media_artricles :: 2015

RIO WINDOW: 'Torpedo' Thompson buoyed ahead of Olympic season

A window of opportunity. This is Richard “Torpedo” Thompson's take on the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The Trinidad and Tobago sprint star turns 31 next June, a couple months ahead of his bid for Olympic honours.

“I don't have it in my head that Rio is my last Olympics,” Thompson told the Express, “or my last shot. When you look at the top sprinters in the world right now…Justin Gatlin is 33, Tyson Gay is the same age, Asafa Powell is the same age (32). These guys have been around for a long time, so it's not impossible that I go to another Olympics and possibly do well there.

“But as people say you have to strike while the iron is hot. I still have youth on my side, and I still feel as though I have the energy and what it takes to run fast times. I want to capitalise on that opportunity. A lot can change between 2016 and 2020. When it's your time to do something you need to capitalise on it, especially as a professional athlete.

“We have a window that you're possibly going to perform at your best. When that window closes, it's very difficult to try to open it again. Sometimes it's shut and it's shut forever. For me it's still open and I want to find my way through it.”

Thompson was just 23 when he seized men's 100 metres silver at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, in China. He was a finalist at the 2012 London Olympics, but was unable to secure a podium finish.

Thompson has decided to make a coaching change ahead of the Rio Games. The US-based sprinter is moving his training base from Louisiana to Florida, where he will be coached by T&T's quadruple Olympic medallist and 1997 200m world champion Ato Boldon.

“As I progress to next season,” said Thompson, “I intend to put in the work. I know that Ato expects nothing less of me as far as giving a hundred percent, and I expect nothing less from him as well, giving a hundred per cent. Hopefully that relationship fosters great results.”

But while Thompson is optimistic that his decision to team up with Boldon will bear fruit, he is managing his expectations.

“I don't want to say it's my time. I want to take things step by step. I don't want to count the eggs before they hatch. I would like for it to be my year, and I am confident that I can do it based on the mentality that I have right now, that I can push to be better and better than I have ever been.

“But I do understand,” he continued, “that it takes a great amount of work. I'm up to the task, and if God has it in his plans for me to be a medallist or a champion or whatever it is again, I'd be grateful.”

A knee injury forced Thompson to call off his 2015 campaign in June. As a result, the triple Olympic silver medallist missed out on last month's IAAF World Championships in Beijing.

“My experiences have taught me that even through failures and bad times, the Lord always has a blessing for each and every person. Out of many bad situations I've had a lot of blessings, including this year. Being injured was disappointing. It was my first year since 2006 not being on a national team throughout the summer, and that was tough for me.

“It was weird too, being at home over the summer, but the blessing that came was that I got to spend a lot of time with my son Rhys and my fiancée (Monique Cabral). I got to spend a lot of time with my family in Trinidad and my family in Toronto. It also helped me make the decision to move to Ato, which I think is a good decision. I'm never discouraged by failure. I may be disappointed but never discouraged.”

Thompson is currently in T&T doing off-season training and rehabilitative work on his injured knee.

“I wouldn't say it's completely behind me, but I've been doing work to strengthen it and get it better. I've been doing a lot of the work relatively pain free which is a good sign.”

The Queen's Royal College old boy returns to Louisiana early next month, and will begin training in Florida in November.

“I'm in the middle of looking for a house in Florida. I never thought I'd say I'm sad to leave Louisiana, but in hindsight Louisiana has been my home for a third of my life, for the last 10 years…great people, great culture, just a wonderful place. I love Louisiana. But in order for me to achieve great things again I have to move away from Louisiana, on to bigger things.

“My fiancée and I spoke about moving to Florida some day and being closer to home, being closer to the family. By moving to Ato, we get a head start, and we look forward to a bright future in Florida. I'm not looking forward to the 10-hour drive (from Louisiana), but everything else will be fine afterwards.”

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