'I'm really, really proud of him'
Akeem Haynes' family and friends gather to watch Olympian sprint in 100-metre event
Robin Grant
Northern News Services
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Olympian Akeem Haynes was disappointed with his sixth-place finish in the preliminary 100-metre sprints in Rio on Saturday, but his family's pride in him being there in the first place was obvious.
Family friend Ben Abitoye, left, Akeem Haynes' younger brother Jahmarri Samuels, 8, mother, Carlene Smith, and aunt,
Pauline Watler, cheer on Haynes as he runs in the 100-metre sprint Saturday morning in the 2016 Rio Olympics in Brazil. - Robin Grant/NNSL photo |
Excitement mixed with love was palpable in the living room of Pauline Watler, aunt of the 24-year-old Olympic sprinter on Saturday as the family gathered to watch the event in Yellowknife. Haynes' mother, younger brother and sister and some friends all gathered to watch him race.
"It was an amazing feeling just watching him do his thing," said his mother, Carlene Smith.
"He did his best. And that's all I told him, 'Just go there and do your best.' And he did ... And this doesn't make me love him any less, it makes me love him even more."
Watler said the race results were nothing in comparison to her pride in watching him perform, calling the event awesome.
"I'm excited. I'm still proud even though he came in sixth place," she said. "I'm really, really proud of him because I can see it - he put everything that he got into the race."
Haynes' cousin, Konrad Watler, agreed.
"I feel like he gave it all he got, and I am really proud of him," he said.
With a look of complete awe, Akeem's younger brother, Jahmarri Samuels, 8, had only one reaction: "Awesome."
Samuels said he also has ambitions to compete in the Olympics one day, and told his mother once he would take off where Akeem leaves.
As for the Olympian himself, Haynes told Yellowknifer from Rio on Monday that he is disappointed with his performance but is looking forward to competing again on Thursday.
"I made a few mistakes in the race, and I kind of knew it once I made the mistakes, so I was just hoping I would get in on time," he said. "But I'm over it now. Got to get ready for the next one."
Among those mistakes was trying too hard.
"I started trying too hard at 80 metres. I started pressing instead of just relaxing a little bit," he said.
Although Haynes has been training in the U.S. for several years, he lived in Yellowknife from age six to 12, attending Weledeh Catholic School.
He was born in Jamaica and moved to Yellowknife before relocating to Calgary in 2004.
Heading into his next track and field competition tomorrow, the men's 4x100 metre relay, Haynes said nothing is going to change, except a better execution.
"I just got to go in and do what I know I can do," he said.
This is the athlete's second trip to the Olympics. He was on the Canadian team as an alternate in London in 2012 but didn't compete.
Superstar athlete Usain Bolt of Jamaica ended up with the gold medal in a record breaking 9.81 seconds in the men's 100-metre sprint.
Bolt was followed by Justin Gatlin of the U.S. and Andre de Grasse of Canada, who won bronze.
Haynes is also author of a 2012 book called Love, Life and Legacy about the challenges he faced growing up and his journey to becoming a world-class sprinter.
