirani came from. We are so proud of him, our native son.
ReplyDeleteFantastic post!
ReplyDeleteDoug great article! Have u ever consider visiting Grenada? I think you should. IT WILL LEND A MORE REALISTIC EXPERIENCE.
ReplyDeleteThank you Doug, your article has yet agin brought tears to my eyes, I am not a born Grenadian, but live here for the past 20 years and Kirani has made me proud of that. As I know him personally I can say I am so happy he has shown this humble side and I salute him as THE Sportsman.
ReplyDeleteI must also say Thank you Kirani you have done all of us well, not just in Grenada but all over the world, I hope other athletes learn a lesson from this young man
Doug like the other I must commend you on the post and could not have said it any better .....I think the fact that the errors were made untentionally should not be the focus of everyones comment yes he is our own and we are grateful and proud to call him grenadian.....never the less I appreciate the person for correcting you but in doin so hope they have not hurt your feeling and therefore this comes as a deterent for in terms of promoting our isle of spice ......hat off to u again big to the jaguar and respect the nutmeg
ReplyDeleteThanks Nevin, I agree that we should look at the general thrust of the post, and point out the errors courtesly, AS KIRANI WOULD HAVE DONE!! Thanks Doug for the post.
DeleteGreat Article.
ReplyDeleteWonderful athlete.
Great article, I refuse to focus on the error but i rather focus on the intension behind the message,thank you for you post, my hat off to you,hope the previous post didn't hurt ur feels its just because NBC didn't do dey research and put inaccurate info to da public.
ReplyDeleteGreat article he is wonderful young man God bless him we r proud of him big up Grenada
ReplyDeleteGreat blog piece! Thank you for seeing beyond the athlete to the human and showcasing such a generous spirit; well done. Kirani has made us grenadians proud not just for his speed on the track and the medal he's bringing home, but also for the humility and grace he exhibits! IMO he is a true role model for people, young and old.
ReplyDeleteGreat article. For the life of me I cannot understand where you ppl get off...the article reads fine and i see no errors...am i missing something here? where did he misspell grenada where did he say kirani was american...come on ppl...ah sure is grenadians da sayin dat...doh worry wid dem doug is so dey stink and ungrateful
ReplyDeleteI am so proud of him, my parents are from Gouyave Grenada . I have to say this young man is so humble and he does not have to be but he chooses to be humble. I always thought that was a great character for a human being. Your parents should be so proud because they raised a fine young man. I wish him all the best in his future endeavors. Continue to stay blessed.
ReplyDeleteHey Doug,
ReplyDeleteI would not fault you for the errors referred to in the blogs. Mistakes are made often times, subconsciously. Forgiven.
What's amazing is that you see and feel what every Grenadian is experiencing now. Love, Pride, Respect, Humility and Diplomacy from this well-mannered 19 year old. Kirani made us Proud and he continues to do so. We Love him dearly. We have the best little island in the world. You have a special invite.
Shawn Charles
GRENADA
Great blog, your insight and intent are appreciated. One would hope that this type of athlete is celebrated and rewarded for content of his character and noble actions. The truth is that the squeaky wheel may indeed get the attention in spite of the fact that may be broken or needs oils whilst the quiet well oiled one is ignored. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteThank you for being so quick to make corrections Doug. I think we all appreciate the article and would love to circulate it more. The corrections just add to its authenticity, and at least in my previous anonymous comment were meant in good faith. Kudos to you, and well done to all our Caribbean athletes especially our humble statesman Kirani.
ReplyDeleteAlthough they were indeed some factual errors in the artilce I think that you did a marvellous job with writing a stunning piece on Kirani "Mr Humble" James. Special kudos to the young man from Gouyave, St Johns Grenada. Extra special kudos to his parents who have raised an icon in the sporting area and a gem to those that he has touched and been in contact with. Respect the Nutmeg. Please take the opportunity to visit a place that I refer to as Paradise on Earth. You will be amazed at what a small unit can do with so little.
ReplyDeleteThe article is well appreciated. The young man now becomes an ambassador for our small tri-island state. Just a bit of information Doug - the young man was born and bred in Grenada, grew up and excelled from here and won the World Youth title all while living and training here in Grenada. He subsequently went off to pursue studies in the US where he has been for only the last few years. But I don't blame anyone. We all want to be associated with the young man in some way or other. After all, he might well be the ideal role model student-athlete.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much Doug for your great article. Kirani has made our little island Grenada very proud!! Continue the good works!!
ReplyDeleteYes, thank you Doug, it is one of the best blogs I have seeing about Kirani, we all love him here in Grenada and are very proud of him.
ReplyDeleteWe wrote a little blog about all our Olympians you may like to read when you get a chance, so you can have a better picture of what life in Grenada is all about and why Kirani is the way he is. Please come and visit our beautiful Spice Island Grenada some time!!!! http://www.truebluebay.com/blog/details/grenada-and-the-2012-olympics
Everytime I read a blog post about Kirani, i tear up. He is such a different person from the rest and I thank you for sharing this to all. We are proud of his achievements and he is always in our prayers. Grenada's own Kirani James!!
ReplyDeleteHey Doug,
ReplyDeleteThis was truly a touching article (obviously I am biased but..) and I think it summarises how we all feel as Grenadians. Kirani is a stellar example for our young people and we pray that he stays humble. God has blessed him with an amazing talent and extraordinary humility that is rare.
Respect the nutmeg!
Awesome analysing, Doug...this is what one would refer to when putting the intangible blessings our nation and the Diaspora have received through Kirani into perspective...BE PROUD, FOLKS!!!! PROUD TO BE FROM GOUYAVE!!! LET'S ALL CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS THE CONTINUATION OF SUCH ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERSONALITIES, AND CELEBRATE WHEN THEY COME!!!!!
ReplyDeleteCheck out the tribute music video to Kirani and the people of Gouyave: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8X8h9SBoqTQ
Club Member
SpeedZone Track & Field Club
Gouyave,
GRENADA (Spice Isle of the Caribbean)
DOUG MADE NONE OF THE ERORS ALLUDED TO IN THE COMENTS. NO GRANADA. NO PARENT FROM GRENADA GAFF. DOUG, I DEFEND YOU AND FOUND YOUR ARTICLE FASCINATING AND HEARTWARMING. I put this in caps so people can stop saying you made errors.
ReplyDeleteGeorge Bain Jr.
Grenada WI
George, I appreciate your support, but the errors discussed above were in the original post and were quickly corrected.
ReplyDeleteGreat great article. Very prod Grenadian here and admitedly you even taught me a thing or two.
ReplyDeleteI did not even see the error and i am Grenadian....to me the focus was on kirani's humility and i am not surprised that u noticed that...it shines brighter than even his insane potential to run. I am proud of that young man...not just because he is an exceptional runner...but because he runs with a heart...e never makes it about him and yet that's what make it all about him...
ReplyDelete