While the memories of the competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics for Barton Community College sprinter Akeem Haynes might be bittersweet, the memories as a whole were indescribable.
“It’s one of those things where words can’t really describe,” said Haynes, who qualified for the London Games as part of the Canadian 4x100-meter relay team. “It’s kind of just something that hopefully you can see for yourself. I was blessed to have that chance. It was good. It was really exciting.”
Competing in the Olympics can change an athlete’s perspective on patriotism, according to Haynes.
“Well, I didn’t get to see that much just because of the training, but I did get to see the USA-Spain (basketball) game in the finals,” Haynes said. “That was loud. Just to see so many people from Spain and America, and to see how patriotic they are, that changed my perspective on what it means to be Jamaican or Canadian, to represent your country and have your whole country behind you.”
As a spectator, the feeling can be overwhelming as well. Barton assistant track and field coach Nigel Bigbee went to London as Haynes’ coach, and was blown away by the trip.
“I can’t even describe the experience,” Bigbee said. “I don’t have a baby, so I can’t say it was as amazing as having a child, but to be part of a world event like that and to have a piece in it. ... I got to have a connection to it. I had my Canadian gear on, and I was cheering on my guy.
“But as a whole, it was awesome. Whoever was on the track, regardless of the country, everyone was cheering.”
Haynes, who has competed in six international meets in his career, qualified for the Canadian team by finishing fourth in the 100 dash.
“The night before was probably the worst,” Haynes said of waiting to see if he made the relay team. “I finished fourth, and I wasn’t sure how they were picking the team, so I was at home the night before worrying about it.
“Then when they picked the team, I was hiding emotions all day because I had to go to the meetings, get sized for clothing, stuff like that. I basically had to hold everything in until I got home. Then the emotions got the best of me.”
Haynes didn’t get to run in the 4x100 in the Olympics after a late decision by his country’s coach to have Gavin Smellie run in his place.
“We knew the night before the race,” Haynes said. “I thought I was going to run because my team had the best time. But my coach made the decision that he thought was best, and I’m going to support that regardless of running or not.”
The Canadian relay team finished the finals with the third-best time, but was disqualified after one of the runners stepped on the line of his lane.
“It’s like waking up when you’re a kid, and you get told there’s a bike under the tree,” Haynes said. “You’re thinking about that the night before and you go downstairs and it’s not there. Everything you wanted has just been crushed. On the board, it said we got third, so we were celebrating that we just got an Olympic bronze medal. My heart was pounding so bad, and I wasn’t even running.
“To see the emotions on my team’s faces (after they learned of the disqualification), that was probably the top worst experience of my life that I never want to go through again.”
Haynes said above all, the experience has motivated him to get back and race in 2016.
“After being there and not getting to run, I am more than motivated because I don’t want this to happen again,” Haynes said. “It can’t happen with the next one, because for the next one, I’ll be 24 and my time is running out.
“I just finished running, and (Barton’s coaches) aren’t letting me do anything right now until next week, so I’m kind of on edge. I want to get back to running.”

BY KEVIN PRICE
kprice@gbtribune.com

hile the memories of the competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics for Barton Community College sprinter Akeem Haynes might be bittersweet, the memories as a whole were indescribable.
“It’s one of those things where words can’t really describe,” said Haynes, who qualified for the London Games as part of the Canadian 4x100-meter relay team. “It’s kind of just something that hopefully you can see for yourself. I was blessed to have that chance. It was good. It was really exciting.”
Competing in the Olympics can change an athlete’s perspective on patriotism, according to Haynes.
“Well, I didn’t get to see that much just because of the training, but I did get to see the USA-Spain (basketball) game in the finals,” Haynes said. “That was loud. Just to see so many people from Spain and America, and to see how patriotic they are, that changed my perspective on what it means to be Jamaican or Canadian, to represent your country and have your whole country behind you.”
As a spectator, the feeling can be overwhelming as well. Barton assistant track and field coach Nigel Bigbee went to London as Haynes’ coach, and was blown away by the trip.
“I can’t even describe the experience,” Bigbee said. “I don’t have a baby, so I can’t say it was as amazing as having a child, but to be part of a world event like that and to have a piece in it. ... I got to have a connection to it. I had my Canadian gear on, and I was cheering on my guy.
“But as a whole, it was awesome. Whoever was on the track, regardless of the country, everyone was cheering.”
Haynes, who has competed in six international meets in his career, qualified for the Canadian team by finishing fourth in the 100 dash.
“The night before was probably the worst,” Haynes said of waiting to see if he made the relay team. “I finished fourth, and I wasn’t sure how they were picking the team, so I was at home the night before worrying about it.
“Then when they picked the team, I was hiding emotions all day because I had to go to the meetings, get sized for clothing, stuff like that. I basically had to hold everything in until I got home. Then the emotions got the best of me.”
Haynes didn’t get to run in the 4x100 in the Olympics after a late decision by his country’s coach to have Gavin Smellie run in his place.
“We knew the night before the race,” Haynes said. “I thought I was going to run because my team had the best time. But my coach made the decision that he thought was best, and I’m going to support that regardless of running or not.”
The Canadian relay team finished the finals with the third-best time, but was disqualified after one of the runners stepped on the line of his lane.
“It’s like waking up when you’re a kid, and you get told there’s a bike under the tree,” Haynes said. “You’re thinking about that the night before and you go downstairs and it’s not there. Everything you wanted has just been crushed. On the board, it said we got third, so we were celebrating that we just got an Olympic bronze medal. My heart was pounding so bad, and I wasn’t even running.
“To see the emotions on my team’s faces (after they learned of the disqualification), that was probably the top worst experience of my life that I never want to go through again.”
Haynes said above all, the experience has motivated him to get back and race in 2016.
“After being there and not getting to run, I am more than motivated because I don’t want this to happen again,” Haynes said. “It can’t happen with the next one, because for the next one, I’ll be 24 and my time is running out.
“I just finished running, and (Barton’s coaches) aren’t letting me do anything right now until next week, so I’m kind of on edge. I want to get back to running.”