World Championships, the perfect 60th birthday present for David
Published:Sunday | July 24, 2022 | 12:08 AM
EUGENE, Oregon:
THE FIRST World Athletic Championships held in the United States provided the perfect birthday gift for track and field fan, David Cover, who is making memories with his daughter Alexis and enjoying every bit of his experience in Eugene.
Both father and daughter made the trip from Jamaica to experience their first World Championships in person. Cover’s 60th birthday was in June and it was supposed to be a surprise but difficulties in booking tickets gave his wife no choice but to give him the good news months earlier.
“She knows that I am a track and field aficionado and, surprisingly, she said she has a little thing to give me and this is what it was,” Cover told The Sunday Gleaner.
“My birthday was in June but I knew from March because she was trying to get the tickets and I think something happened with Ticketmaster that she thought she wasn’t going to be able to give me again. So she just had to buss the surprise from then. So I have been planning ever since.”
Enjoyable journey
It has been a long-but-enjoyable journey, the excitement starting from their connection from Dallas to Eugene. While there have been criticism of the location, Cover said that the rich athletic history of Eugene made it the logical choice.
“A lot of people are arguing ‘why bring such a global event to such a small town?’ But the atmosphere of this town, of the people, of spirit of the town, and they understand track and field,” Cover said.
“They had to bring it here so that America, continental America, could understand what track means in a global way. The Olympics has been in Atlanta and in Los Angeles but I don’t think that they really understand what was going on. So bringing something like this here and now will kind of hype it up.”
While Cover did not arrive in time to witness the Jamaican women sweep the 100m final on Sunday, he, along with his daughter, were at Hayward Field on Thursday night for the women’s 200m final, witnessing Shericka Jackson win her first global individual title in a championship record, 21.45 seconds.
“Once they saw us, they were asking us ‘what can we expect?’ It was just glorious. It was just a warming, welcoming (atmosphere),” Cover said.
What has made his experience memorable was to hear the familiar voice of Jamaican track and field announcer Donald Smith call the action at the World Championships, a moment that filled him with pride.
“Before I got here, I kind of heard it in the background but I wasn’t sure who it was. But then, coming into the stadium, it added to the atmosphere. When you come in, I said, ‘but wait, is a yaad man dat!’ And hearing him calling the shots on everything, I’m proud like punch (of) our people,” he said.
“I believe that Jamaica is the centre of the universe. That little island has dominated the world in so many things and arenas that we are unbeatable.”