Dominicans Take Gold and Silver and Make History

Dominicans Take Gold and Silver and Make History
Santo Domingo, August 6, 2012

Hundreds of millions of viewers watched the strained face of Felix Sanchez in his final lap as he roared across the finish line to take the gold in a spectacular showing in the 400-meter hurdles on Monday in London. What many didn’t know was that he had a photo of himself and his late grandmother, Lilian Morcelo, tucked under his red and blue Dominican racing jersey and “Abuela” written on his yellow track shoes.

“I made a promise I was going to win a medal for her before I retired,” Sanchez said. “It took me 4 years but I got her a medal.”

Hundreds of millions of viewers watched the strained face of Felix Sanchez in his final lap as he roared across the finish line to take the gold in a spectacular showing in the 400-meter hurdles on Monday in London. What many didn’t know was that he had a photo of himself and his late grandmother, Lilian Morcelo, tucked under his red and blue Dominican racing jersey and “Abuela” written on his yellow track shoes.

Four years ago at the Beijing summer games in 2008, on the very morning he had to compete, Sanchez found out that his beloved grandmother had passed away. He was so distraught, he nearly walked off the track, but instead he finished the race nearly four seconds slower than his personal best and was eliminated from the event. This was same event in which, four years earlier at the 2004 Athens Olympics, he won the first gold medal ever for the Dominican Republic, his parents’ homeland. Sanchez was raised in California.

But this year would be different for Sanchez who made a promise to himself that sad night in 2008 in Beijing.

“I just wanted to make her proud so I’ve got her name on my spikes,” said Sanchez on Monday. “The day she died in Beijing it broke my heart. That’s why I ran with the picture close to my heart.”

He kept his promise on Monday when he ran the 400-meter hurdles with a season-best time of 47.63 seconds to become an Olympic champion once again for the Dominican Republic. Sportscasters noted that Sanchez, who is turning 35 in a couple of weeks, is obviously aging well: his winning time on Monday was identical to his winning time in Athens 8 years ago.

Sanchez has won two world championships, two Olympic gold medals and 43 races in a row from 2001 to 2004 and now London.

 “There have been a lot of setbacks and injuries. I wondered if I could come back from all that.”

Regardless of the setbacks, Sanchez’s technique, momentum and rhythm as he gracefully flew over the hurdles reminded one of an elegant equestrian race.

Sanchez could not control in his emotions as he stood on the medal stand. Cameras pulled in closely to his tear-streaked face until he finally dropped his head into his hands and cried as the Dominican national anthem played and the flag of the Dominican Republic was raised. It was a touching moment that showed how much it meant to Sanchez to honor his grandmother on track and field’s biggest stage and to win a second gold medal for his homeland eight years after capturing the first. Surely, Felix Sanchez was not the only one crying.

More Prizes for a Dominican Runner:  Luguelín Santos

While Felix Sanchez has been the standard bearer for his country’s athletics for more than a decade, now the Dominican Republic has another hero to hail in the shape of the lean and extremely fast teenager, Luguelín Santos.

The nineteen-year-old, from Bayaguana, made history on Sunday when he won a silver medal in the 400-meter race. He finished the race in 44.46 seconds, right on the heels of winner, Kirani James of Granada.  NBC sportscaster Bob Costas put it well when he said, “Look at how calm and composed Santos is…and he is a teenager. Very impressive young man.”

The race, which had one of the largest viewing audiences in this year’s London Olympics because of participation of double amputee, Oscar Pistorius, seemed not to faze the Dominican sprinter who indeed crossed the finish line with a tranquil smile on his face.

But then, how could he not be satisfied with so many accomplishments to his credit at such a young age?

Luguelín Santos announced his arrival as someone to watch at the age of 16 when he won the 400-meter at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore with a 47.11.

His upward trajectory continued in stunning fashion at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara in October, 2011.
He clocked a national junior 400-meter record of 45.41 in his heat and then left observers open-mouthed in the final when he sped to a time of 44.71 for the best in the world in his age, 17.

“I always wanted to be where I am in my life right now but I never dreamed that I would be as fast as I have become so soon,” said Santos at the Barcelona games last summer.

“However, I’m just starting on my career and I want to be the only non-American to run 43 seconds; so far only Americans (nine in fact) have finished in under 44 seconds, I want to be the first from somewhere else.”

On Sunday in London, Santos came quite close to fulfilling that goal, which means he probably will very soon.