Mihter Wendolin: 100 meter sprinter looks back at her race

FSM's Miss 50 meter freestyler interviewed in London

Debra Daniel of Pohnpei topped the heat 2 of the women’s 50 meters freestyle qualifying heats at the Aquatics Center at the London Olympic Games around ten o’clock on August 3.

Daniel surged ahead at around 20 meters into the race and extended her lead to finish in first place with a time of 30.32 seconds that bettered the time for the second placer by more than one second. Daniel explained later that this was her best time in the event.

If this were in athletics, Daniel would have advanced to the next round. Instead, based on swimming regulations, only the best 16 times in all the heats moved on to the semi-finals. Daniel was ranked at number 56 after the qualifying heats.

Keitani taking his rightful place among FSM Olympians

Keitani Graham and his coach, Larry Uwelur, during warm up about an hour before the match

Less than an hour before FSM Wrestling's first historic match at the World Olympics, Keitani and coach Larry Uwelur took to the mat in the wrestling practice hall before competition at the Excel Center in London.

As I watched them among other world champions within the same facility, I couldn't help but recall Keitani's "coming of age" as a multi-discipline athlete, a leader, a role model, and now, an Olympian.

Keitani is well-known in his home-state of Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia for his dedication to excellence in sport and unrelenting focus on "becoming the best" in the sports of basketball, athletics, and the past five years, wrestling. He has competed at the South Pacific Games in basketball and athletics (pentathlon) and now has become FSM Wrestling's first debut at the Olympics.

Keitani taking the wrestling stage. Coach Larry and Clark Graham, FSM Wrestling Secretary General at team side

Keitani's steps onto the wrestling stage foreshadowed the dominance of a "new sport" in the FSM that has already established esteemed regards in the country since the 2007 South Pacific Games in Apia Samoa. Apart from the acclaimed great FSM lifter Manuel Minginfel, FSM wrestlers, especially Keitani Graham, have made their country men and women proud though their continuing successes as a developing sport. Coach Larry himself helped pioneered the way for great athletes like Keitani to make a strong mark for the FSM.

Keitani Graham, FSM (red) and Charles Edward Betts, USA at the start of their match

So, even though the "underdog" was handed a defeat by Betts Charles Edward, a great USA wrestler in their 84 KG match, the end result will only intensify Keitani's hunger for greatness. For beneath the quiet humble nature that dictates this young man's simple approach is a resolute fighter who has built bigger dreams for less fortunate Micronesian not only through sports but community involvement, education, and outreach programs. I do not hesitate to say that Keitani already has his heart fixed on what he has to do to rise up the same steps four years later, only in a different host-country, Brazil.

A Day Off for Team FSM

Today, Sunday, Team FSM has no one competing. Keitani's big day is coming up tomorrow as he will wrestle at 1:30pm.

John Howard and a few others will have a tour of some of the hightlights of London before he starts his way back home (Guam) tomorrow evening.

For all our fans, please be on the look out for Keitani's event tomorrow.

John Howard: “Too much pressure to break the (National) record”

John Howard, in blue outfit, psyching himself before his race

London (August 4, 2012): Just outside the media mixed zone minutes after his race, John Howard expressed dissatisfaction about his performance in the third heat of the men’s 100 meters preliminary round.

Howard ran 11.05 seconds in 5^th place trailing four other runners in a race with a winning time of 10.55 by Berenger Aymard Bosse of the Central African Republic. Elama Fa’atonu of Amarican Samoa came in last but set his best time ever of 11.48 in the process.

“I was next to the fastest guy in our heat. I thought that would help me lower my time”, Howard said before he commended on his own start, which has been the sprinter’s most difficult area.

“There was too much pressure on my mind. I wanted so much to break my personal best”, Howard said with displease, as he was aware of the hope and expectations his country-men and women quietly hold for him.  

Howard’s fastest time of 10.83 (FSM National Record) was set during the Athens Olympics eight years ago. Thereafter, Howard’s results at other meets have been lingering around 11.2.

Howard’s was the fastest time among the nine Oceania sprinters in the prelims, closely followed by Palau’s Rodman Teltull with 11.06.

The Guam-based FSM sprinter has not had any serious competitions leading to the Olympic Games like most established sprinters do to peak in time physically and mentally.

The FSM National Olympic Committee sent most of its athletes including John Howard to a 6-weeks pre-Olympic camp in Liverpool, England to “fine-tune” for London.

(Post Competition Interview with John Howard)

John Howard: London Olympics: August 4, 2012

Kerson Hadley's post-competition interview on Augus 2, 2012