sep.02.2001

by Andre E. Baptiste

As Ato Boldon headed into the Goodwill Games following a 2nd (100 metres) and 4th place (200 metres)finish in Brussels on Friday at the Golden League meet.

27-year-old Trinidad and Tobago leading athlete Ato Boldon will be back and he will be better for his defeat in the World Championships 100 metres in Edmonton, Canada, says his Mum, Hope Boldon who spoke with this reporter.

"In life things happen for a reason at all times and Ato is a religious person just like myself, and I feel that what he experienced was a -Come to Jesus moment-, a sharp slap on your face and it makes you stand up and think of what you are doing and where you are going," Hope Boldon stated.

"It makes you understand that there is pain in the world and the pain that you receive, as Ato received after the 100 metres can allow you to be reflective and analytical, and I know my son has done that," he added.

"When lost that race, I saw a side of him that is like me, it told me was really having a serious moment of contemplating where does he go next, so that he can be more successful in the 100 metres...he pulled himself away and likes to be by himself at this time," Hope Boldon noted.

"Ato is a complex person, he is a thinker, and he knows that he wants to do better in the 100 metres, but he also knows that there were reasons why he did not do as well as he and all of us wanted. But we as his family are all here to give him support, we know he had a number of issues."

"As well if you listen to Ato and know him as you do, he knows there is another career and life after track for Ato Boldon. To me in that you can see that Maurice Greene is run no matter what and at all costs, while Ato's approach is more of - live to run again at another time-,"

Hope believes that there are a lot of things that Ato has to reconsider including where he wants to be in the next few years," He knows that he needs to move on and he can do it, he has the ability,"

"But at the same time, it must be known that Ato is aware that while wining is important, her is not about winning no matter what, because knows that there is a life after drugs and track is not that important, all this talk of drugs would not happen to Ato,"

"He is a clean loser, he will win clean and lose clean,"

Hope Boldon though is convinced that Ato's legacy to date of Four Olympic Medals and three World Championships medals has spilt a lot of people in the region especially in Trinidad and Tobago," What Ato has done continuous for around the last ten years, is bring a lot of success and medals to Trinidad and Tobago, and we were not accustomed to this continuous success year after year, we had only experience it in spurts before,"

"It has therefore spoilt everyone and they have begun to accept it and almost cannot accept that he does not win a medal, but we need to be understanding, Ato is a human being and there will be days when he does not achieve what we expect, but the strength of our support for him, is in how much we keep faith in him during the difficult times,"

"My son has a lot of qualities which suggest he will grow and learn from the events of Edmonton and whatever decision he makes, he will have our fullest support," Hope Boldon revealed.