Exclusive by Glenn Pearson
Kent's double Olympic gold medallist, Dame Kelly Holmes, says British athletes need to start producing results and capitalise on the interest sparked by Usain Bolt’s achievements.
The 39-year-old, who won gold at the Athens Games in 2004, went as far as saying 100-metre Olympic and World champion Bolt, from Jamaica, has single-handedly saved the sport.
“Athletics is now interesting because of one man, I’m sorry to say that, but the only reason athletics was popular this year was because of Bolt,” she said. “There were more people that watched the World Championships because of that man and I don’t care, that’s the truth. If that’s helped athletics be a sport that provides a platform to be more recognised then great, but I have to say, I think athletics has been saved by him.”
Down the years, British hopes have been pinned on the likes of Sebastian Coe, Steve Ovett, Sally Gunnell, Linford Christie and Holmes herself, but in recent years athletics in this country has been on a downward slide.
Holmes, who was born in Pembury and lives in Hildenborough, near Tonbridge, believes that British athletes needs a stand-out performer to help in thrive again, similar to the Bolt effect.
“We haven’t done well as a sport in this country for quite a long time considering how much funding that has gone into it – the performances that have come out the other end have been quite poor,” she said. “This year at Berlin that has changed a bit with the likes of Jessica Ennis and Lisa Dobriskey.
“But the sport need to have athletes that are the best in the world, not just for one year, they have to be over a period of time and I think that will get the interest back, because unfortunately it is star-led.”
Dame Kelly Holmes pens the first of her exclusive monthly columns for Kent on Sunday this week.
POSTED: 15/11/2009 10:00:00
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