ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Cydonie Mothersill: Ranked sixth in the world in the 200m dash

Cydonie Mothersill

Friday, January 2, 2004

For most track and field athletes representing small Caribbean island countries, having a year like Cydonie Mothersill had in 2003 would be considered a great accomplishment, but the 25-year-old Caymanian track star feels there's still unfinished business to take care of in 2004.

"I want to be on that podium next year," says Cydonie, who will participate in her third Olympic Games in Athens next August.

Cydonie, who specialises in the 200-metre dash, moved up as high as the third ranked woman in the world in her event, and only six women on the planet ran a faster time than the 22.45-second result she turned in at the Central American and Caribbean Championships (CAC Games) during 2003.

In those Championships at St. George's in Grenada in July, Cydonie ran the third fastest 200 metres in the 19-meet history of the CAC Games, and become the first woman to successfully defend her title in the event since Miguelina Cobian of Cuba did it the Game's first two meetings, in 1967 and 1969.

Other big wins during the year for Cydonie included the Energizer Euroseries race in Birmingham, England in February, and the Linz Grand Prix in Austria in late July.

It was after her race in Linz, when the season turned sour for Cydonie, who then failed to medal at the Pan American Games in the Dominican Republic and at the World Championships in Paris, dropping her to number six in the world rankings.

"I made some bad decisions, both mentally and physically," says Cydonie now in reflecting back on the missed opportunities, "But this is a learning process. I understand the things that went wrong."

Still, Cydonie was honoured with the title of Cayman's Senior Female Athlete of the Year in October for her accomplishments in 2003, something that did not surprise local sports enthusiasts who have followed her running career over the years.

Cydonie starred on the John Gray High School track team before heading off to George Mason University in Virginia in 1998. There she was named an All-American in the 4x400m and the 4x100m relays.

In 2000, Cydonie transferred to NCAA Division One Clemson University, and in 2001 had an outstanding season that earned her a number of honours, including the NCAA 200m dash indoor championship.

Having graduated with a Bachelors degree in English in 2001, - Cydonie hopes to teach some day - she now does her training at Auburn University in Alabama, gladly coming home to Cayman to visit family and friends whenever her schedule allows.

However, the road to Athens will not allow Cydonie many trips here after spending a week in Cayman at Christmas. Cydonie's 2004 season will begin with the Adidas Meet in Boston on 31 January, and then she'll head to London, where she will live and train while she participates in the European circuit. 

If she is to reach her Olympic goals, Cydonie will have to improve certain aspects of her racing.

From the mental standpoint, Cydonie knows what she must to do to find herself on the podium in Athens. "It's not a matter that the other girls were better than me this year," she says, "but they were better prepared. I have to learn to put the last race out of my mind and let go of it. I sometimes have too much excessive baggage to carry in a race. My mind needs to be totally clear."

Another mental aspect of Cydonie's event is confidence. "Sprinting is all about ego," she says, "Entering a race I've got to believe I'm the baddest, and I'm the fastest. If I don't, I already lost the race."

Physically, it is hard to imagine the muscular Cydonie being any more fit that she is now, but she says she has a long way to go to get in shape for the Olympics. "I didn't think training could get any harder, but next year will be much more difficult. Everything will be more intense."

One of the things that Cydonie is working on to resist the burnout over the long race season is strength conditioning. "I've been doing a lot of weightlifting, and strength-wise, I'm much, much stronger that I was. I've come a long way, and I'm proud to say I'm drug free."

Stronger or not, Cydonie knows she must protect herself from burnout by being smart as well. "I have to be careful not to do too much," she says, "I'll have to pick the best two or three events during the summer that will prepare me for the Olympics."

As for the Olympics, Cydonie says she cannot wait. "You can't compare them to any other experience," she says, "It's an unbelievably awesome experience to have 100,000 people all cheering while you run. Goose pimples fill you up."

Cydonie said that she feels that her maturity and experience in the past two Olympic Games will help her in Athens. "The Olympics is the ultimate," she says, "I feel blessed to be able to go for a third time."

The real ultimate for Cydonie, however, will be to stand on the podium and accept a medal for herself and on behalf of the people of the Cayman Islands.

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