Jaysuma Saidy Ndure
Encyclopedia
Jaysuma Saidy Ndure is a Gambian-Norwegian
sprinter
. Having changed nationality from Gambia to Norway in 2006, he holds both the Gambian and Norwegian records in both the 100
and 200 metres
, and is the seventh and fourth fastest European of all times on the two distances. He has a bronze medal
from the African Championships
and several top-three placings in IAAF Golden League
meets and the IAAF World Athletics Final
.
, Western Gambia, and raised by his mother. His first experience in the sprint events came in high school in his hometown. He reportedly took up the 200 metres event in order to avoid beating his friend, who already had taken up the 100 metres event. In June 2001 Saidy entered the West African Championships in Lagos
, and won the 200 metres in 21.27. The result was a new Gambian record time. However, setting a national record did not inspire him to commence serious training, as he still preferred to play basketball
and volleyball
for fun with his schoolmates.
In 2002, Saidy moved to Oslo
, Norway. A number of relatives already lived in the vicinity, most importantly Saidy's father who had lived in Norway since the 1970s
. Searching for a leisure activity, Saidy decided to take up athletics again and joined one of the athletics clubs in the Norwegian capital, IL i BUL
, whose training sessions were held in the internationally known Bislett stadion
. Here, his talent was soon discovered and Saidy was put in contact with coach Olav Magne Tveitå, who still coaches him.
Saidy later established a relationship with Heidi Trollsås, a retired 400 m hurdler hailing from the Norwegian city Sandefjord
who competed on national level. The couple eventually moved to Blystadlia
outside of Oslo, where they still live. Trollsås also functioned in the capacity of manager until 2008. Feeling that a professional agent was needed to handle Saidy's career, they hired noted Swedish athletics manager Daniel Westfeldt. Shortly thereafter Saidy signed a lucrative five-year contract with Nike
.
in Kingston
, Jamaica
. He competed in the 200 metres, but did not progress past the first round with a fifth place in his heat. With the time of 21.53 seconds he finished fifth in his heat, behind such athletes as eventual bronze medalist Wes Felix
and Leigh Julius
. A week later Saidy entered the Commonwealth Games
held in Manchester
, England
. Here he qualified for the next round for the first time, at the same time setting a new Gambian record of 21.25 seconds. He did exit in the next round after finishing fifth in the heat, the four best finishers in each heat progressing to the semi-finals. However, the quarter-final time of 21.20 seconds marked yet another Gambian record.
After arriving in Norway that summer, he tried the 100 metres and ran in 10.66 seconds in Drammen
in August. In Norway alone, five athletes had better marks that season.
The 2003 season turned out to be another season with steady progression, but still without achieving the major international breakthrough. In July he broke his first Gambian 100 metres record, running in 10.52 seconds in Gothenburg
. The old record was 10.54 seconds, set by Lamin Sanyang in May 2001 in Saidy's hometown Bakau. The next day he ran the 200 metres, and set his second Gambian record in two days with 21.18 seconds, this time in headwind.
At the 2003 African Junior Championships he won a bronze medal in the 100 metres and the 200 metres gold medal
. In August Saidy competed at his first World Championships, still only 19 years old. The competition in the 2003 World Championships
in Paris proved too tough, as Saidy once again failed to reach the second round. With 21.42 seconds, he finished sixth out of seven in a heat where eventual silver medal
ist Darvis Patton
, among others, ran. Saidy did however have the fastest reaction time in his heat with 0.128 seconds.
On another note, in May Saidy he tried the 400 metres
for the first time, clocking in 48.76 seconds in a local meet in Oslo
. As of 2007, he has not ran the distance again. Nonetheless, he has stated that the 400 metres might become his special event after turning 30 years old.
During the indoor season he lowered his personal best in the 60 metres
to 6.77 seconds, achieved in a February meet in Gothenburg. In late May he broke the 21-second barrier on the 200 metres, demolishing his own Gambian record with 20.69 seconds in Szombathely. During the same meet he also broke the 100 metres record twice in as many days, with 10.46 on 29 May and then 10.37 on 30 May. Two months later he won the bronze medal in the 100 metres
event at the 2004 African Championships
, clocking in 10.43 seconds and finishing behind Olusoji Fasuba
and Idrissa Sanou
. It was the third Gambian medal at the African Championships, following the two bronze medals at the 1996 edition
. He did not place in the 200 metres at this championships.
In August, Saidy made his final preparations for his first Olympic Games
participation. He showed great form by lowering the national 100 metres record yet again, first to 10.29 seconds in Malmö and then 10.27 seconds a week later in Lillehammer. The Olympic Games began three weeks later. The Gambian Olympic squad only consisting of two athletes, Saidy and female runner Adama Njie
, Saidy was chosen as the Gambian flagbearer at the opening ceremony
. He entered both the 100 and 200 metres, and for the first time he progressed from the first round in a global international competition. Moreover, he did so in both events. The 100 metres event
took place first. Here, Saidy lowered his record to 10.26 seconds as he progressed by finishing third in his heat, behind eventual silver medalist Francis Obikwelu
and Ronald Pognon
. In the quarter-final, however, 10.39 seconds was not enough to reach the next round. He finished in last place in his heat, this time having the slowest reaction time. In the 200 metres event
, the first four finishers of each heat plus the four fastest times overall would qualify for the next round; with a fifth-place finish in the heat and a time of 20.78 seconds Saidy became the last athlete to qualify. Again, he ran in the heats with an eventual medalist, Shawn Crawford
who went on to win the Olympic gold medal. The quarter-final saw Saidy finish sixth, failing to progress further.
His season debut in 2005 came at Florø on 4 June, where he ran the 100 metres in 10.53 seconds and the 200 metres in a mediocre 21.14 seconds. The main goal for the 2005 season was the World Championships
. Unlike the Olympic Games the previous year, Saidy only competed in the 200 metres. He progressed comfortably from both the heat and the quarter-final. In the semi-final he ended fifth in his heat, 0.07 seconds behind Usain Bolt
who with 20.68 seconds secured the last spot in the final.
Two months before the World Championships, he had set another Gambian record in the 200 metres, running in 20.57 seconds on 12 June in Warsaw. At the same meet he also clocked a season's best in the 100 metres of 10.31 seconds, which meant that he did not break the 100 m record in 2005. In July he ran under his 2004 record time on two further occasions. Only a week after the World Championships, he won a meet in Malmö to break the 200 metres record once more. The new record was 20.51 seconds.
being held in March in Melbourne, Australia. Saidy ran a 10,56-second 100 metres on 9 March as a test, but did not compete in the 100 metres event at the Commonwealth Games which took place on 19 March. Instead he opted for the 200 metres event. Having progressed to the semi-final, he was eliminated there after placing fifth in his heat. He was only 0.04 seconds behind Uchenna Emedolu
who secured the last final spot in that heat; the other heat saw three competitors finish in the range of 20.72–20.73 seconds, yet still advance to the final.
After the Commonwealth Games Saidy spent the next month training, before running a 20.89-second 200 metres in Dakar in late April. Two weeks later he improved to 20.59 seconds at the Super Grand Prix meet in Doha. He remained active through the summer, despite not entering the 2006 African Championships
to defend his medal from 2004. Having run well at various Grand Prix meets, he collected enough points to finish fifth on the World Athletics Tour, thus enabling him to compete at the World Athletics Final
for the first time. The 2006 World Athletics Final
was held in Stuttgart, and Saidy made an international breakthrough as he finished sixth in the 200 metres in a new Gambian record time of 20.47 seconds.
This would be his last Gambian record. He had filed for Norwegian citizenship a few days before the World Athletics Final. The next month his citizenship application was accepted by the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration.
In 2007 he made his season debut with 20.62 in the 200 metres at the Super Grand Prix meet in May in Doha. He did not run the 100 metres until late June, when he achieved a mediocre 10.50 seconds in pouring rain during a national meet in Lillehammer. Another low-key 10.44 performance in Malmö the next week followed, but the meet was still successful as he broke his own best time in the 200 metres with a 20.41-second race. The display of form continued at the end of the month, as he finally broke his three-year old personal best in the 100 metres, running in 10.10 seconds in Tallinn. In addition he lowered his personal best time in the 200 metres to 20.25 seconds at the same meet. The news report titled "Norwegian record up next", he indeed lived up to the expectations: On 7 August he participated in both events at the DN Galan
Super Grand Prix meet in Stockholm. He ran the 100 metres in 10.07 seconds, erasing the Norwegian record held by former European champion Geir Moen
since 1996. The result was even achieved in a headwind of 1,0 m/s, leading him to believe that a time in the range of 9 seconds was achieveable in a manner of time.
Eligible to compete in the Norwegian championships for the first time, Saidy won both short sprint events. On the first day of the championships, which were staged in mid-August in Askim, he ran the 100 metres in 10.14 seconds despite the drizzling and somewhat cold weather, beating the runner-up by more than half a second. For this result, he was awarded the King's Cup, a trophy given to the best male and female performer of the national championships. On the second day of the championships he won the 200 metres in a race he described as a "training session". However, he was not allowed to participate in the 2007 World Championships
because of nationality issues. Instead he opted to focus on the IAAF Golden League
competitions in September.
On 7 September he participated in the Weltklasse Zürich
meet, the first Golden League meet after a two-month break due to the World Championships. He finished second in 10.20 seconds, behind Francis Obikwelu
as the starting field clocked in overall mediocre times. Two days later, he went to Rieti, Italy to compete against Asafa Powell
among others. In splendid conditions with a 1.7 m/s tailwind, Powell set a new world record
of 9.74 seconds in the qualifying heat while Saidy equalled his own Norwegian record with 10.07 seconds. The next week, it was time for the Memorial Van Damme
Golden League meet in Brussels. Here, Saidy took another second place, again behind Asafa Powell, this time with 10.11 seconds. Two days later, at the ISTAF meet in Berlin Saidy showed consistency as he finished in 10.14 seconds, this time ahead of Marlon Devonish
to win his first Golden League race. His success at these IAAF World Athletics Tour competitions ensured his qualification to compete in both sprint events at the World Athletics Final, held in Stuttgart one week after the ISTAF meet which had concluded the 2007 Golden League circuit.
At the 2007 IAAF World Athletics Final
, Saidy finished second in the 100 metres and first in the 200 metres, setting new Norwegian records in both. In the 200 metres, he beat recent World Championships bronze medalist Wallace Spearmon
to clock in 19.89 seconds. The result was described as a "huge surprise", whereas Saidy himself described the sub-20 second time as "crazy" and "unbelievable". The previous day he lowered his national 100 metres record to 10.06 seconds to finish second behind Asafa Powell
, but after two false starts in the field the conditions were not optimal. These results propelled him to number four on the European all-time 200 metres list, only behind Pietro Mennea
, Konstadinos Kederis and John Regis
, and joint tenth place on the European all-time 100 metres list.
In September Saidy was nominated for the European athlete of the monh award, but finished runner-up as Polish hurdler Marek Plawgo
won the prize. In early 2008 he was declared Breakthrough Sportsperson of the Year in Norway, beating two female World Championships medalists in cross-country skiing. Attending a training camp in South Africa at that time, he was absent at the prize ceremony.
Ultimately, Gambia opted to block Saidy's participation for Norway in major international championships for three years. This measure was created mainly to stop African athletes from pursuing careers in more wealthy nations, such as Olympic champion runner Saif Saaeed Shaheen
who changed his allegiance from Kenya to Qatar. However, unlike Shaheen, Saidy was a naturalized Norwegian. Still, since leaving his Gambian citizenship behind, Saidy was not able to represent any nation at the 2007 World Championships
, even while his name was accompanied by the Norwegian flag in the IAAF World Athletics Tour meetings. The Norwegian Athletics Association then hoped to get the block lifted in time for the 2008 Summer Olympics
; this would depend on the approval of the Gambia Athletics Association.
In November 2007, it was reported that the disagreement had been resolved. The Norwegian Athletics Association and the Norwegian Olympic Committee and Confederation of Sports made an agreement with its Gambian counterpart, whose conditions included that Saidy would head a fourteen day long training camp for young athletes in his birthcountry. By the end of the year, only "formalities" remained as Saidy was presented as a part of the Norwegian elite athletics team for the first time.
In a 2008 television interview he elaborated on his sense of nationality. While expressing a feeling of being both Gambian and Norwegian, he would emphasize the similarities between people rather than differences.
case. On 8 August, the IAAF reported that Saidy Jaysuna (sic) had tested positive for cannabis
in an in-competition test on 28 June 2007 in Luzern, Switzerland. Saidy had competed in the Spitzenleichathletik EAA meeting there in both sprints events, running in 10.26 and 20.41 seconds respectively. Being a first violation, the only sanctions imposed on Saidy were disqualification from the competition in question as well as a public warning.
The news were not picked up by the Norwegian media until 14 August, two days after the Norwegian championships where Saidy won the King's Cup. The general secretary and the sports director of the Norwegian Athletics Association were unaware of the case, as was the Norwegian Anti-Doping Agency (Antidoping Norge). It was later discovered that the case had been sent to the Gambian Athletics Association. Saidy had been listed as a Gambian competitor in Luzern, even though he got Norwegian citizenship half a year ago. In September the case was transferred to the Norwegian authorities.
Reacting to the case, Saidy immediately blamed passive
marijuana smoking sustained during a visit at a friend's house a few days before the Luzern meeting. He stated that he would never consume the substance knowingly, referring to the detrimental effects of cannabis on performances. The explanation was pulled in doubt as "very unlikely" by a doping expert in Norway, who claimed that passive smoking was not enough to affect a doping test. Others supported the explanation. In a similar case, Canadian snowboarder Ross Rebagliati
originally lost his 1998 Olympic gold medal, but the medal was later returned; Rebagliati blamed passive smoking.
It was later revealed that Saidy had consumed the substance via attaya tea
drinking at the same gathering with friends, one of whom admitted to preparing the tea with cannabis. This explanation was believed, and in December Saidy was acquitted by the Norwegian Anti-Doping Agency. The case was dropped.
Unlike the previous year, Saidy decided to compete during the 2008 indoor season. He chose three 60 metres competitions in February. The first competition was held in Florø; here he was disqualified in the semi-final. In an unofficial extra race he clocked in 6.71 seconds, which would be a new Norwegian indoor record had the race been official. However, the next week Saidy ran in 6.56 seconds in Birmingham, England to lower the Norwegian record by 0.01 second. He had run in 6.58 seconds in the heats. Reportedly, he had potential for improvement as the start was not optimal. Finally, one week later in Gent he lowered his own record by an additional 0.01 second as he won the race in 6.55 seconds.
To the surprise of the Norwegian Athletics Association, Saidy announced that he would not compete at the 2008 World Indoor Championships
. According to his coach, the World Indoor Championships had a "low status" among the best sprinters, moreover Saidy wanted to prepare thoroughly for the 2008 Olympic season. Instead, he announced that he will commence the outdoor season on 9 May at the Super Grand Prix meet in Doha. Still, during a training camp in California in April, he joined a 4 x 100 metres relay
team composed of runners from the USA Olympic Training Center in San Diego to clock in a world leading time of 38.72 seconds. The result equalled the time achieved by the United States "Blue" team, with Tyson Gay
in its ranks, one week earlier.
On 9 May in Doha Saidy won the 100 metres race, in a new national record time of 10.01 seconds. His new record pushed him to a joint seventh place on the European all-time list. According to the IAAF reporter, this was "probably his most impressive 100m victory", considering not only the strong field of competitors, but also a suboptimal start. In addition, the last fifteen metres of the race were hampered by hamstring
pains, with Saidy clutching his thigh as he crossed the finish line. As a result he withdrew from the 200 metres race scheduled to be held later that evening. However, the injury was stated to be minor; Saidy was "not very worried".
Two weeks before the Bislett Games
, which Saidy considered important in the Olympic preparations, it was reported that the injury was healed, and that Saidy would compete in both the 100 and the 200 metres. One week later, however, the reports were countered. Having not recovered fully from the injury, Saidy stated that he would compete no earlier than late June. His eyes were still fixed on the main goal for the 2008 season, the 2008 Summer Olympics
. In Beijing he competed at the 100 metres sprint and placed 3rd in his heat after Derrick Atkins
and Andrey Yepishin
in a time of 10.37 seconds. He qualified for the second round in which he improved his time to 10.14 seconds. However, he was unable to qualify for the semi finals as he finished in 4th place of his heat after Usain Bolt
, Darvis Patton
and Francis Obikwelu
. He also took part in the 200 metres
individual, finishing second in his first round heat, with a time of 20.54 seconds. With 20.45 seconds in the second round he placed third in his heat and he qualified for the semi finals, however he did not show up at the start of the race.
Looking further into the future, he has stated that he might specialize in the 400 metres event. Being slimmer than many sprinters, he has a relatively low body mass index
and does not train bench press
to enhance his pectoral muscles
. He weighed 74 kilograms after the training camp in California, but the goal was to lose at least 2 kilograms before the Olympic Games.
He ran at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
in Berlin
, reaching the semi-finals of the 100 m. He go to the final of both the 100 m and 200 m at the 2010 European Athletics Championships, but finished in sixth and fifth place, respectively.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
sprinter
Sprint (race)
Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...
. Having changed nationality from Gambia to Norway in 2006, he holds both the Gambian and Norwegian records in both the 100
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
and 200 metres
200 metres
A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...
, and is the seventh and fourth fastest European of all times on the two distances. He has a bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
from the African Championships
2004 African Championships in Athletics
The 14th African Championships in Athletics were held in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo in July, 2004. Since African Championships is a biennial event, this edition was contested only a month before 2004 Summer Olympics. Thus some top athletes shunned the event...
and several top-three placings in IAAF Golden League
IAAF Golden League
The IAAF Golden League was an annual series of track and field meetings organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations...
meets and the IAAF World Athletics Final
IAAF World Athletics Final
The IAAF World Athletics Final was an annual track and field competition organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations. It was inaugurated in 2003 to replace the IAAF Grand Prix Final. The competition was part of the IAAF World Athletics Series and was the culmination of the...
.
Early and personal life
Saidy was born in BakauBakau
Bakau is a town on the Atlantic Ocean coast of The Gambia, lying west of Banjul. It is known for its botanical gardens, its crocodile pool Bakau Kachikally and for the beaches at Cape Point. It is the first major suburb outside Banjul and the most developed town in The Gambia...
, Western Gambia, and raised by his mother. His first experience in the sprint events came in high school in his hometown. He reportedly took up the 200 metres event in order to avoid beating his friend, who already had taken up the 100 metres event. In June 2001 Saidy entered the West African Championships in Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
, and won the 200 metres in 21.27. The result was a new Gambian record time. However, setting a national record did not inspire him to commence serious training, as he still preferred to play basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
for fun with his schoolmates.
In 2002, Saidy moved to Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, Norway. A number of relatives already lived in the vicinity, most importantly Saidy's father who had lived in Norway since the 1970s
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...
. Searching for a leisure activity, Saidy decided to take up athletics again and joined one of the athletics clubs in the Norwegian capital, IL i BUL
IL i BUL
Idrottslaget i Bondeungdomslaget i Oslo is a sports club in Oslo, Norway, founded on 8 January 1913. It is one of several branches of Bondeungdomslaget i Oslo, a local chapter of Noregs Mållag and Noregs Ungdomslag....
, whose training sessions were held in the internationally known Bislett stadion
Bislett stadion
Bislett Stadion is a sports stadium in Oslo, Norway. Bislett is Norway's most well known sports arena internationally, with 15 speed skating world records and more than 50 track and field world records having been set here...
. Here, his talent was soon discovered and Saidy was put in contact with coach Olav Magne Tveitå, who still coaches him.
Saidy later established a relationship with Heidi Trollsås, a retired 400 m hurdler hailing from the Norwegian city Sandefjord
Sandefjord
is a city and municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Sandefjord. The municipality of Sandefjord was established on 1 January 1838...
who competed on national level. The couple eventually moved to Blystadlia
Blystadlia
Blystadlia is a village in Rælingen municipality, Norway, located near the southern border towards Lørenskog. Blystadlia was built in the 1970s, and has about 4,000 inhabitants....
outside of Oslo, where they still live. Trollsås also functioned in the capacity of manager until 2008. Feeling that a professional agent was needed to handle Saidy's career, they hired noted Swedish athletics manager Daniel Westfeldt. Shortly thereafter Saidy signed a lucrative five-year contract with Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
.
2002 to 2003
In 2002, the year Saidy came to Norway, he started competing more seriously in more international competitions. Eighteen years of age, he was in the age group to compete at the World Junior Championships2002 World Junior Championships in Athletics
The 2002 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 2002 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held in Kingston, Jamaica from July 16 to July 21, 2002.-Men:-Women:-Medals table:...
in Kingston
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
, Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
. He competed in the 200 metres, but did not progress past the first round with a fifth place in his heat. With the time of 21.53 seconds he finished fifth in his heat, behind such athletes as eventual bronze medalist Wes Felix
Wes Felix
Paul Wesley Felix is an American sprinter who specialises in the 100 and 200 metres. He attended the University of Southern California from 2002 to 2005, where he was the Pac-10 200 metres champion in 2003 and 2004....
and Leigh Julius
Leigh Julius
Leigh Ignatius Julius is a South African sprinter.Julius represented South Africa at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. He competed at the 4x100 metres relay together with Hannes Dreyer, Ishmael Kumbane and Thuso Mpuang...
. A week later Saidy entered the Commonwealth Games
Athletics at the 2002 Commonwealth Games
At the 2002 Commonwealth Games, the athletics events were held at the City of Manchester Stadium from the 26–30 July 2002. The route for the marathon event crossed Manchester city centre and finished in the stadium. The race walk events began alongside the Lowry Centre at Salford Quays...
held in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Here he qualified for the next round for the first time, at the same time setting a new Gambian record of 21.25 seconds. He did exit in the next round after finishing fifth in the heat, the four best finishers in each heat progressing to the semi-finals. However, the quarter-final time of 21.20 seconds marked yet another Gambian record.
After arriving in Norway that summer, he tried the 100 metres and ran in 10.66 seconds in Drammen
Drammen
Drammen is a city in Buskerud County, Norway. The port and river city of Drammen is centrally located in the eastern and most populated part of Norway.-Location:...
in August. In Norway alone, five athletes had better marks that season.
The 2003 season turned out to be another season with steady progression, but still without achieving the major international breakthrough. In July he broke his first Gambian 100 metres record, running in 10.52 seconds in Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
. The old record was 10.54 seconds, set by Lamin Sanyang in May 2001 in Saidy's hometown Bakau. The next day he ran the 200 metres, and set his second Gambian record in two days with 21.18 seconds, this time in headwind.
At the 2003 African Junior Championships he won a bronze medal in the 100 metres and the 200 metres gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
. In August Saidy competed at his first World Championships, still only 19 years old. The competition in the 2003 World Championships
2003 World Championships in Athletics
The 9th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held from 23 August to 31 August 2003 in the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, France.-Track:...
in Paris proved too tough, as Saidy once again failed to reach the second round. With 21.42 seconds, he finished sixth out of seven in a heat where eventual silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
ist Darvis Patton
Darvis Patton
Darvis "Doc" Darell Patton is an American sprint athlete. He was the US Champion and World silver medallist over 200 meters in 2003...
, among others, ran. Saidy did however have the fastest reaction time in his heat with 0.128 seconds.
On another note, in May Saidy he tried the 400 metres
400 metres
The 400 metres, or 400 metre dash, is a common sprinting event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 . On a standard outdoor running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and...
for the first time, clocking in 48.76 seconds in a local meet in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
. As of 2007, he has not ran the distance again. Nonetheless, he has stated that the 400 metres might become his special event after turning 30 years old.
2004 to 2005
2004 would be the year when Saidy won his first international medal at senior level, and progressed significantly in both the short sprint events.During the indoor season he lowered his personal best in the 60 metres
60 metres
60 metres is a sprint event in track and field athletics. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At outdoor venues it is a rare distance, at least for senior athletes...
to 6.77 seconds, achieved in a February meet in Gothenburg. In late May he broke the 21-second barrier on the 200 metres, demolishing his own Gambian record with 20.69 seconds in Szombathely. During the same meet he also broke the 100 metres record twice in as many days, with 10.46 on 29 May and then 10.37 on 30 May. Two months later he won the bronze medal in the 100 metres
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
event at the 2004 African Championships
2004 African Championships in Athletics
The 14th African Championships in Athletics were held in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo in July, 2004. Since African Championships is a biennial event, this edition was contested only a month before 2004 Summer Olympics. Thus some top athletes shunned the event...
, clocking in 10.43 seconds and finishing behind Olusoji Fasuba
Olusoji Fasuba
Olusoji Adetokunbo Fasuba is a Nigerian sprinter who specializes in the 100 metres. He is the current African record holder in the event with 9.85 seconds....
and Idrissa Sanou
Idrissa Sanou
Idrissa Sanou is a Burkinabé athlete specializing in the 100 metres. Sanou holds the national records in both 100 metres, 200 metres and 4 x 100 metres relay....
. It was the third Gambian medal at the African Championships, following the two bronze medals at the 1996 edition
1996 African Championships in Athletics
-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:-External links:* - GBR Athletics...
. He did not place in the 200 metres at this championships.
In August, Saidy made his final preparations for his first Olympic Games
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
participation. He showed great form by lowering the national 100 metres record yet again, first to 10.29 seconds in Malmö and then 10.27 seconds a week later in Lillehammer. The Olympic Games began three weeks later. The Gambian Olympic squad only consisting of two athletes, Saidy and female runner Adama Njie
Adama Njie
Adama Njie is a retired Gambian middle distance runner who specialized in the 800 metres.She won the bronze medal in this event at the 1996 African Championships...
, Saidy was chosen as the Gambian flagbearer at the opening ceremony
2004 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony
The Opening Ceremony of the 2004 Summer Olympic Games was held on August 13, 2004 at the Olympic Stadium in Maroussi, Greece, a suburb of Athens. 72,000 spectators attended the event, with approximately 15,000 athletes from 202 countries participating in the ceremony as well...
. He entered both the 100 and 200 metres, and for the first time he progressed from the first round in a global international competition. Moreover, he did so in both events. The 100 metres event
Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Men's 100 metres
The men's 100 metres was of one of 23 track events of the athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics, in Athens. It was contested at the Athens Olympic Stadium, from August 21 to August 22, by a total of 84 sprinters from 63 nations....
took place first. Here, Saidy lowered his record to 10.26 seconds as he progressed by finishing third in his heat, behind eventual silver medalist Francis Obikwelu
Francis Obikwelu
Francis Obiorah Obikwelu, born 22 November 1978 in Nigeria and a Portuguese citizen since 2001, is a sprint athlete specializing in 100 metres and 200 metres. He holds the record for the fastest time in the 100 m set by a European competitor with a time of 9.86 seconds...
and Ronald Pognon
Ronald Pognon
Ronald Pognon is a French sprint athlete. He originally specialized in the 200 metres, but later shifted to the shorter sprint distances...
. In the quarter-final, however, 10.39 seconds was not enough to reach the next round. He finished in last place in his heat, this time having the slowest reaction time. In the 200 metres event
Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Men's 200 metres
-Qualification:The qualification period for Athletics was 1 January 2003 to 9 August 2004. For the men's 200 metres, each National Olympic Committee was permitted to enter up to three athletes that had run the race in 20.59 seconds or faster during the qualification period...
, the first four finishers of each heat plus the four fastest times overall would qualify for the next round; with a fifth-place finish in the heat and a time of 20.78 seconds Saidy became the last athlete to qualify. Again, he ran in the heats with an eventual medalist, Shawn Crawford
Shawn Crawford
Shawn Crawford is an American sprint athlete. He competes in the 100 meters and 200 meters events. He won gold at the 2004 Summer Olympics and silver at the 2008 Summer Olympics in the 200 meters....
who went on to win the Olympic gold medal. The quarter-final saw Saidy finish sixth, failing to progress further.
His season debut in 2005 came at Florø on 4 June, where he ran the 100 metres in 10.53 seconds and the 200 metres in a mediocre 21.14 seconds. The main goal for the 2005 season was the World Championships
2005 World Championships in Athletics
The 10th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held in the Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland , the site of the first IAAF World Championships in 1983. One theme of the 2005 championships was paralympic sports, some of...
. Unlike the Olympic Games the previous year, Saidy only competed in the 200 metres. He progressed comfortably from both the heat and the quarter-final. In the semi-final he ended fifth in his heat, 0.07 seconds behind Usain Bolt
Usain Bolt
The Honourable Usain St. Leo Bolt, OJ, C.D. , is a Jamaican sprinter and a five-time World and three-time Olympic gold medalist. He is the world record and Olympic record holder in the 100 metres, the 200 metres and the 4×100 metres relay...
who with 20.68 seconds secured the last spot in the final.
Two months before the World Championships, he had set another Gambian record in the 200 metres, running in 20.57 seconds on 12 June in Warsaw. At the same meet he also clocked a season's best in the 100 metres of 10.31 seconds, which meant that he did not break the 100 m record in 2005. In July he ran under his 2004 record time on two further occasions. Only a week after the World Championships, he won a meet in Malmö to break the 200 metres record once more. The new record was 20.51 seconds.
2006 to 2007
The 2006 season began early, with the 2006 Commonwealth Games2006 Commonwealth Games
The 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia between 15 March and 26 March 2006. It was the largest sporting event to be staged in Melbourne, eclipsing the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, athletes competing, and events being held.The site...
being held in March in Melbourne, Australia. Saidy ran a 10,56-second 100 metres on 9 March as a test, but did not compete in the 100 metres event at the Commonwealth Games which took place on 19 March. Instead he opted for the 200 metres event. Having progressed to the semi-final, he was eliminated there after placing fifth in his heat. He was only 0.04 seconds behind Uchenna Emedolu
Uchenna Emedolu
Uchenna Emedolu is a Nigerian athlete specializing in short-distance sprints, particularly the 100 metres and the 200 metres. In 100 metres his personal best time is 9.97 seconds, achieved at the 2003 All-Africa Games where he finished second...
who secured the last final spot in that heat; the other heat saw three competitors finish in the range of 20.72–20.73 seconds, yet still advance to the final.
After the Commonwealth Games Saidy spent the next month training, before running a 20.89-second 200 metres in Dakar in late April. Two weeks later he improved to 20.59 seconds at the Super Grand Prix meet in Doha. He remained active through the summer, despite not entering the 2006 African Championships
2006 African Championships in Athletics
The 15th African Championships in Athletics were held in Mauritius between August 9 and August 13, 2006. The event was staged at Stade Germain Comarmond in Bambous, Black River district...
to defend his medal from 2004. Having run well at various Grand Prix meets, he collected enough points to finish fifth on the World Athletics Tour, thus enabling him to compete at the World Athletics Final
IAAF World Athletics Final
The IAAF World Athletics Final was an annual track and field competition organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations. It was inaugurated in 2003 to replace the IAAF Grand Prix Final. The competition was part of the IAAF World Athletics Series and was the culmination of the...
for the first time. The 2006 World Athletics Final
2006 IAAF World Athletics Final
The 4th IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion in Stuttgart, Germany on September 9 and September 10, 2006.-Results:-External links:*...
was held in Stuttgart, and Saidy made an international breakthrough as he finished sixth in the 200 metres in a new Gambian record time of 20.47 seconds.
This would be his last Gambian record. He had filed for Norwegian citizenship a few days before the World Athletics Final. The next month his citizenship application was accepted by the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration.
In 2007 he made his season debut with 20.62 in the 200 metres at the Super Grand Prix meet in May in Doha. He did not run the 100 metres until late June, when he achieved a mediocre 10.50 seconds in pouring rain during a national meet in Lillehammer. Another low-key 10.44 performance in Malmö the next week followed, but the meet was still successful as he broke his own best time in the 200 metres with a 20.41-second race. The display of form continued at the end of the month, as he finally broke his three-year old personal best in the 100 metres, running in 10.10 seconds in Tallinn. In addition he lowered his personal best time in the 200 metres to 20.25 seconds at the same meet. The news report titled "Norwegian record up next", he indeed lived up to the expectations: On 7 August he participated in both events at the DN Galan
DN Galan
-External links:**...
Super Grand Prix meet in Stockholm. He ran the 100 metres in 10.07 seconds, erasing the Norwegian record held by former European champion Geir Moen
Geir Moen
Geir Moen is a former sprinter from Moss, Norway who specialized in the 200 metres. He represented Moss IL.His international senior debut came at the 1989 European Indoor Championships. At the 1994 European Championships he made his breakthrough as he won the gold medal in the 200 metres and the...
since 1996. The result was even achieved in a headwind of 1,0 m/s, leading him to believe that a time in the range of 9 seconds was achieveable in a manner of time.
Eligible to compete in the Norwegian championships for the first time, Saidy won both short sprint events. On the first day of the championships, which were staged in mid-August in Askim, he ran the 100 metres in 10.14 seconds despite the drizzling and somewhat cold weather, beating the runner-up by more than half a second. For this result, he was awarded the King's Cup, a trophy given to the best male and female performer of the national championships. On the second day of the championships he won the 200 metres in a race he described as a "training session". However, he was not allowed to participate in the 2007 World Championships
2007 World Championships in Athletics
The 11th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007...
because of nationality issues. Instead he opted to focus on the IAAF Golden League
IAAF Golden League
The IAAF Golden League was an annual series of track and field meetings organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations...
competitions in September.
On 7 September he participated in the Weltklasse Zürich
Weltklasse Zürich
Weltklasse Zürich is an annual track and field meeting at the Letzigrund in Zurich, Switzerland. Previously one of the IAAF Golden League events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League. One of the first large-scale international athletics events , it is sometimes referred to as the one day...
meet, the first Golden League meet after a two-month break due to the World Championships. He finished second in 10.20 seconds, behind Francis Obikwelu
Francis Obikwelu
Francis Obiorah Obikwelu, born 22 November 1978 in Nigeria and a Portuguese citizen since 2001, is a sprint athlete specializing in 100 metres and 200 metres. He holds the record for the fastest time in the 100 m set by a European competitor with a time of 9.86 seconds...
as the starting field clocked in overall mediocre times. Two days later, he went to Rieti, Italy to compete against Asafa Powell
Asafa Powell
Asafa Powell C.D is a Jamaican sprinter who specialises in the 100 metres. He held the 100 m world record between June 2005 and May 2008, with times of 9.77 and 9.74 seconds respectively. Powell has consistently broken the 10-second barrier in competition, with his personal best of...
among others. In splendid conditions with a 1.7 m/s tailwind, Powell set a new world record
World records in athletics
World records in the sport of athletics are ratified by the International Association of Athletics Federations. Athletics records comprise the best performances in the sports of track and field, road running and racewalking....
of 9.74 seconds in the qualifying heat while Saidy equalled his own Norwegian record with 10.07 seconds. The next week, it was time for the Memorial Van Damme
Memorial Van Damme
Memorial van Damme is an annual athletics event at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, Belgium that takes place in late August or early September...
Golden League meet in Brussels. Here, Saidy took another second place, again behind Asafa Powell, this time with 10.11 seconds. Two days later, at the ISTAF meet in Berlin Saidy showed consistency as he finished in 10.14 seconds, this time ahead of Marlon Devonish
Marlon Devonish
Marlon Ronald Devonish, MBE is an English sprint athlete.He is a member of the Coventry Godiva Harriers athletics club and is coached by Tony Lester. Early in his career he was successful at both 100 and 200 metre distances, winning English Schools and European Junior titles at both, but in recent...
to win his first Golden League race. His success at these IAAF World Athletics Tour competitions ensured his qualification to compete in both sprint events at the World Athletics Final, held in Stuttgart one week after the ISTAF meet which had concluded the 2007 Golden League circuit.
At the 2007 IAAF World Athletics Final
2007 IAAF World Athletics Final
The 5th IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion in Stuttgart, Germany on September 22 and September 23, 2007.-Men:- Women :-External links:*...
, Saidy finished second in the 100 metres and first in the 200 metres, setting new Norwegian records in both. In the 200 metres, he beat recent World Championships bronze medalist Wallace Spearmon
Wallace Spearmon
Wallace Spearmon, Jr., is a sprint athlete, who specializes in the 200 meters. He is a two-time NCAA outdoor champion in the 200 m and won the silver medal in the event at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics...
to clock in 19.89 seconds. The result was described as a "huge surprise", whereas Saidy himself described the sub-20 second time as "crazy" and "unbelievable". The previous day he lowered his national 100 metres record to 10.06 seconds to finish second behind Asafa Powell
Asafa Powell
Asafa Powell C.D is a Jamaican sprinter who specialises in the 100 metres. He held the 100 m world record between June 2005 and May 2008, with times of 9.77 and 9.74 seconds respectively. Powell has consistently broken the 10-second barrier in competition, with his personal best of...
, but after two false starts in the field the conditions were not optimal. These results propelled him to number four on the European all-time 200 metres list, only behind Pietro Mennea
Pietro Mennea
Pietro Paolo Mennea is an Italian former sprinter and politician, who was the 1980 Moscow Olympic 200 meter Champion, and also held the 200 m world record for 17 years.-Biography:...
, Konstadinos Kederis and John Regis
John Regis (athlete)
John Paul Lyndon Regis, MBE is a retired English sprinter. During his career, he won gold medals in the 200 metres at the 1989 World Indoor Championships and the 1990 European Championships, and a silver medal in the distance at the 1993 World Championships.He was a member of the British teams...
, and joint tenth place on the European all-time 100 metres list.
In September Saidy was nominated for the European athlete of the monh award, but finished runner-up as Polish hurdler Marek Plawgo
Marek Plawgo
Marek Plawgo is a Polish athlete. He mainly competes in the 400 meters hurdles, but he also starts in the 400 meters and the 4x400 meters relay....
won the prize. In early 2008 he was declared Breakthrough Sportsperson of the Year in Norway, beating two female World Championships medalists in cross-country skiing. Attending a training camp in South Africa at that time, he was absent at the prize ceremony.
Nationality
Since moving to live in Norway, a nationality change in order to represent his new home country was in the cards. In a newspaper interview Saidy stated that he "is one hundred per cent Norwegian". As an immigrant to Norway must wait for five years before getting a Norwegian citizenship, the process was fulfilled in December 2006, enabling him to compete at the Norwegian championships and to represent Norway in major international competitions such as the World Championships or Olympic Games. In his native Gambia, on the other hand, his new citizenship was described as a "shocking revelation". The Gambia Athletics Association, the Gambian National Olympic Committee and the Department of State for Youth and Sports were all reluctant to let him change nationality, as Saidy was deemed a "national hero" and a "national treasure".Ultimately, Gambia opted to block Saidy's participation for Norway in major international championships for three years. This measure was created mainly to stop African athletes from pursuing careers in more wealthy nations, such as Olympic champion runner Saif Saaeed Shaheen
Saif Saaeed Shaheen
Saif Saaeed Shaheen formerly Stephen Cherono is a steeplechase runner now representing Qatar. He currently holds the world record for 3000 metre steeplechase. His older brother Abraham Cherono is also a steeplechase runner.He was the 1999 World Youth Champion in the steeplechase and set a world...
who changed his allegiance from Kenya to Qatar. However, unlike Shaheen, Saidy was a naturalized Norwegian. Still, since leaving his Gambian citizenship behind, Saidy was not able to represent any nation at the 2007 World Championships
2007 World Championships in Athletics
The 11th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007...
, even while his name was accompanied by the Norwegian flag in the IAAF World Athletics Tour meetings. The Norwegian Athletics Association then hoped to get the block lifted in time for the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
; this would depend on the approval of the Gambia Athletics Association.
In November 2007, it was reported that the disagreement had been resolved. The Norwegian Athletics Association and the Norwegian Olympic Committee and Confederation of Sports made an agreement with its Gambian counterpart, whose conditions included that Saidy would head a fourteen day long training camp for young athletes in his birthcountry. By the end of the year, only "formalities" remained as Saidy was presented as a part of the Norwegian elite athletics team for the first time.
In a 2008 television interview he elaborated on his sense of nationality. While expressing a feeling of being both Gambian and Norwegian, he would emphasize the similarities between people rather than differences.
Doping case
In 2007, Saidy became the subject of a dopingDoping (sport)
The use of performance-enhancing drugs in sport is commonly referred to by the term "doping", particularly by those organizations that regulate competitions. The use of performance enhancing drugs is mostly done to improve athletic performance. This is why many sports ban the use of performance...
case. On 8 August, the IAAF reported that Saidy Jaysuna (sic) had tested positive for cannabis
Cannabis
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a...
in an in-competition test on 28 June 2007 in Luzern, Switzerland. Saidy had competed in the Spitzenleichathletik EAA meeting there in both sprints events, running in 10.26 and 20.41 seconds respectively. Being a first violation, the only sanctions imposed on Saidy were disqualification from the competition in question as well as a public warning.
The news were not picked up by the Norwegian media until 14 August, two days after the Norwegian championships where Saidy won the King's Cup. The general secretary and the sports director of the Norwegian Athletics Association were unaware of the case, as was the Norwegian Anti-Doping Agency (Antidoping Norge). It was later discovered that the case had been sent to the Gambian Athletics Association. Saidy had been listed as a Gambian competitor in Luzern, even though he got Norwegian citizenship half a year ago. In September the case was transferred to the Norwegian authorities.
Reacting to the case, Saidy immediately blamed passive
Passive smoking
Passive smoking is the inhalation of smoke, called secondhand smoke or environmental tobacco smoke , from tobacco products used by others. It occurs when tobacco smoke permeates any environment, causing its inhalation by people within that environment. Exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke causes...
marijuana smoking sustained during a visit at a friend's house a few days before the Luzern meeting. He stated that he would never consume the substance knowingly, referring to the detrimental effects of cannabis on performances. The explanation was pulled in doubt as "very unlikely" by a doping expert in Norway, who claimed that passive smoking was not enough to affect a doping test. Others supported the explanation. In a similar case, Canadian snowboarder Ross Rebagliati
Ross Rebagliati
Ross Rebagliati is a Canadian professional snowboarder.-Biography:Rebagliati was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. He turned pro in 1991. He was the first ever to win an Olympic gold medal for this sport at the 1998 Winter Olympics. After winning the gold, he was found to have THC in his...
originally lost his 1998 Olympic gold medal, but the medal was later returned; Rebagliati blamed passive smoking.
It was later revealed that Saidy had consumed the substance via attaya tea
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
drinking at the same gathering with friends, one of whom admitted to preparing the tea with cannabis. This explanation was believed, and in December Saidy was acquitted by the Norwegian Anti-Doping Agency. The case was dropped.
2008
To the surprise of the Norwegian Athletics Association, Saidy announced that he would not compete at the 2008 World Indoor Championships
2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held at the Luis Puig Palace in Valencia, Spain, March 7-9, 2008.-Bid:Valencia was announced the winning bidder by the IAAF on November 13, 2005 at an IAAF Council meeting in Moscow, Russia.-Men:...
. According to his coach, the World Indoor Championships had a "low status" among the best sprinters, moreover Saidy wanted to prepare thoroughly for the 2008 Olympic season. Instead, he announced that he will commence the outdoor season on 9 May at the Super Grand Prix meet in Doha. Still, during a training camp in California in April, he joined a 4 x 100 metres relay
4 x 100 metres relay
The 4 × 100 metres relay or sprint relay is an athletics track event run in lanes over one lap of the track with four runners completing 100 metres each. The first runners begin in the same stagger as for the individual 400 m race...
team composed of runners from the USA Olympic Training Center in San Diego to clock in a world leading time of 38.72 seconds. The result equalled the time achieved by the United States "Blue" team, with Tyson Gay
Tyson Gay
Tyson Gay is an American track and field sprinter. His primary events are the 100 meters and 200 meters. His personal bests establish him as the second fastest athlete in the 100 meters and the fifth fastest athlete in the history of the 200 meters, with times of 9.69 and...
in its ranks, one week earlier.
On 9 May in Doha Saidy won the 100 metres race, in a new national record time of 10.01 seconds. His new record pushed him to a joint seventh place on the European all-time list. According to the IAAF reporter, this was "probably his most impressive 100m victory", considering not only the strong field of competitors, but also a suboptimal start. In addition, the last fifteen metres of the race were hampered by hamstring
Hamstring
In human anatomy, the hamstring refers to any one of the three posterior thigh muscles, or to the tendons that make up the borders of the space behind the knee. In modern anatomical contexts, however, they usually refer to the posterior thigh muscles, or the tendons of the semitendinosus, the...
pains, with Saidy clutching his thigh as he crossed the finish line. As a result he withdrew from the 200 metres race scheduled to be held later that evening. However, the injury was stated to be minor; Saidy was "not very worried".
Two weeks before the Bislett Games
Bislett Games
The Bislett Games is an annual track and field event at the Bislett Stadion in Oslo, Norway. Previously one of the IAAF Golden League events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League. It is sponsored by ExxonMobil and officially known as the ExxonMobil Bislett Games.-History:The first...
, which Saidy considered important in the Olympic preparations, it was reported that the injury was healed, and that Saidy would compete in both the 100 and the 200 metres. One week later, however, the reports were countered. Having not recovered fully from the injury, Saidy stated that he would compete no earlier than late June. His eyes were still fixed on the main goal for the 2008 season, the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
. In Beijing he competed at the 100 metres sprint and placed 3rd in his heat after Derrick Atkins
Derrick Atkins
Derrick Atkins is a Bahamian sprinter. Atkins specializes in the 100 metres event and also holds the national record, with a time of 9.91 seconds...
and Andrey Yepishin
Andrey Yepishin
Andrey Sergeyevich Yepishin |Zhukovsky]]) is a Russian athlete specializing in the 100 metres.He won a silver medal in 4 x 100 metres relay at the 2003 Summer Universiade. Participating in the 2004 Summer Olympics, he achieved fifth place in his 100 metres heat, thus failing to make it through to...
in a time of 10.37 seconds. He qualified for the second round in which he improved his time to 10.14 seconds. However, he was unable to qualify for the semi finals as he finished in 4th place of his heat after Usain Bolt
Usain Bolt
The Honourable Usain St. Leo Bolt, OJ, C.D. , is a Jamaican sprinter and a five-time World and three-time Olympic gold medalist. He is the world record and Olympic record holder in the 100 metres, the 200 metres and the 4×100 metres relay...
, Darvis Patton
Darvis Patton
Darvis "Doc" Darell Patton is an American sprint athlete. He was the US Champion and World silver medallist over 200 meters in 2003...
and Francis Obikwelu
Francis Obikwelu
Francis Obiorah Obikwelu, born 22 November 1978 in Nigeria and a Portuguese citizen since 2001, is a sprint athlete specializing in 100 metres and 200 metres. He holds the record for the fastest time in the 100 m set by a European competitor with a time of 9.86 seconds...
. He also took part in the 200 metres
200 metres
A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...
individual, finishing second in his first round heat, with a time of 20.54 seconds. With 20.45 seconds in the second round he placed third in his heat and he qualified for the semi finals, however he did not show up at the start of the race.
Looking further into the future, he has stated that he might specialize in the 400 metres event. Being slimmer than many sprinters, he has a relatively low body mass index
Body mass index
The body mass index , or Quetelet index, is a heuristic proxy for human body fat based on an individual's weight and height. BMI does not actually measure the percentage of body fat. It was invented between 1830 and 1850 by the Belgian polymath Adolphe Quetelet during the course of developing...
and does not train bench press
Bench press
The bench press is an exercise of the upper body. For bodybuilding purposes, it is used to stimulate the pectorals, deltoids, and triceps. While on his or her back, the person performing the bench press lowers a weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arm is straight...
to enhance his pectoral muscles
Pectoralis major muscle
The pectoralis major is a thick, fan-shaped muscle, situated at the chest of the body. It makes up the bulk of the chest muscles in the male and lies under the breast in the female...
. He weighed 74 kilograms after the training camp in California, but the goal was to lose at least 2 kilograms before the Olympic Games.
He ran at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, reaching the semi-finals of the 100 m. He go to the final of both the 100 m and 200 m at the 2010 European Athletics Championships, but finished in sixth and fifth place, respectively.