Greatest Dominican Athlete Quits

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the gorgon

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Twice-Olympic champion Felix Sanchez on Tuesday announced his retirement from the tracks, acknowledging that it was a very difficult decision.

Super Sanchez thanked his family for understanding his decision. "Thanks to my family who has understood my sacrifice and my wife Karina has given me the best gift: a child."

He announced his retirement on a video played at a press conference held at Olympic Committee headquarters.

Sanchez, a Dominican-American track-and-field athlete, was Olympic champion in 2004 in Athens and in 2012 in London in the 400 meter hurdles, the greatest athlete in Dominican Republic history, as evidenced by the Olympic Stadium which bears his name.

it is no easy feat to win one Olympics, sit out the next, then win again. This guy was the real deal
 
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dv8

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best of luck to him. hope he can become a coach to train and inspire others.
 
CristoRey

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the gorgon said:
Twice-Olympic champion Felix Sanchez on Tuesday announced his retirement from the tracks, acknowledging that it was a very difficult decision.

Super Sanchez thanked his family for understanding his decision. "Thanks to my family who has understood my sacrifice and my wife Karina has given me the best gift: a child."

He announced his retirement on a video played at a press conference held at Olympic Committee headquarters.

Sanchez, a Dominican-American track-and-field athlete, was Olympic champion in 2004 in Athens and in 2012 in London in the 400 meter hurdles, the greatest athlete in Dominican Republic history, as evidenced by the Olympic Stadium which bears his name.

it is no easy feat to win one Olympics, sit out the next, then win again. This guy was the real deal
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A real national hero. Positive influence on the youth. This country needs more people like Sanchez.
 
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the gorgon

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dv8 said:
best of luck to him. hope he can become a coach to train and inspire others.
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he isn?t going to inspire too many youngsters to run that event. it is not exactly a glamor event, and there is not a lot of money to be made from it. the kids want to play baseball and basketball, where the money and fame are. there is money in the flat sprints like 100 and 200 meters, but the competition there is just too stiff.
 
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the gorgon

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There are Olympic medal winners who make no money. it depends on the allure of their event, where they are from, and what they look like. Usain Bolt has made 20 million in a year, but his female counterparts make a few hundred thousand..
 
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Berzin

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The men's 100 meter race is the one track and field event everyone gravitates towards, and it's the only only one non-fans are even remotely interested in.

The title "fastest man in the world" is worth quite a bit of cash, especially when you have someone with a charismatic and dynamic a personality as Usain Bolt.
 
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the gorgon

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Berzin said:
The men's 100 meter race is the one track and field event everyone gravitates towards, and it's the only only one non-fans are even remotely interested in.

The title "fastest man in the world" is worth quite a bit of cash, especially when you have someone with a charismatic and dynamic a personality as Usain Bolt.
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absolutely correct. nobody even cares about such a thing as world?s fastest woman. apart from their high jumpers and pole vaulters, the only Russian athlete who is a household word is Valery Borzov, the 100 meters sprinter. Italians almost destroyed the stadium when Livio Berutti won the 200 meters in Rome, wearing sunglasses and all.. winning the shot putt would have been just another medal. 20 years later, Italy had another world beating 200 meters runner at the 1980 Olympiad, Pietro Mennea.
 
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Berzin

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Sanchez has a pretty interesting bio-born in NYC, raised and educated in California, and went on to represent the DR in the Olympics.
 
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the gorgon

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Berzin said:
Sanchez has a pretty interesting bio-born in NYC, raised and educated in California, and went on to represent the DR in the Olympics.
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yes...born in the USA, yet represents his ancestral home in international competition. that is sweet. too many guys are born in one country, migrate to another, and represent their adopted homeland instead of the roots.
 
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Glad he represented the DR, but his chances of being picked for the US squad were slim to none.

Other athletes decided to represent the US: Hakeem Olajwon in Dream Team II; and my distant cousin, Alex Rodr?guez, was probably too worried about sponsorship $$$ and fan pressure, and opted not to play for the Dominican baseball team in the Classic event. Shame.
 
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the gorgon

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Lucifer said:
Glad he represented the DR, but his chances of being picked for the US squad were slim to none.

Other athletes decided to represent the US: Hakeem Olajwon in Dream Team II; and my distant cousin, Alex Rodr?guez, was probably too worried about sponsorship $$$ and fan pressure, and opted not to play for the Dominican baseball team in the Classic event. Shame.
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in 2004, he would have easily been selected to run the 400 for the USA. remember, the USA did not even medal. in 2012, he would still have gone for the USA, because he was in much better shape leading up to the games than the American who got the silver.
 
Wishing you well

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the gorgon said:
yes...born in the USA, yet represents his ancestral home in international competition. that is sweet. too many guys are born in one country, migrate to another, and represent their adopted homeland instead of the roots.
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It wasn't the first time he represented the DR either.
 
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Wishing you well

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Quick inquiry -- why named him the best Dominican athlete?

Am not diminishing any of his accomplishments and agree that he could, should and must be at the very top.
 
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the gorgon

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Hands down and my personal choice Pedro Martinez.
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here is the difference..this guy put himself up against the world, twice, and beat everyone they put in front of him. you apparently do not understand what it is for a sprinter to medal twice, including taking off an entire olympics. Martinez was a great pitcher, but this guy has 2 Olympic golds. different beast.
 
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I get it and again, praise as opposed to diminish his accomplishments but to follow your line of thoughts, he won twice in the Olympics, great, Pedro endured many years as elite as the best, facing the cream of the crop there was in Baseball during his tenure in the MLB.
 
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