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Olympic Games
Dion Crabbe Makes Olympic Games Debut Today
By Dean Greenaway
Aug 23, 2004, 19:43

Dion practicing starts with training partners

ATHENS, Greece—Sprinter Dion Crabbe will make his Olympic Games debut in the 200 meters which begins at 10:20 a.m. today, as the British Virgin Islands will see its first action of the Athens Games. Crabbe will run in lane four of heat five. The BVI only has one athlete at the games. Crabbe's starting of competition comes as the U.S. Virgin Islands wrapped up its competition last night when Laverne Jones missed the 200 meter semifinals by 1/100 of a second.

Crabbe who trained in Zurich, Switzerland prior to coming to Athens, completed his final workout in preparations for today’s debut Saturday, then had Sunday and Monday off. He moved his final training session from the Olympic Games Village track to the  Athens Olympic Games Stadium warm up track where athletes prepare to compete.

The Olympics will be Crabbe’s third major games in since the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England in 2002 where he advanced to the 200 meters quarter finals. He also competed in the Central American and Caribbean Games in El Salvador and won the 100 meters and placed fourth in the 200 meters. Injuries kept him out of last year’s Pan American Games.

Crabbe has been focusing on the task at hand and coach Dag Samuels said his focus is similar to when he competed in the Central American and Caribbean Games. “He’s more focused and I think he understands the meaning of competition at a very high level now,” Samuels noted. “He’s had over 2-years experience to challenge this sort of competition so his experience is really working for him now.”

Samuels said with Crabbe’s focus where it is, he more confident in what he’s doing. He said Carbbe’s workouts were geared towards what he’s suppose to do and everything came into place. “We discussed about taking one round at a time and ultimately, the goal is to get to the finals,” Samuels explained. “But, just advance.” The 200 meter quarter finals are scheduled for 8 p.m. tonight.