Cayman’s prospects of adding more major medals to their track and field haul have increased significantly when Jon Rankin officially became a Caymanian. He is so good he has his sights on a world record one day.
The middle distance runner was competing for the United States having been born and raised in Trenton, New Jersey. Competition in the US is so fierce though that Rankin’s sixth place finish in the Olympic trials in 2008 was not good enough to get him to the Beijing Games. Only the first three go.
Frustrated by so often being on the fringes despite running faster than many around the world, Rankin decided to take advantage of the fact that both parents and all four grandparents are Caymanian and went through the process of running for these Islands, thanks mainly for the help of Olympic Committee president Donald McLean and Minister of Sport Mark Scotland. He is now one of Cayman’s elite athletes, funded by the government.
That opportunity came through for Rankin at the Commonwealth Games in India last month. It was a fitting debut what with Cydonie Mothersill storming to gold in the 200 metres. Rankin joined an already bubbling, optimistic camp that got even happier with Cydonie’s success.
He was here for a few days at the end of October and attended the annual Olympic Committee dinner at the Marriott which obviously hailed Mothersill’s success above all else but also honoured all the achievements of the other track and field athletes throughout the year and gave them cash rewards and funding in the run up to the London 2012 Olympics.
It was an ideal opportunity for Rankin to bond with the sporting fraternity too. “The reception has been extremely warm,” he said. “It’s been great to finally have the opportunity to come home.
“It’s been a couple of years processing but now that everything is finalised I was able to compete at the Commonwealth Games and spend time with all my new team-mates. Everybody was so receptive. I hope it’s partially because I’m such a nice guy!
“Everybody from Carl and Carlos Morgan, Cydonie and all the others from other sports treated me so well, it was as if I’d been on the team for years.
He also did well in Delhi, getting to the semi-finals in the 800 and 1500 metres, setting national records in both. He lives in Huntington Beach, California and will be coming to visit family in West Bay more often now the Cayman connection has strengthened.
“We have ties from all over Grand Cayman. It’s almost as if you’ve created a unification within yourself, so it’s really nice.
“I’m looking forward to being an ambassador for the country and working hard to inspire the youth and help get people more fit and address obesity issues and encourage leading a healthier lifestyle. If we as athletes can do that it is truly like winning a gold medal.”
Well into his winter training programme, the heavy mileage is being done before the indoor winter starts in the new year. His debut marathon will be in Sacramento in the California International Marathon, on 5 December, the day of the Cayman version.
“I’m looking forward to running well and hopefully setting another national record and possibly qualifying for the Olympic Games with my time.”
The Cayman record, set by Scott Brittain in 2008, is 2 hours 42 minutes and 33 seconds. Rankin hopes to smash it by 20 minutes. “If I can run that fast I believe it will put me in the top ten finishers of that marathon and to run under 2:20 would definitely put me amongst some of the world’s best.
“Running a marathon is part of my repertoire. My training at this time of year is geared towards longer distances like cross country racing, half-marathons and marathons.
“I’m in great shape for those types of races and to do it really doesn’t take much away from what I’ve been doing in track and field, the 800m, 1500m and 5000m. So we figured, my coach and I, Daniel Elkins, thought this was the right race for me to see how I can do.”
Rankin feels in great shape after years of having to overcome injuries that in the new year he hopes to challenge the world indoor mile record of 3 minutes and 49 seconds. His best outdoors is 3:54 and on the road he’s run 3:52.
“It’s a big goal of mine and I say it not just to put pressure on myself, it’s what I believe. I don’t know how long my career will be but at some point within the next six years I’d like to be a record holder in one of those events. Indoors will be a great opportunity to sneak in there.”
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