The Voice: London 2012 Olympics Supplement

Cook & Partners

Solicitors Proud sponsor of Voice London 2012 Olympics Supplement

The greatest show

on EarthINSIDE:

page 26GB’s athletics

hopefuls page 31

London 2012 Festival page 32

Behind Pride Rock

page 27James

DeGale page 29

Best of Africa page 36

Bolt v Blake page 36

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce

| JULY 19-25, 2012 26 Cook & Partners

Solicitors Voice London 2012 special supplement

Let the Games begin!

Going four gold

The Voice of Sport’s, Rodney Hinds, on what should be a compelling London 2012 Olympic Games

Team GB’s track and field squad have been told that their target for the Games is eight medals with at least one of them being gold

IT’S BEEN seven years since the announcement that Lon-don would host the greatest show on Earth. The big day is almost here

and it is hoped that after all the promises and hype that the Olympic Games deliver. For many they have failed to do so as our news pages in-dicate.

However, the spectacular opening ceremony will be fol-lowed by the sporting action.

Team GB will be under pres-sure to deliver gold on home soil. Christine Ohuruogu, Jes-sica Ennis, Mo Farah and Phil-

lips Idowu are our best bets for the ultimate prize but there is much work to do.

For me, 400m ace Ohu-ruogu could well be the story. The local lass – who could walk home from the Olympic Stadium – is just hitting form at the right time. More crucial-ly, she’s been there and done that having won Olympic gold in Beijing four years ago.

One thing that is not in doubt is that Jamaica will continue to punch above their weight. Usain Bolt could land an Olympic treble again but he has to watch out for talent-

ed team-mates such as world champion Yohan Blake.

Jamaica’s female sprinters will look to match the exploits of their men.

Africa’s long distance maestros will take slightly longer to do their thing, but they will do so with swagger.

The great thing about sport, and the Olympics in particular, is that while we are aware of many that are competing, new names will be made for their endeavour and courage.

London 2012 is set to be another compelling chapter in sporting history.

By Ben Lettman

Christine OhuruoguEvent: 400m

Age: 28Born: London

About Ohuruogu:Born a stone’s throw away from the Olympic Stadium, Ohuruogu is Team GB’s only reigning Olympic gold medal-list in track and field.The Newham and Essex Beagle begun the season off strongly, running 50.42 sec-onds in London on July 14 - her fastest time in three years.Ohuruogu’s main rival will likely be American Sanya Richards-Ross, who finished third in Beijing.

Jessica EnnisEvent: Heptathlon

Age: 26

Born: Sheffield

About Ennis: Although

Ennis is not from London, there is no doubt that she is the poster girl of the London 2012 Olympic Games.The Sheffield native enjoyed an excellent start to the sea-son having set a new British record of 6,906 points in May. In breaking the record, she achieved personal bests in the 200m, javelin and long jump.

Mo FarahEvent: 5,000m and 10,000m

Age: 28Born: Somalia

About Farah: In 2011, Farah showed his rivals that he was capable of beating the best after claiming a silver medal in the 10,000m and then a gold in the 5,000m at the World Championships.Now labelled as a favourite for an Olympic title, Farah contin-ues to improve every year and could flourish at the Games.

UK ATHLETIC’S head coach Charles van Commenee has set Team GB’s track and field competitors the goal of capturing eight medals at the Olympic Stadium.The Voice of Sport highlights the main protagonists for British Olympic glory in athletics.

Phillips IdowuEvent: Triple Jump

Age: 33Born: London

LOCAL LASS: Ohuruogu

STIFF OPPOSITION: Idowu

FLOURISHING:Farah

RECORD BREAKER: Ennis

About Idowu: In what will possibly be his last Olympics, there will

be no better way for Idowu to bow out from athletics than capturing

gold in front of a home crowd.The former world indoor and outdoor champion will face stiff op-position from American Christian Taylor, who won gold at last year’s World Championships.An 18 metre-plus jump might be required to claim a victory.

5

5

54

JULY 19-25, 2012 | 27Cook & Partners


DeGale’s taleBy Ben Lettman

AT THE 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Team GB won 19 gold medals which was

their best total since the 1908 Games in London.

Out of the 19 golds that were earnt, the last British competi-tor to stand on top of the po-dium was middleweight boxer James DeGale.

Then aged 22, DeGale de-feated Cuba’s Emilio Correa 16-14 to win in China.

Four years on and the Team GB Olympic Ambassador is

currently the European cham-pion in the professional ranks but the experience of Beijing still lives long in the memory.

Reminiscing about the victo-ry, the Harlesden, north London native told the Voice of Sport: “It just happened so fast. As soon as you’ve won, you go out the ring, went in the back and five minutes later you’re straight on the podium so you don’t really get that much time for it to sink in. But when you’re on that po-dium listening to your national anthem, you’re just proud. It’s an unbelievable feeling.

Nicknamed ‘Chunky’, the

southpaw continued: “Stand-ing on there [the podium] lis-tening to your national anthem with the flag wrapped around you, that’s the kind of thing you dream of. The feeling is unbe-lievable. I don’t think I’ve felt anything like that yet so far.

“It’s the biggest show on Earth so to go there and to become an Olympian, that’s something you can tell your kids and grandkids. But to go there, win an Olympic gold medal and go down in history, it was a dream come true.”

Team GB’s London 2012 boxing squad consists of

seven men and three women, who have been training for up to four years at the English Institute of Sport (EIS) in Shef-field; a facility that helped hone DeGale into an Olympic cham-pion.

“I was there for three or four years, Monday to Thursday every week. It was basically my home for a couple of years,” he explained. “The facilities are great. They’ve got dieti-tians, strength and condition-ing coaches, they’ve even got people for the mental side of it. Everyone’s up there and this team will be prepared properly for the Olympics because the

facilities up there are fantastic.” Anthony Ogogo will be com-

peting in DeGale’s old weight division of middleweight in the summer.

DeGale, who will be an Olympic torchbearer in Brent on July 25, believes that Og-ogo and the rest of the team have the potential to capture major medals.

“I’ve sparred Anthony a couple of times. When I was on the podium squad he was on the development so I know him pretty well. He qualified at the last qualifier but he’s got a good chance.

“At the Olympic Games,

the biggest show on Earth, you need a bit of luck to do with draw and everything go-ing well. When the talent’s there, they can all medal. But Anthony Ogogo’s got a good chance. My advice to the boys and girls would be to lap it up, take it all in and enjoy it.”

PREPARED: Team GB’s 2012 London 2012 boxing squad

PRIZEFIGHTER: DeGale on top of the podium

FINAL SHOWDOWN: The north Londoner in the final against Cuba’s Emilio Correa

Send money to Jamaica in minutes

Freephone: 0800 026 0535moneygram.co.uk

So your loved ones can join the celebrations

50 years of independence

Post Office, Thomas Cook and Going Places are agents of MoneyGram International Limited in the provision of money transfer services. Post Office and the Post Office logo are registered trademarks of the Post Office Limited. MoneyGram and the Globe are trademarks of MoneyGram. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. MoneyGram International is an authorised payment institution regulated by the Financial Services Authority. ©2012 MoneyGram. All right reserved.

Receive at:

And anywhere you see the MoneyGram sign

Send at:

CS57

91

The 2008 Olympic gold medallist relives his ‘unbelievable’ achievement

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO

Follow all the Olympic 2012 action on The Voice’s dedicated website:www.voice-online.co.uk/olympics



Soccer ace with goals in mindBy Richard Bates

RACHEL YANKEY has said that it will be an “emotional experi-ence” appearing at

Wembley Stadium at the Lon-don Olympics after being se-lected in Great Britain’s wom-en’s squad on June 26.

“To play at Wembley is a massive honour for anyone, but having grown up and still living in the area, it’ll be ex-tra special for me,” said the 32-year-old, speaking at an event to promote Kick It Out, football’s equality and inclu-sion campaign, during De-loitte’s ‘Diversity Week’.

Born a stone’s throw away from Wembley Way, the Arse-nal Ladies star will play in a Team GB side which takes on Brazil at the home of football in the group stages on July 31.

“I’ve grown up with the sta-dium as a constant backdrop and I still work in schools and parks which overlook it. It’ll be an emotional experience for me.”

It’ll be another landmark mo-ment for Yankey. The England winger equalled Gillian Coul-tard’s international caps record of 119 during the recent crucial Euro 2013 qualifying victory

over Slovenia. Yankey hopes to surpass

this feat when Hope Powell’s team come up against Croatia in September.

PRIVILEGED“It was brilliant to equal Gill’s

cap record. She set the stand-ard and I feel privileged to have matched that. It’s not some-thing I ever really gave much thought but as it got closer and closer, more and more people talked about it,” commented the former Fulham, Birming-ham City and New Jersey Wild-cats player.

“I still feel fit and healthy, and like a valued member of the team, so I think I’ve got a decent amount of games left in

me!,” she said. “First and foremost though,

I’d just love to be involved when we face Croatia. It’s about us qualifying automati-cally and my focus will always be on winning the game. Sure it’d be fantastic to beat the record, but the result is much bigger than that.”

SILVERWARESince making her first team

debut for Arsenal back in 1996 as a 16-year-old, Yankey’s ca-reer has been lined with silver-ware at club level.

Winning the FA Women’s National Premier League seven times, the FA Women’s Cup on nine occasions and the UEFA Women’s Cup are just some of her achievements to date. Now she’s keen to pick up some honours on the inter-national stage.

“It’d be lovely to win some-thing with England as I haven’t really come close yet,” admit-ted the veteran, who missed out on Euro 2009 when the Li-onesses fell at the last hurdle against Germany in Finland.

“It’s been fantastic winning trophies with Arsenal, Fulham and New Jersey during my ca-reer but internationally, that’s something I’m eager to do.”

“It’d be lovely to win something

with England as I haven’t really come close yet ” FOCUS: Yankey

Greenwich Peninsula, London SE12 0BE(near o2 complex)

email: [email protected]

SAVE THE DATESunday August 12, 2012

JAMAICACelebrate



Farah ready for his gold challenge

Africa expectsThe continent has a substantial role in the narrative of London 2012By John Portch

AT LONDON 2012 Afri-ca expects. From Ethi-opia’s Tirunesh Dib-aba to Kenya’s Mary

Keitany and Geoffrey Mutai via Botswana’s Amantle Montsho and South Africa’s Caster Se-menya, Africa’s prolific track stars will light up the longer sprints, as well as the middle and long distance races.

Beyond these is a retinue of African hopefuls set to com-pete in disciplines in which the continent is not readily associ-ated.

REDUCEThe nations of Africa are

sending boxers, badminton players and basketball players who have all made their mark at national and continental level and are worthy of wider recognition.

A total of 48 African boxers will be competing in London, with Cameroon and Ghana leading the way for Sub Sa-haran Africa with four boxers each.

In basketball, the Angolan women’s team arrive in east

London as Africa’s only female representatives in the competi-tion.

“Our aim at this Olympics is to play as well as we can and reduce the gap in quality

between the top teams and ourselves,” said coach Anibal Moreira after the draw.

They are joined by the Nige-ria’s men, who qualified via the Olympic qualifying tournament in Caracas, Venezuela.

They become the second Afri-can men’s team to qualify after Tunisia.

“I’m very happy. We did what had to be done,” the Nigeria forward Ike Diogu told the As-sociated Press.

“We knew we were going to face teams that are heavy-weights, and we did what we needed to do: win.”

Back in southern Africa, An-gola’s greatest medal hopeful is judoka Antonia de Fatima ‘Faia’, who claimed a bronze medal at the recent Judo World Championships in Romania.

“I will give my best in these Games and look forward to beating all opponents. I know it will be very difficult, but the

Angolans can be assured that I will fight calmly,” she said last month.

Ugandan Edwin Ekiring made history alongside Zim-babwe’s Eli Mambwe in the badminton in Beijing when they became the first Sub Sa-haran Africans to compete at the Olympics. Four years later world number 97 Ekiring is back as Africa seeks to carve itself a place in a sport domi-nated by the Far East, South East Asia and Europe.

“The Olympics is every sportsman’s dream, having been there four years ago I am sure I will be able to perform because I won’t be nervous like the first time,” he said.

HOPESFew African Olympians be-

yond the long distance track events are as decorated as Kirsty Coventry.

The Zimbabwean will be competing in her third Games and will be looking to add to her Olympic haul of two golds, four silvers and one bronze. It is lit-tle wonder that the head of the Zimbabwe Olympic committee Paul Chingoka described her as a “national treasure.”

Coventry hopes to put a re-cent knee injury behind her to compete in the 100m back-stroke, the 200m backstroke and the 200m individual med-ley.

LONG TERMThe white Coventry has often

been criticised for not speak-ing out against the despotic Robert Mugabe, who gave her $100,000 after Beijing and described her as Zimbabwe’s ‘golden girl’.

“One day I plan to return to live in Zimbabwe and I can do much more for the people there in the long term if I keep my position neutral,” she told The Telegraph.

She has earned the affection of her black compatriots and is one of Africa’s greatest medal hopefuls.

Africa has a substantial role in the narrative of London 2012.

“The Olympics is every sportsman’s dream, having

been there four years ago I am sure I will be able to perform because I won’t be nervous

like the first time ”

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO

Follow all the Olympic 2012 action on The Voice’s dedicated website:www.voice-online.co.uk/olympics

ALL SMILES: Farah

GOLDEN GIRL: Dibaba

HISTORY MAKER: Ekiring

WORLD CHAMPION: Semenya

World 5,000m champion confident ahead of GamesBy Ben Lettman

WHEN IT comes to long distance run-ning it is fair to say that Africa tradition-

ally have complete dominance in the endurances races.

The last non-Africans to win Olympic gold in the men’s 10,000m and 5,000m were Italy’s Alberto Cova, who was victorious over 10,000m back in 1984 in Los Angeles, and German Dieter Baumann, who won the latter race in 1992 in Barcelona.

Nevertheless, Britain’s Mo Farah proved last year at the World Championships in Dae-gu, Korea, that he is more than capable of becoming an Olym-pic gold medallist.

Born in Mogadishu, Somalia, the 29-year-old crossed the fin-ish line first in the 5,000m and also claimed a silver medal in the 10,000m in Daegu and those two feats have given him

the self-belief that he can de-feat Africa’s finest at London 2012.

Farah told the Voice of Sport: “I train with my good friend Mi-cah Kogo who won a bronze medal at the Olympics in Bei-jing and we’ve been training since 2008, so in a way it gives me confidence. If I can keep up with them [the Kenyans] in training it gives me good con-fidence to compete against

them.

“The Olympics doesn’t come around very often and to compete in your hometown but for me it’s just another race. I want to do well. I’ve worked hard for this for a very long time so I hopefully do the best that I can.”

In February 2011, Farah re-located Stateside to Portland, Oregan, to train with coach Alberto Salazar; a move that Farah credits for maximising his potential.

“It’s definitely helped me a lot,” said the European 10,000m record holder. “It wasn’t an easy choice to move to the other side of the world but as an athlete sometimes you’ve got to make choices. If I didn’t make that choice I wouldn’t have come out as world champion. A lot of stuff hasn’t changed it’s just been that one or two per cent but that one or two per cent has been [the difference] between a medal and coming sixth.”

“It wasn’t an easy choice to move to the other side of

the world”



Get back to supporting your team!

WESTERN UNIONSEND & RECEIVE

MONEY INMINUTES*

*Funds may be delayed or services unavailable based on certain transaction conditions, including amount sent, destination country, currency availability, regulatory issues, identification requirements, Agent location hours, differences in time zones, or selection of delayed options. Authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland and regulated by the Financial Services Authority for the conduct of payment services business in the UK. ©2012 Western Union Holdings Inc. All rights reserved.

268x340 Olympic.indd 1 7/11/12 5:45 PM



Southbank Centre roars Africa Utopia

London 2012 Festival

To book visit www.thelionking.co.ukLYCEUM THEATRE, london

Photograph by Simon Turtle. Andile Gumbi as ‘Simba’. © Disney.

Southbank Centre’s Africa Utopia festival kicks off this week with music, dance, talks, debates, fashion and free events celebrating

African culture. Led by Senegalese singer and human rights champion Baaba Maal, the festival showcases the great voices of Africa and their contribution to the world. It investigates the many ways that the conti-nent could lead the way in thinking about culture, community, sustainability and ethi-cal wealth creation.

‘Africa is all too often written off as an in-tractable ‘problem’ for the world to solve. I hope this festival will reveal just some of what Africa has to offer the rest of the world; the transformative potential of culture and, perhaps most potently, the power of com-munity to bind people together.’ (Baaba Maal, Africa Utopia Co-curator and Global Ambassador, Oxfam)

Throughout the festival there will be per-formances by iconic musicians who share Baaba Maal’s belief in the power of music for social change. Whether as ambassa-dors for UNESCO, UNICEF, the United Na-tions or instigators of their own social pro-jects, they have all have used their position to effect change in Africa.

Queen Elizabeth Hall plays host to Beni-nese singer Angelique Kidjo, who is regard-ed as one of Africa’s most potent musical forces. UNICEF ambassador and founder of The Batonga Foundation, which gives girls secondary school and higher educa-tion opportunities, Kidjo was recently voted by The Guardian newspaper as one of the world’s top 100 most inspiring women.

On 18 and 19 July continents were bridged as American musician Béla Fleck, considered the world’s premiere banjo player, reprises his inspired collaboration with the great Malian singer Oumou San-garé in a concert that draws the banjo back to its ancestral West African roots.

The award-winning South Afri-can choreographer and dancer Gregory Maqoma also appears channelling his Xhosa ances-try in Exit/Exist, a piece inspired by the 19th century leader Chief Maqoma who struggled to main-tain Xhosa traditions in the face of colonial dispossession. The

piece combines traditional movements with contemporary dance and is powerfully enhanced by live music, including four ex-ceptional South African singers who have toured with Hugh Masekela.

In 2011 world-renowned B-Boy dancer Pervez visited a pioneering centre for for-mer street children in Kigali, Rwanda. Yes Man! is an inspiring film of the work that Pervez did with these children, all of whom were passionate about hip-hop. The film will be screened as part of Rwanda Cata-lyst on 19 July, and the evening will feature performances from three boys who have travelled from Rwanda, and a conversation with the centre’s leader Rafiki Callixte.

Inua Ellams’ Knight Watch will take audi-ences down to the stark, urban environs of a secret location inside the belly of Royal Festival Hall for a thrilling mix of live poetry, percussion and music that conjures the vi-olence of a city not unlike London and ima-gines a more beautiful world. We follow ‘Mi-chael’ as he passes through a landscape where tower blocks are mountains and the walls become urban tapestries telling of epic fights between warring tribes that he tries in vain to avoid.

Africa Utopia also features performances from The Vocal Ensemble of Africa, made up of singers from six different African countries (Congo, Nigeria, Uganda, South Africa and Zimbabwe), violinist Max Bail-lie who performs with Gambian kora play-er Sura Susso, and a special free gig by Gregg Kofi Brown.

In what will be a fitting finale to the festi-val on 28 July, Baaba Maal himself returns to Royal Festival Hall – the venue of legend-ary concerts in 1999 and in 2009 as part of Ornette Coleman’s Meltdown – in the com-pany of a star-studded array of guests and friends including Mory Kanté and Basse-kou Kouyate.

Until Saturday 28 JulySouthbank Centre

SponsoredFeatures by Jacqueline Asafu-Adjaye

Africa Utopia runs until 28 July

at Southbank Centre.

www.southbankcentre.co.uk/africautopia

or call 0844 847 9910.

Join the debate on twitter #africautopia

JULY 19-25, 2012

BAABA MAAL



Behind PRIDE ROCKADVERT I S EMEN T

Behind the scenes with THE LION KING

at London’s Lyceum � eatre

It’s 5.30pm and backstage at London’s historic Lyceum Theatre things are starting to heat up just two hours prior to the show. The Lion King recently welcomed its 10 millionth guest and is now in its 13th year in London - yet each night is a new opening as the curtain rises on this singular live experience. From the stage set, to make up, to the hundreds of masks and puppets, to the performers warming up, it is the extreme care and detail taken over every aspect that makes the production unique. It takes a disciplined team of over 150 people to make the show happen 8 times a week – 50 onstage and 100 backstage – all working together to give the audience a memory to last forever.

Photos by Helen Maybanks, Simon Turtle and Lois Greenfi eld. ©Disney

Tickets for The Lion King are available from www.thelionking.co.uk, through any accredited ticket agent or via your hotel concierge

6.55pm: A last minute rehearsal of shadow puppetry on stage, to prepare for the performance

6.10pm: A line of lioness masks are positioned backstage, along with fl owing African silks

6.40pm: Actor Shaun Escoffery, who plays the role of Mufasa, begins his transformation in the make-up chair

7.30pm: As the lights go down an excited hush falls over the audience, who are about to be transported to the African savannah during another sold out performance

7.25pm: A gazelle dancer prepares backstage, just minutes before the curtain rises



Behind PRIDE ROCKADVERT I S EMEN T

Behind the scenes with THE LION KING

at London’s Lyceum � eatre

It’s 5.30pm and backstage at London’s historic Lyceum Theatre things are starting to heat up just two hours prior to the show. The Lion King recently welcomed its 10 millionth guest and is now in its 13th year in London - yet each night is a new opening as the curtain rises on this singular live experience. From the stage set, to make up, to the hundreds of masks and puppets, to the performers warming up, it is the extreme care and detail taken over every aspect that makes the production unique. It takes a disciplined team of over 150 people to make the show happen 8 times a week – 50 onstage and 100 backstage – all working together to give the audience a memory to last forever.

Photos by Helen Maybanks, Simon Turtle and Lois Greenfi eld. ©Disney

Tickets for The Lion King are available from www.thelionking.co.uk, through any accredited ticket agent or via your hotel concierge

6.55pm: A last minute rehearsal of shadow puppetry on stage, to prepare for the performance

6.10pm: A line of lioness masks are positioned backstage, along with fl owing African silks

6.40pm: Actor Shaun Escoffery, who plays the role of Mufasa, begins his transformation in the make-up chair

7.30pm: As the lights go down an excited hush falls over the audience, who are about to be transported to the African savannah during another sold out performance

7.25pm: A gazelle dancer prepares backstage, just minutes before the curtain rises



Knight Watch SouthS’toryBy Inua Ellams

Following a sell out run of Black T-shirt Collec-tion at the National Theatre, Ellams’ new show Knight Watch comes to Southbank Centre as part of the Africa Utopia festival. Knight

Watch combines soaring, lyrical poetry with a live soundtrack from drummer Aki Fujimoto and flau-tist Mikey Kirkpatrick, to conjure a vivid portrait of a young man seeking a better way of life. Performed in the Production Arch of the Royal Festival Hall, Inua Ellams transports audiences to a city not unlike Lon-don in a modern day, magical realist tale of violence and gang culture.

In a world where tower blocks are stone mountains and city walls are urban tapestries retell-ing epic fights, Michael keeps away from the warring tribes until a passerby helps him out of a tight situation. Instantly, he is pulled into the culture he has tried to escape. The city spirals out of control as battle lines are drawn and redrawn. In the quest for balance, loyalty, faith and friendships are tested, but will Mi-chael succeed in ending the war?

Inua Ellams is a poet, writer, teacher, performer and graphic artist. Knight Watch follows a sell out run of Black T-shirt Collection (2012) at the National Theatre and on tour. His first show, The 14th Tale, was part of the British Council Showcase in Edinburgh in 2009, winning a Scotsman Fringe First Award. In 2010 he was long listed for the Alfred Fagan Award for playwrights of African and Caribbean descent for Untitled. He has performed extensively at venues and festivals including the Soho Theatre, the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Tate Modern, Glastonbury and Lati-tude, and has published four books including his first collection of poetry, 13 Fairy Negro Tales, when he was just 22 years old.

TICKETS FROM £10

buy tickets: 0844 847 9910 Southbankcentre.co.uk/africautopia

A festival of music, dance, film, literature, fashion and free events

with Baaba Maal & FriendsPaco Peña Angelique Kidjo Gregory Maqoma

Oumou Sangaré & Béla Fleck Noo Saro-Wiwa Chika Unigwe Taj Mahal Vocal Ensemble of Africa Muntu Valdo

Nuruddin Farah Funmi Olawumi The Ultimate Afrobeats Utopia

Inua Ellams

A festival of music, dance, film, literature, fashion and free events

with Baaba Maal & Friends

Southbank Centre Sneak Preview

From top right to left:

DJ EduSef KomboInua EllamsIce Prince Zamani4

4



Happy 50th Birthday Jamaica!Love

DUNN’S RIVER

DUNN’S RIVER

WIN FLIGHTS TO

JAMAICA!WIN FLIGHTS TO

JAMAICA!WIN FLIGHTS TO

JAMAICA!



That girl Shelly-AnnJamaican sprint queen on being a part of an athletics movementBy Ben Lettman

FOUR YEARS ago in Bei-jing, Jamaica’s 100m female sprinters clean sweeped the medals

with the then unknown Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce cementing her sporting legacy by winning gold.

Combined with the triple gold medal winning exploits of Usain Bolt, Jamaica an-nounced itself as a genuine powerhouse of athletics.

But despite having a major hand in establishing the Carib-bean island’s stranglehold in the sprints, Fraser-Pryce was quick to pay respect to the ac-colades of other Jamaican run-

ners before her.The 25-year-old told the

Voice of Sport: “I would give all credit to Merlene (Ottey) and what she’s done and also Ve-ronica (Campbell-Brown) has been holding down Jamaican sprinting for a while. I mean she has a medal at every sin-gle level so that goes to show that we have a rich history in sprinting and I’m grateful to be a part of it.

POPULAR“To go down in history, may-

be my children and grandchil-dren can know that I was part of a movement that happened in Jamaica’s sprinting history.”

Describing just how popular athletics is in Jamaica, their

100m national record holder continued: “Track and field is huge in Jamaica! When I go to the pharmacy or the super-market I have to be standing up answering questions for like a billion people! ‘What hap-pened to Asafa (Powell)?’ or ‘how’s Usain doing?’ ‘How’s Nesta (Carter)?’ That’s how big it is. We have sold out stadi-ums with no tickets left. It’s just crazy.”

As well as being Olympic year, 2012 marks Jamaica’s 50th year of independence and a double celebration could be on the cards if the 2009 world champion is victorious in Lon-don.

However, Fraser-Pryce was not taking anything for granted,

adding: “I try not to think about that [winning gold] or the 50th anniversary. When I cross the line that’s when I’ll say ‘happy birthday’ but now it’s about being focused on the mission that’s ahead.”

Usain Bolt

JUMPING FOR JOY: Fraser-Pryce

Yohan Blake

“When I cross the line that’s when

I’ll say ‘happy

birthday ”

Name: Usain Bolt Nationality: JamaicanAge: 25 Born: August 21, 1986, Trelawny, JamaicaHeight: 1.95 m (6’, 5”) Weight: 14.8 stone (200 lb) Events: 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay

Olympic and World Championships honours: Silver in Osaka 2007 (200m)Sliver in Osaka 2007 (4x100m) Gold in Beijing 2008 (100m)Gold in Beijing 2008 (200 m)Gold in Beijing 2008 (4x100m relay)

Gold in Berlin 2009 (100m)Gold in Berlin 2009 (200 m)Gold in Berlin 2009 (4x100m relay)Gold in Daegu 2011 (200m)Gold in Daegu 2011 (4x100m relay)

Season’s best and personal bestSeason’s best: 9.76 sec-onds (100m)Personal best: 9.58 seconds (100m) Season’s best: 19.83 sec-onds (200 m)Personal best: 19.19 sec-onds (200m)

Name: Yohan Blake Nationality: Jamaican Age: 22Birth: December 26, 1989 – St James, JamaicaHeight: 1.95m (5’, 11”) Weight: 12.2 stone (172 LB)Events: 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay

Olympic and World Championships honours:Gold in Daegu 2011 (100m)Gold in Daegu 2011

(4x100m relay)

Season’s best and Per-sonal best: Season’s best: 9.75 sec-onds (100m) Personal best: 9.75 sec-onds (100m)Season’s best: 19.80 seconds (200m) Personal best 19.26 sec-onds (200m)

Bolt v Blake is set to illuminate

London 2012

THIS IS IT!

AT EVERY Olympic Games the blue rib-and event is the men’s 100m and this year’s

race will hopefully live up to ex-pectations.

While last year’s World Championships proved that you can never assume who the winner will be, there are two sprinters who are seemingly faster than their opposition.

Jamaica’s Yohan Blake and Usain Bolt are undoubtedly the favourites for the 100m title at London 2012.

The Voice of Sport examines the differences, if any, between the two Caribbean sprint kings and tip who we believe will be triumphant in the final of the race at the Olympic Stadium on August 5.

About Bolt (By Antone Jarvis): Usain Bolt trains at the Racers Track and Field Club. His hobbies include watching and playing cricket and foot-ball. He is a Manchester United supporter.

2012 head-to-head stats against Yohan Blake: Bolt is currently on a losing streak having lost twice to Blake in the 100 metres and 200 me-tre at the Jamaican Olympic tri-als in June.

Antone’s prediction: I predict that Bolt will break his two previous world records (100 metre and 200 metre) which were set at the World Championships in 2009.

Although Blake is going into the Olympics with a winning streak over his rival, I think this will spur Bolt on in beat-ing Blake and breaking his own world records at the Olympics.

About Blake (By Kareem Ogodo): Yohan Blake trains with the Racers Track and Field Club. Growing up, Blake en-joyed playing cricket and if he was not a full-time athlete he would have liked to represent the West Indies.

2012 head-to-head against Bolt: This year, Bolt and Blake have meet twice with Blake tak-ing both of those victories.

Kareem’s prediction: I still think Bolt has a huge

advantage over Blake due to his massive stride length. How-ever, I feel that Bolt needs to perfect his start or he will have no chance against competitors like Yohan Blake, Tyson Gay or even Justin Gatlin.

If he improves his start then there is no reason why we will not see another world record.



By Ben Lettman

1. Zoe Smith, weightlifting: “It would be absolutely amazing, I’d love every minute of it. Fingers crossed I will get to the Games. To be one of the main hopes would be fantastic but I don’t think I’ll get a medal this time around realistically be-cause I’ll only be 18, which is quite young in my sport. But just to be there would be an amazing experience.”

2. Deron Williams, basketball: “I’m looking forward to being over here in 2012. I’m on board. Winning that gold medal was the greatest moment in my basketball career and hopefully I can repeat that again.”

3. Louis Smith, gymnastics: “If I went to the Olympic Games and just did a clean routine that would be enough for me no matter what medal I got, whether I came fourth or fifth, I’d be happy with that.”

4. Lawrence Okoye, discus: “When somebody does something like this a lot of youngsters get inspired and that’s the whole thing about the Olympic legacy – the youngsters being inspired to do things bigger and better than the people before them. Hopefully people will be inspired by what I’m doing.”

5. Ashley McKenzie, judo: “I’m really looking forward to walking around the stadium at the opening ceremony. For

me, it’s a big part of my life to represent Team GB.”

6. Rachel Yankey, football: “To play at Wembley is a massive honour for anyone, but having grown up and still living in the area, it’ll be extra special for me.”

7. Shanaze Reade, BMX: “I just train to be as fast as I can be in a straight line and that crosses over from track and crosses over from BMX.Come London I hope to be able to be the fastest in the world on a bike.”8. Christine Ohuruogu, 400m: “I can only imagine the roar of the crowd when the British athletes walk into the stadium.

It’s going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience – and I can even walk home afterwards!”

9. Mo Farah, 5,000m and 10,000m: “The Olympics is what it’s all about. It’s every athletes dream and it only comes round every four years. I would love to have an Olympic medal.”

10. Usain Bolt, 100m: “This is my home from over the Atlantic for me. I’m look-ing forward to competing. I know all the Jamaicans living in London are looking forward to it as well. I’m coming over to put on a great show as always.”

1

4

2

5 6

7

8

910

3

EVER SINCE it was announced on July 6, 2005,

that London would host the 2012 Olympic Games, the Voice of Sport

has kept a firm eye on those that will be challenging for medals. Over the years

we have spoken to a plethora of athletes who dreamt of taking part in this summer’s

Games but not everyone’s dream has come true.

However, here is what 10 of the world’s elite competitors that will be in action

at London 2012 said about what competing at the Games

means to them.

Olympians talk to the

Voice of Sport



Project Manager: Garry Peal0121 675 [email protected]

All enquiries: Bekie Munday0121 303 [email protected]

Birmingham Capital of Enterprise, Jamaica a Nation on a Mission

Birmingham City Council invite you to join Jamaican musicians, poets, artists, dancers, storytellers, educators and performers for a FREE five day Jamaican cultural extravaganza, Jamaica in the Square – celebrating fifty years of Jamaican Independence in Chamberlain Square, Birmingham from

Thursday 2 - Monday 6 August 2012Live Music (12-2pm and 5-9pm / 5-11pm Monday).

JAMAICA IN THE SQUARE activities include:Live music on the Freedom Stage throughout the 5 day festival – a thrilling programme of local, national and international artists, including both emerging talent and established names.Freshly-cooked Jamaican cuisine and drinks available from a variety of local/national Caribbean chefs and vendors (including a licensed bar).Enjoy live streaming of the Olympic Games on our Big Screen.Food… arts and craft stalls… live drumming and dance displays… quizzes and culinary demonstrations… activities for young people and families… fashion shows… talent shows… raising of the Ja-maican flag… and much, much more.

Anyone interested in a stall at this prestigious event please call Becky on: 0121 675 2799For Sponsorship opportunities please call the Jamaica in the Square Team on: 077 7127 6896

Success will breed success

By Ben Lettman

FOR THE vast majority of sports at London 2012 the Olympic Games is their pinnacle and no

other competition carries that same amount of prestige.

Sports, such as judo, will have a brief window of oppor-tunity to garner the attention of potential new competitors and Team GB judoka Ashley Mc-Kenzie hopes to be noticed at the Games for that very rea-son.

The 22-year-old from Willes-den, north west London, told the Voice of Sport: “Judo will never be the number one sport. When I tell people judo they’re like ‘hi-ya!’ It’s never going to be a top sport but what I can tell you is that it’s getting better.

POPULARITY“During the Olympics, peo-

ple want to train and do a little something different and that’s when doors open. If someone like me goes out there and gets a gold, and I’m from Lon-don, obviously the popularities going to change. I’m looking to

do that.”The Olympic opening cer-

emony will begin in a month’s time on July 27 and is a cel-ebration that means everything to McKenzie.

“I’m really looking forward to walk around the stadium at the opening ceremony. For me, it’s a big part of my life to represent Team GB,” said the 2010 European under-23 and 2011 World Cup gold medal-list, who competes in the 60kg category.

“Tears might shed from my eyes at that kind of moment so I think it might just be that that’ll top off my Olympics and what’s going to be most excit-

ing for me.”McKenzie, who has been

kicked out of training squads in the past due to his temper, hopes that his ability to triumph through difficulties can inspire others. OVERCOME

“I’d like to be seen as a boy who people never thought was going to make it due to the fact that I’ve had problems. I’ve overcome those problems. I’d like people out there who’ve got problems to be inspired because if I can do it, there’s a lot of people who can do it as well.

“I’ve put my heart and soul into one thing and, yeah, I’m not the most perfect of guys. I will never be the Tom Daley kind of guy but I’m not look-ing to be that. I’m looking to be myself and for people to like me for me.”

And as for competing at the ExCel Centre in the summer, he added: “What they (the crowd) can expect to see is a war be-cause I’m going out there to do my thing and I promise; what-ever will happen on that day, whether I win or I lose, I would have tried my hardest.”

“I’m really look-ing forward to walk around

the stadium at the opening ceremony ”

CHALLENGE: McKenzie

Judoka hoping to boost participation levels with a gold medal at 2012



Contact178 Dudley road, Edgbaston

Birmingham B18 7QXT: 0121 454 6990F: 0121 454 4525

Web: www.diamondtravel.co.ukEmail: [email protected]

We will show you the world and save you £££’s…

Our excellence in service makes us a cut above the rest

Diamond travel

Celebrating Jamaicans at home and

abroad wishing you all a

happy 50th year of Independence

OLYMPIC GAMES: July 27 – August 12

Aug 3: 10.00am - 1.45pm

Men’s 400m hurdles: round oneMen’s 3000m steeplechase: round oneMen’s hammer: qualifyingMen’s shot put: qualifyingWomen’s 100m: classification heatsWomen’s 400m: round oneWomen’s triple jump: qualifyingWomen’s heptathlon: 100m hurdles, high jump

7.00pm – 9.55pmMen’s 1500m: round oneMen’s long jump: qualifyingMen’s shot put: finalWomen’s 100m: round oneWomen’s 10,000m: finalWomen’s discus: qualifyingWomen’s heptathlon: shot put, 200m

Aug 4: 10.00am – 13.45pm

Men’s 100m: classification heats, round oneMen’s 400m: round one Women’s 3000m steeplechase: round oneWomen’s pole vault: qualifyingWomen’s heptathlon: long jump, javelin

6.50pm – 10.05pmWomen’s heptathlon: long jump, javelinMen’s 400m hurdles: semi-finalsMen’s 10,000m: finalMen’s long jump: finalWomen’s 100m: semi-finals, finalWomen’s 400m: semi-finals

Aug 5: 6.50pm – 9.55pm

Men’s 100m: semi-finals, finalMen’s 400m: semi-finalsMen’s 1500m: semi-finalsMen’s 3000m steeplechase: finalMen’s high jump: qualifyingMen’s hammer: finalWomen’s 400m hurdles: round oneMen’s 100m: final

Aug 6: 10.00am – 12.20pm

Men’s 800m: round oneMen’s discus: qualifyingWomen’s 100m hurdles: round oneWomen’s 1500m: round oneWomen’s shot put: qualifying

6.50pm – 9.40pmMen’s 400m: finalWomen’s 200m: round oneWomen’s 400m hurdles: semi-finalsWomen’s 3000m steeplechase: finalWomen’s pole vault: final

Aug 7: 10.00am – 12.35pm

Men’s 110m hurdles: round oneMen’s 200m: round oneMen’s triple jump: qualifyingWomen’s 5000m: round oneWomen’s javelin: qualifying

6.50pm – 9.20pm

Men’s 400m: victory ceremonyMen’s 800m: semi-finalsMen’s 1500m: finalMen’s high jump: finalMen’s discus: finalWomen’s 100m hurdles: semi-finals, finalWomen’s 200m: semi-finalsWomen’s 3000m steeplechase: victory ceremonyWomen’s long jump: qualifyingWomen’s pole vault: victory ceremony

Aug 8:10.00am – 1.40pm

Men’s 5000m: round oneMen’s pole vault: qualifyingMen’s decathlon: 100m, long jump, shot putWomen’s 800m: round oneWomen’s hammer: qualifying

6.00pm – 9.55pmMen’s 110m hurdles: semi-finals, finalMen’s 200m: semi-finalsMen’s javelin: qualifyingMen’s decathlon: high jump, 400mWomen’s 200m: finalWomen’s 1500m: semi-finalsWomen’s long jump: final

Aug 9: 9.00am – 4.00pm

Men’s 4 x 400m relay: round oneMen’s decathlon: 110m hurdles, discus, pole

vaultWomen’s high jump: qualifying6.30pm – 10.10pm

Men’s decathlon: javelin, 1500mWomen’s 800m: semi-finalsWomen’s 4 x 100m relay: round oneWomen’s javelin: final

Aug 10: 7.00pm – 9.40pm

Men’s 4 x 100m relay: round oneMen’s 4 x 400m relay: finalMen’s pole vault: finalWomen’s 1500m: finalWomen’s 5000m: finalWomen’s 4 x 100m relay: finalWomen’s 4 x 400m relay: round oneWomen’s hammer: final

Aug 11: 6.45pm – 9.30pm

Men’s 5000m: final Men’s 4 x 100m relay: final Men’s javelin: final Men’s 50km race walkWomen’s 800m: finalWomen’s 4 x 400m relay: finalWomen’s high jump: finalWomen’s 20km race walk

Tel: 020 8655 4466 • Fax: 020 8656 [email protected] • www.cookpartners.com

Authorised and regulated by Solicitors Regulation Authority no 45440

Would like to wish all the very best to Team GB

and the Jamaican track and field squad at theCook & Partners

Solicitors

London 2012 Olympic Games

Documents

The Voice: London 2012 Olympics Supplement