We hope that Jamaicans in general and track and field enthusiasts in particular take note of Dayron Robles' reaction to his world record run in the 110-metre hurdles.
In an interview carried in yesterday's STAR, Robles, speaking in London after setting a new 12.87 mark last Thursday, addressed expectations for the upcoming Beijing Olympics. In the Olympics, he will go head-to-head with hometown champion Liu Xiang, whose record he broke.
And what Robles said is instructive to those who have a world of expectations about world 100m record holder Usain Bolt and former record holder Asafa Powell.
Noting the champion
He said, among other things, that "Liu is the top favourite, even if he doesn't have the record, he continues to be the main guy to beat."
Robles noted that Xiang is a champion, his Olympic and World Championship titles testament to that.
And Tyson Gaye has the World Championship title to prove his mettle.
So we must remember that having a world record and beating a superb athlete in a championship race are two entirely different matters. It is important that we remember this, because we do tend to toss out our champions as soon as we feel they have failed us.
And while we are not making excuses for mediocrity or sub-standard performances, we must remember that a world-record run does not automatically a champion make.
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