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Justin Gatlin and Tyson Gay have agreed with Asafa Powell on how appreciative Jamaican fans can be, contrasted to US supporters, who almost never care too much about their heroes.
American sprinting icons Tyson Gay and Justin Gatlin have echoed Asafa Powell’s sentiments about the unparalleled adoration Jamaican fans show to their track and field heroes.
Speaking on The Powells YouTube channel, the trio reflected on the stark contrast between the reverence for athletes in Jamaica and the more subdued recognition they experience in the United States.
With legends like Usain Bolt, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Veronica Campbell-Brown, and Powell himself, Jamaica has long been regarded as the global hub of sprinting excellence. As Powell noted, this status has created a fan base that is both appreciative and demanding.
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12:45 - 24.11.2024
'Sometimes I feel depressed that I do not get the support ' -Asafa Powell sparks fresh debate over Jamaican fans with mixed feelings
Asafa Powell has sparked fresh debate over his thoughts on 'demanding' Jamaican fans, admitting more mixed feelings weeks after lending Kishane Thompson advice on how to handle pressure they bring.
“I love my country and I love my Jamaicans, and sometimes I wish they were more easy and more understanding,” Powell shared. “It is really good because when you guys go back to your own country, you do not get treated the way you get treated in Jamaica.”
Powell added humorously, “When you come to Jamaica, people are like ‘Big up Tyson Gay! Big up Justin!’ When you land in the US, people are like, ‘What are you here for sir?’ (makes a stamping gesture) Welcome back home, sir.’ In a sense, it makes sense to have a country like Jamaica behind you.”
Gay recalled a heartwarming encounter during a visit to Jamaica for one of Powell’s charity events.
“I was telling him when he brought me to Jamaica that I have never seen something like that,” Gay said. “Asafa picked me from the airport, and we drove somewhere. He steps out of his car, and I don’t know how many kids chased after his car, hit the doors, and were like, ‘Safa! Safa!’ I was like, ‘What the hell?’
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19:54 - 24.11.2024
Track legends Justin Gatlin and Asafa Powell tease fans with what could have been in famed rivalry
The two sprint icons shared the stage for a better part of a decade in a famed sprint rivalry between Jamaica and USA.
“I left and went back to Kentucky, and that was it. I went to my granny’s house to see my family, and that was it. But I literally saw kids chasing this man’s car. I could not believe the support he gets.”
Gatlin contrasted this fervent Jamaican fandom with his experiences in the United States, where track and field athletes are often overlooked.
“It is crazy how those kids can go back home and think about how to be the next Asafa Powell. That is beautiful,” Gatlin said. “In America, someone will look at you and be like, ‘Tyson Gay?’ And I got it a lot, and I would be like, ‘Yeah.’ I was not even fighting it. I am Tyson.”
This discussion underscores a recurring theme in athletics: the disparity in how different cultures celebrate their heroes.
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09:30 - 27.10.2024
'He was an anomaly' - American legend Maurice Greene on why modern sprinters get it wrong by copying Usain Bolt's running style
Greene has revealed how Usain Bolt's height forced him to adapt and adjust his running style in a way that suited his body, which modern athletes have mistakenly tried to copy-paste.
Noah Lyles himself was concerned that he barely received any fanfare upon returning to the U.S., while Letsile Tebogo of Botswana was greeted by 30,000 fans in Gaborone.
“Unlike these other countries that celebrate their athletes on such a humongous stage. When Tebogo won his gold medal, he went back to a stadium filled with 30,000 people celebrating,” Lyles told Night Cap.
“When I showed back home on my flight, of course some people recognized me and I’m very thankful for that, but there was no 30,000 people, there was no Melo driver ready to take me home, there was no bus waiting.
“I had my mum, paps (dad) and they were ready to take me home and I was ready to go to bed. We have a different way in America of seeing our sports, the problem that I had was you are giving the title of world champions to people who were not facing the world.”
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