#5181: Haiti in the Sydney Olympic Games (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: JRAuguste1@aol.com

Dorival weathering the storm for Haiti

Daily News
New York's Hometown Newspaper
Tuesday, September 26, 2000

By Filip Bondy
Daily News Sports Writer
Sydney

When Dudley Dorival ran his quarterfinal heat in the 100-meter hurdles on 
Sunday night, the rain was streaming down and the track was soaked.

"I'm from New Jersey," Dorival said defiantly. "I can handle any weather."

He did, too, advancing all the way to the final before finishing seventh on 
Monday night in 13.49 seconds.

Dorival was a star at Ewing Township (N.J.) High School, and then again for 
the track team at the University of Connecticut at Storrs. He was running at 
these Olympics, however, for Haiti. 

Dorival came to the United States from Haiti with his family at age 10, and 
even represented the U.S. in the World Junior Championships. When he turned 
25, Dorival switched competition nationalities to Haitian, because the 
Americans were too deep in the high hurdles--with such standouts as Terrance 
Trammell, Mark Crear and Allen Johnson.

He hurdled for Haiti at last year's World Championships in Seville, and again 
was in the Haitian singlet during his races here. 

When he goes back home to Ewing, Dorival races with the Shore Athletic Club 
of New Jersey. As a member of that club, Dorival won both hurdle and sprint 
races at the USA Track and Field of New Jersey Championships. He captured the 
high hurdles race in June at the Holmdel, N.J., International Meet. 

Dorival did not quite break his personal best of 13.29, wind-aided, at these 
Olympics, but he made the finals and remained competitive to the end. 

"I can run with the great hurdlers," Dorival said. "I think I have proved it 
here."

He proved his mettle in all conditions during his heats in Sydney: in the 
rain, the sun and under the lights. There were some giant moths inside 
Olympic Stadium, too. But they were nothing, compared to Jersey mosquitoes.