more on Haiti in the Olympics

Hey, I discovered that Wikipedia, that source of fabulously accurate research, is keeping up with results by country.  Here is Haiti's page:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haiti_at_the_2012_Summer_Olympics


Pascale Delaunay
2012 Olympic Team from Haiti

I also found a story on one of the women on the team on the Photographers Blog.
http://blogs.reuters.com/photographers-blog/2012/06/05/dream-of-gold/

Linouse Desravines practicing for the Olympics 2012 in judo - Haiti

An excerpt:

Dream of gold

By Swoan Parker   June 5, 2012

Gold in Haiti should no longer be just a dream. Even before prospective mining begins in the country’s northern hills, the realization of it all could be little more than one month away. Without investing millions and weighing only 52 kg (114 pounds), 21-year-old Linouse Desravines, the country’s only judoka to qualify for the London 2012 Olympics, is all it might take for Haiti to acquire gold...

Linouse, who is ranked #28 in the world in her weight class, is from Haiti’s north coast where she lives and regularly trains. In preparation for the games, Linouse was scheduled to stay in the capital for a few days and train with the two coaches, before traveling to France to continue training for seven more weeks before arriving in London.

Well, no medal this time, but she's only 21.  I hope there will be a lot of support for her for the next one.  That fundraising effort by Samyr Laine may be a great help. 

The women's events are over now, but it seems there are still some men's track and field events to go. 

Moise Joseph - 800m
Jeffrey Julmis - 110m hurdles
Samyr Laine - triple jump

Here is a fundraising event page for the Haitian track team from earlier this year:
http://www.rockmasters.com/flyers-2012/haiti-olympics-fundraising.htm

Part of the fundraising ad:

$49,120 to send eight athletes to the Olympics.  I wonder if five of them qualified or if they were only able to send five because of the money?  I hope the country is proud of those who were able to represent them, whatever the situation.



Olympic fundraing poster for the Haitian team
Only five of these made it to the actual Games, but who knows... 2016?

 * * *
A random comment on the Olympics:  I am watching a Bulgarian Olympic gymnast compete on the rings.  He has grey hair.  I love that.  39 years old, and he can still compete in gymnastics.   Better yet, the reporter said he is one of the nicest guys around.  Good for him.