Georgie’s 10.6 burst

In the paradise island of my dreams, the one sportsman whom I would bequeath to young athletes yet unborn, is the phenomenal sprinter George Lewis. However, the annals of athletics here in Trinidad and Tobago hardly make mention of this great man, if anything at all. In retrospect, George Lewis was born in the wrong place at the wrong time. Had he entered this world in a more modern era, he might have eclipsed some of the more seasoned Olympic stars like Valeriy Borzov, Harvey Glance and Donald Quarrie.

If two dimensions could come together, morphed into one, and we could see a 20-year-old George Lewis of Trinidad and Tobago, the sprint champion that he is, run against either Peter Petrov of Bulgaria, or Dieter Kurrat of West Germany, what a spectacular race that would be! Don King would have to be the promoter of that race, with Guy Abrahams of Panama as the reserve runner [in case either Petrov or Kurrat had to withdraw at the last minute with a “torn hamstring muscle”].

His ability on the track, meant that whether he was running on cinder, clay, grass, Mondo, artificial turf or [this is a joke] even popcorn, a modern-day George Lewis could have easily achieved the 100 metres in at least ten seconds flat; and on a clear, sun-kissed windy day, perhaps even better.

Within a year, George Lewis would have emerged as a multi-millionaire, just from today’s athletic endorsements and sponsorship alone. Instead, the George Lewis that we know now is actually a man of modest means, not too far really from celebrating an astonishing 100 years of life on planet Earth, who spends his free time [interpret that to mean all his waking hours], engaged in the tranquil pursuit of bonhomie and good cheer at some nondescript corner on the capital city’s main shopping centre; Frederick Street. We Trinidadians call it “liming” (though he does, in fact, trade in small items from a tray). There, he regales all who would have the time to listen to him, about roughly three score and ten years ago, when he was the toast of the town, the prized catch for all the beautiful ladies, and the swiftest thing on legs since the dawn of evolution. But George Lewis might not be too far off from scientific facts and principles. For those to whom statistics mean an ephemeral rise in blood pressure, consider the following: At the Wembley Olympic Games in England in 1948, the running shoes that this young lion wore were made right here in Trinidad and Tobago, by hand. No Adidas, Puma, Nike or Reebok. And certainly no Air Force One.

And legend has it that even the spikes under the shoes were “home made.” Secondly, whereas these days the spikes would weigh less than two ounces, in order to reduce drag, defy gravity and increase mobility, his spikes were more like “tractor teeth” and weighed an incredible 12 ounces. Thirdly, there were no starting blocks in those days as we know them now, and George Lewis swears that what were used as starting blocks in 1948, were nothing more than contraptions that felt like Tapia concoctions. He insists that the “starting blocks” of those Olympic Games were made from what seemed to him to be leaves and some form of adhesive. Bear in mind that in those Games, no holes were dug into the ground to form naturally-occurring starting blocks, something to which people from my generation are accustomed.

One other disadvantage, but perhaps this could be left out for posterity’s sake, is that there were no fancy, scientifically-enhanced running surfaces like what they have in 2007. And while we are on the topic of science, bear in mind that George Lewis was able to train, and then produce a 10.6 seconds, in an era when there were no scientifically-produced sports drinks to improve your stamina like Lucozade, Gatorade or even Invigorade. It was just government juice with a tip of salt for good measure, and nothing else.

Georgie spends most of his time in Trinidad, liming in the capital and visiting family and friends. For about two to three months each year, he would visit family and friends abroad. Despite his age, he has the brain of a computer, and could still tell you about the first race he ran, the people he defeated into second and third place, and the hand-held time that was posted on the clock. In fact, one of his closest and dearest friends is another former Olympic Games hero, Mc Donald Bailey, who is now legally blinds, but still manages to write a weekly newspaper column.

Mind you, those people who have pilloried Mc Donald Bailey for running in the Olympic Games for the crown and not for the colony, ought to take his reason seriously. It’s plain and simple. Just like Common Entrance, Bailey had a first choice, and that was to get selected on the Trinidad and Tobago team for the Games. When he was rebuffed by the selectors, he did the next best thing; he applied to his second choice, which was the UK athletics federation, and they gladly welcomed him with open arms. That was all.

George Lewis’ historic 10.6 in 1948, was in the semi-final round [heats] for the 100 metres final. According to historians, it was the first time that the 100 metres was being run at the Olympics as a medal event, as opposed to the 100 yards dash, as was in the past. It was also at those same Games that his fellow Trinidadian Bailey draped himself in the Union Jack on the way to copping a sprint medal.

Lewis is one of eight former national sporting heroes honoured by the executive of the Hampton Athletic Club. This is in recognition of their contribution to the early stages of the club and national track and field, in whatever significant way. Some of these people were not athletes in the truest sense of the word, meaning that they did not take part in actual track and field events, but they would have served the club and country well nevertheless. They were rewarded for their commitment. Lewis, of course, is obviously an exception.

His name is immortal for the simple reason that he is the first Trinidadian ever to run for Trinidad and Tobago at the Olympic Games; the same Wembley Games of almost 60 years ago. Prior to the Games, his other achievements were running for the Hampton Athletic Club [at the Queen’s Park Savannah, just across from the Emperor Valley], and serving as a member of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, for whom he also ran, and ran well. He excelled in smaller track meets up the islands, stamping his name on territories like Guyana, Suriname, Grenada, etc., where the home crowds worshipped and adored this gazelle-like Trinidadian with the warm personality, charming smile and lightning feet. It was always Police Sports. Lewis was a self-made athlete, who took it upon himself to do what he did in sports, even though he had no external driving forces to help him accomplish what he did. He was so self-motivated, that he always looked beyond merely burning up the tracks and casting opponents aside in only the Police Sports; and was always planning secretly in his heart, to win a gold medal for T&T at the Olympics.

It’s sad that he never did, but we must admire, respect and cherish this great man with a heart of gold, because deep down in his heart, he never stopped trying. Lewis even went as far as to attempt the 400 metres, which he himself magically transformed into a sprint, and once clocked around 49 seconds, which, once again, under the primitive and Bohemian conditions of 60 years ago, is exceptional, startling and equally fascinating.