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Trinidad and Tobago sprinter Ato BoldonSprinter Ato Boldon captured two bronze medals in the 100 meters and 200 meters at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Boldon will attempt to become the first athlete from Trinidad and Tobago to win a gold medal since the ’76 Games. CNNSI.com asked Boldon about his preparations for the competition. I think it would be to my detriment to look past the 100. Because the 100 happens first and I have to make sure all my efforts are concentrated on the 100. I don’t want to look past the 100 thinking I have a better shot in the 200. I see myself having an equal chance in both because anything can happen on the nights of those two finals.
I think I am -- I hope I am -- more mature. I certainly feel in the 100 meters, with all the goings on with Linford Chrisitie [in 1996 at Atlanta], that I allowed a situation which I couldn’t control to get the better of me. I was a college senior and didn’t have any experience at Olympics final level. That’s a lot different now. And I think that sort of thing couldn’t happen to me now. I am more prepared for something like that. When I have a chance to rest and train is usually when I run well. When I first came to Europe I was running well because I was coming off rest and training. Here I am coming off rest and training again and I typically run very well when I have rounds. And the Olympic Games have four rounds. I feel very much so that I am on the upswing. I feel like I am more comfortable running the 200 -- I always have throughout my career. In the 100, I never wanted to be the favorite. I operate best when I am not favored in the 100 meters. And I don’t see it as myself having to beat Maurice Greene. Maurice has to beat me. He’s the favorite. So that’s the way I am approaching this 100. I think Maurice Greene came in and did what I have always felt I could do as well. His [success] has just happened really quickly. I am not discouraged at all by his success. I am encouraged because I fell like he’s been doing this since he was six years old, and I have been doing it was since I was 16. So our training ages are a little bit different. So, I am looking forward to competing against him. And looking forward to running the kind of times he has run already.
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