Elton Tucker, Assistant Editor – Sports

Guadalajara, Mexico:

Hola amigos!

As a true track and field fan, I have been taking note of the performances of athletes from other countries here at the Telmex Athletics Stadium in Guadalajara.

I am particularly attracted to the athletes from countries from high altitude capitals in South America, like Bogota in Colombia, and Quito in Ecuador. Bogota is 8,355 feet above sea level, Quito is 9,300, both well above Guadalajara, which is just over 5,500.

The women from Colombia, especially, are enjoying the conditions here, and I assume that many of these athletes either train or live in the capital city of their country.

In the women’s 400 metres final, winner Yenifer Padilla appeared to be getting more energised as the race went on, as she powered away in the final 50 metres for a personal best 51.53 seconds.

Relaxed

The same was true of her compatriot Maria Oliveros, gold medallist in the women’s 400 metres hurdles. While the other women were struggling and had grimaces on their faces over the final hurdle, Olivarios’ features were relaxed as she went away from her rivals.

Earlier, in the men’s 1500 metres final, Ecuador’s Ivan Piedra looked a spent force with a lap to go. He appeared to be dropping back 200 metres from the finish but then came with a terrific late run and was just beaten on the line by Brazil’s Leandro Oliveira. The winner clocking 3:53.44 and Piedra second in 3:53.45. A number of other athletes who entered the race with sub-3:40 times were nowhere to be seen at the finish.

I am glad I have just three days left here. I would give anything now to swop ‘desayuno a la Mexicano’ for some soft-boiled green bananas, yam and sweet potato with ackee and salt fish, callaloo and salt fish or salt mackerel. Even the good old ‘bully beef’ would suffice.

Right now, I am paying for food which I do not like. Earlier this week, I tried a tortas ahogadas, a pork sandwich soaked in tomato sauce, and had to abandon the bread.

Hasta mañana.

Elton Tucker, Associate Editor – Sports

GUADALAJARA, Mexico:

Hola amigos, buenos dias.

One of the more disappointing aspects of this year’s XVI Pan American Games, at least for me, has been the complete absence of other journalists from the English-speaking Caribbean.

Reporters and photographers from Cuba, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico are here in droves, but I have not seen anyone, for example, from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago and Dominica this year.

Four years ago, in Rio de Janeiro, over a dozen journalists from those islands were present and we had a lot of fun together at the hotel, press centre and at the various press venues. In fact, that’s where I met the current West Indies cricket team communications officer, Barbadian Philip Spooner, who was then working for a newspaper in his home country. The versatile Antiguan journalist, Colin James, a reporter I have known for more than 20 years, was also there.

I spent much of my first week here moving between the two working areas at the Main Press Centre, the small one where I am based and a much larger area, just to see if any of my Caribbean friends were around, but was disappointed on each occasion. With so much Spanish around, I wanted to at least break the monotony sometimes.

New star discovered

As part of my routine here I have been listening to MTV’s morning ‘Wake up videos’. I am not really an MTV fan, it’s just that it’s one of only three channels on my TV here with English and also a way of passing time. However, I am a music fan and I have ‘discovered’ a new dance music star, Romanian-born Inna.

I say ‘discovered’ because I am sure the real party fans in Jamaica would have known about her long before me. I must admit, however, that I was seeing and hearing her for the first time earlier this week. As the name of her first album suggests, she is really Hot in some parts of Mexico, especially among the teenagers. Local music fans who have not heard of her before should get a listen to Club Rocker, Amazing, Sun Is Up, Dèjá Vu and, of course, Hot.

Meanwhile, as a Caribbean man, I will also keep saying ‘Cheers’ and lift my glass to Barbadian rocker Rihanna.

Hasta mañana.

GUADALAJARA, Mexico:

Hola, amigos!

Now I know what the athletes are feeling in the thin air of elevated Guadalajara.

On Monday night, the first day of track and field at the Telmex Athletics Stadium, I had finished for the day, left my workstation and had reached outside the building when the first blast of the cool night air hit me. I immediately realised that I had left by jacket on the back of my seat.

I quickly ran up the six flights of stairs that I had just come down, retrieved the jacket and hurried back down. It was almost nine o’clock, the whole area was new to me and I wanted to catch the last media bus to the Main Press Centre.

As I arrived at the foot of the last stair, I had to really steady myself. My chest was exploding, I could hardly breathe and my nostrils were on fire. I do not know how a heart attacks feels, but I certainly felt as if I was having one.

I had to sit for a while to gather myself and was soon feeling much better. Of course, the bus left me and I had to take a taxi to the press centre.

Earlier during the evening, sprinter Lerone Clarke was breathing very hard as I interviewed him after his 100 metres semi-final. I remember him saying that he had not tried to extend himself, but he was completely out of breath. At the end of the day, I had noticed that Claston Bernard and Maurice Smith were almost out on their feet after the 400 metres, the fifth and final event on just the first day of the decathlon. That was unusual.

The August-September trip to Daegu of my colleague, the self-proclaimed ‘long-distance stulla’, suddenly flashed across my mind. I could not help thinking that if he had tried the 800 metres here, the stretcher bearers would have had some urgent work to do, after, maybe, 300 metres.

Now we all can have some sympathy for young swimmer Zara Bailey, who said after the 400 metres individual medley heats here that it was her “most painful” swim ever. And for the female basketballers who, coach Richard Polack said, could not breathe in the first two games they had here.

Hasta mañana.

GUADALAJARA, Mexico:

I made my first, and what turned out to be the last, visit to the CODE Alcalde Sports Complex, venue for basketball here in Guadalajara yesterday.

Jamaica’s girls played hard and were committed, but were no match for the taller, stronger Americans in the play-off for seventh and eighth spots and were beaten 87-41. There is definitely ability there, especially in guard Simone Jackson, but it needs to be channelled into a proper training regime.

I really like the indoor sports arenas here. They have been transformed into real places of entertainment during the Games and events attract young and old. Latest music, Games souvenirs and snack shops are all in place. It was nice to see so many families coming out to watch events at swimming, basketball and boxing, which I also went to for the first time on Sunday night.

By the way, at basketball yesterday, I was given a sample tutorial on Mexican education policy by volunteer Edgardo Exiquio, who is an English teacher at the primary level.

“Not so long ago English was seen in this country as a foreign language, but now the government is ensuring it becomes a second language,” Exiquio said.

“Students are being taught English in schools at all levels up to secondary. The foreign language will now be French,” he added.

He learnt most of his English at a private school and went to the United States to spend his vacations with family members to get to know the language even better.

Hotel recommendation

On another matter, I must apologise to my hotel, the Fenix. The air conditioning is there and working perfectly in my room. I checked it yesterday morning. The problem lies with me. I have not spent enough time there to sample all the good things about the hotel. Each morning I have been going out before daybreak (daylight is after 7:30 a.m.) and returning ‘home’ at night.

In fact, I would recommend the hotel to anyone planning to spend sometime in the heart of Guadalajara. It is fairly inexpensive and is situated close to a host of historical structures. On my way to basketball yesterday, I passed very close to the Cathedral de Guadalajara, and it is a magnificent structure. Those who are interested in history should see it. It is within walking distance and there are quite a few shopping areas nearby.

Hola amigos, buenos dias.

I took another walk on the streets of downtown Guadalajara on Saturday night. It was like Christmas Eve in Jamaica.

Hundreds of people were on the streets shopping and restaurants were doing roaring business. It was close to 9 o’clock and most business places were drawing down their shutters, but not so the restaurants. One thing I have noticed here is that there is an eating place every 100 or so metres. Mexicans, it seems, can never get enough tacos.

Well, just after dropping the now burdensome laptop in my room and stepping out of the Hotel Fenix, I saw what appeared, at first, to be a crowd outside a restaurant.

Weekend hotspot

I went a little closer, and then it became clearer. As many as 30 people, young and old, were in an haphazard line waiting to get into the La Chata, an ordinary-looking restaurant in the heart of the city. I peered inside the relatively small place and saw that it was filled with people, about the same number inside as were outside, having dinner. As soon as, usually a couple, left a table it was made ready quickly so that a new set of customers could be ushered in.

On enquiring further, I was told that La Chata served the best Mexican food downtown and it was in high demand, especially on weekend nights.

I have not said anything about my hotel as yet. So, here goes. First up, I do not have anything bad to say about it, neither do I have anything too good to say.

Helpful staff

Let’s just say it is serving my purpose. It’s nothing fancy – just a nine-storey building. I have a place to have a bath in the mornings and before bedtime. There is hot and cold water and the elevator is working. There is a TV in the room but no air conditioner. No need for it: the weather here is mostly mild. Lastly, the staff is courteous, so much so that I have given the only Jamaican pin (Guadalajara 2011) I had to one of the receptionists, who I have found to be extremely helpful.

I had to rub this in before I leave: I spent yesterday morning watching, with some amount of glee, the 6-1 drubbing of Manchester United by their so-called noisy neighbours, Manchester City. I am not anti-United. In fact, I deeply respect them for their achievements, but glory must be shared. Not good to have one team dominating.

Hasta mañana.

Guadalajara, Mexico:

Hola amigos. Buenos dias.

I made my first trip to the Athletes’ Village on Friday and was impressed by the large buildings and the many facilities available to the athletes.

Met on arrival by Chef de Mission Compton Rodney and his very able National Olympic Committee (NOC) assistant Arcelia Paz, I was quickly taken through the registration area, past security then on a short tour of the village by the Chef de Mission.

Paz has been in close contact with the Jamaica Olympic Association since April. Her English, I found out quickly, is perfect. Her accent sounds like a mixture between Canadian and American. I felt really flattered when I was told, by Mr Rodney, that she made it a habit to read my articles every day. I guess it was just a part of her job.

On our way to the Jamaican living quarters, I could see the many national flags, as usual, adorning the high-rise condominiums where the various countries are housed. The Americans, with their massive team, it appeared, had one of the buildings to themselves.

At the Jamaican quarters, I met the assistant track and field manager, Heleen South, and the administration official, Yvonne Kong.

Earlier, I saw other members of the track and field squad, led by head coach, Raymond ‘KC’ Graham, and manager, George Peryer, leaving for their first training session. They seemed in high spirits and ready to add to Jamaica’s two-medal tally over the next five days.

Also nearby, as some men prepared the stage for the nightly stage shows in the international zone, I saw a now-relaxed swimming silver medallist, Alia Atkinson, sunglasses and all, preparing to go shopping, and her American coach Chris Anderson.

I was also introduced to someone in Jamaican colours, who, at first sight, looked to be an athlete, but I was then told that this was a member of the medical staff, Dr Tahira Redwood.

I do not know her age, but she looked young enough to be an 18-year-old. I hope she takes that as a compliment, because it is.

Do not know if I will have the energy, or the time, but I am feeling this urge to take a public bus tour of this big city. A Canadian photographer told me that there is a bus (number 326) which runs from just outside the Main Press Centre to downtown. He added that he had no problems during his trip and it was cheap, just five pesos or less than J$40 for an eight-mile journey.

Hasta mañana.

Guadalajara, Mexico:

Hola amigos, buenos dias. Some have said it’s a country under siege. A dear friend warned me to be very careful, just before I left Jamaica. She said Mexico was not a safe country.

Well, I have been here for nine, going on 10, days and it is all good in downtown Guadalajara.

Wednesday night I took a walk to see what was going on, what made the downtown tick. And the heart of the city was alive and teeming with activity on what I learnt subsequently was just a normal night.

The calandria (horse-drawn carriage) drivers were out in their numbers ready to take sightseers around the city to have close-up looks of places like the Catedral de Guadalajara, Plaza de Armas, the Plaza de la Liberacion; and government buildings like Teatro Degollado, the legislative and justice buildings for the state of Jalisco for which Guadalajara is the capital.

I have read that the Roman Catholic cathedral has been there since 1618. In fact this is a ‘new’ one.

The old one, built 60 years before, was destroyed by fire.

Near to the staging area for the calandrias, the taco vendors, or taqueros as they are called, were doing a thriving business. Families were out for walks, young and middle-age lovers were showing very public displays of affection and the main and side streets where crammed with traffic.

In a small restaurant on the corner others were having tacos and watching a Pan American Games football match, Mexico versus Ecuador, live from the Omnilife Stadium, and really enjoying themselves.

The home team was on top and winning 2-1.

Downtown Kingston, King Street and its environs, wake up, you are way behind.

World-class swimmer

On another topic closer to sport, I got a chance to see, close up, the world-class Brazilian swimmer Cesar Cielo and was impressed by his humility.

While the Brazilian journalists (and there are many here) tripped over themselves to hear what he had to say in the mixed zone, the gentle giant maintained his cool.

As the 2008 Olympic champion and world record holder for 50 metres freestyle and world record holder for the 100m freestyle, 24-year-old Cielo is true swimming royalty. His popularity was such that he had his own cheering section, a very large group, in the stands.
Hasta mañana.

Elton Tucker, Assistant Editor – Sports

Guadalajara, Mexico:

Hola amigos. Buenos dias.

Swimmer Alia Atkinson has taken a big load off my head following her explanation of what happened at the finish of the women’s 100 metres breaststroke final on Monday at the Scotiabank Aquatic Centre or, to give it the correct Spanish name, Centro Acuatico Scotiabank.

I saw her touching (at least attempting to) ahead of her Canadian rival, Ashley McGregor, and thus earning a bronze medal. When the positions and times came up on the display screen I was literally shocked. Not that she came fourth but that the time difference was as much as fifteen hundredths of a second. That’s a big difference in what seemed, to the naked eye, to be a very, very close finish for third.

Not sure what to do, I waited for some time until I got the official results on paper and in black and white. Before that, I had started writing the story but kept wondering whether I was reporting something very untrue, in fact, a lie.

Monday night I went to bed at about 11:30 and at 1:30 a.m. I was up again. Did I get it right? I turned on the light, went to my bag, got out the papers and checked the results again. It was all clearly there – McGregor third in 1.08.96; Atkinson, fourth in 1:09.11. I still could not sleep. If the times are right, why did it look so close? Were my eyes deceiving me?

Like 99 per cent, I think, of journalists I do not like to make mistakes. In this business a mistake is like a virus. It will spread. One becomes two, two become three and before you know it, you start doubting yourself and that can be fatal, especially in sports where getting times and scores right is essential.

Things have been going so fast here that I have forgotten to mention the relief I felt last Wednesday at reaching my destination, after leaving Jamaica, in just 14 hours. That’s quite unusual in recent years.

My worst trip came in 2007 on my way to the IAAF World Championships in Osaka, Japan. I missed my connecting flight in the United States because of a defective aeroplane in Miami, and then had to overnight in San Francisco ahead of the 13-hour trip to Japan.

It took me two full days to reach Osaka, and once there, I was walking around dazed for days, smitten by jet lag. My feet were moving but my head was heavy and asleep.

Hasta mañana.

Elton Tucker, Assistant Editor – Sports

Guadalajara, Mexico:

Hola amigos, buenos días.

Finalmente encontré el amor de mi vida en Guadalajara (translation at the end for non-Spanish speakers).

After six days here I have finally found a Chinese restaurant with all the dishes that I know and love. It’s goodbye to hamburgers, fries, etc.

And now, don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against the sellers of hamburgers and fries here. They are all good, honest people. In fact, I say muchas gracias (many, many thanks) to them for keeping me going since I left home last Wednesday.

Surprisingly, the Chinese restaurant was just five minutes walk away from the main press centre. On Tuesday afternoon, while waiting to cover swimming and badminton, I decided to take a walkabout on the streets adjacent to Expo Guadalajara, the headquarters for the Games. I was walking a little over five minutes when I saw the sign ‘Lucy’s restaurant’ with, I assume, beside it the words in Chinese to the right.

It was not the name one usually associates with a Chinese restaurant but the food was very good. Perhaps it tasted that well because I had not had any ‘good food’ since I have been here. Now I can eat to my heart’s content.

Imagine this! A buffet lunch for 70 Mexican pesos (just under US$6). I resisted the urge to overeat, as I had work to do which would take me up to 10 p.m. but my first dish was not my 1998 World Cup favourite (sweet and sour chicken) but pork chop suey (no disrespect Paul-André Walker). It looked good in the serving containers and tasted just as good. So as far as food is concerned, I am okay until October 31.

Frustrating internet

I had said yesterday that I would not write anything negative but the Internet at the swimming venue is frustrating, to say the least. I am not blaming anybody but it is slow and goes down repeatedly. Perhaps it is my laptop which is the problem, I do not know, as I am not a computer whiz.

What I do know is that most times, in order to get reconnected to the Internet I have to reboot. Now this rebooting may not take very long but, as most reporters know, when it’s deadline time, 60 seconds seem like 60 minutes and then your train of thought has been interrupted and that could be even worse. Hasta mañana.

Translation: I have finally found the love of my life in Guadalajara.

Elton Tucker, Sports Editor

GUADALAJARA, Mexico:

Buenos días amigos.

I have now decided that I will not write anything negative about my hosts for the rest of my sojourn here. There are a lot of positive things and you will read all about them.

Despite all problems I have already mentioned, my Mexican friends have generally been courteous to me at the Main Press Centre (MPC) and at the hotel.

Let’s start with downtown. It’s very clean and the roads, from what I have seen, are well maintained. No potholes, even on the side streets. The people are generally quiet in going about their business – no loud shouting or bad behaviour on the streets. No young men loitering on corners or ‘loadermen’ at the bus terminus.

Taxi men, despite all the faults I have already mentioned, obey road rules and park in designated areas. Other drivers do very much the same and, even in peak traffic, generally remain in their lanes and give the proper signals.

Maybe it is just for the Games but security is ‘Rambo-style’, submachine guns and all. The police here, especially the Federal Policia, do not look like people you joke with when they give an order. Just ask the drivers on roads around Games venues where the police have strict orders to keep these roadways clear and are here, there and everywhere.

Throughout the day at the MPC, the federal police are ever present in full gear with their assault weapons in hand and black, shiny F150s parked nearby. I do not like to see many guns around me but, maybe, considering certain circumstances mainly in northern Mexico, it is better to be safe than sorry.

Last, I must say that as a veteran journalist I have learnt that it is best, sometimes, to keep your feelings to yourself. Keep an open mind, just report things as you see them. However, I am human and really felt the pain of swimmer Alia Atkinson when she lost out on a medal in the 100m metres breaststroke on Monday night. The always-happy and easy-going 22-year-old who I have known since the 2004 Athens Olympics was a picture of sadness after the event. She did speak to the press, but her voice told you she just wanted to be alone.

Hasta mañana.