Tayna Lawrence "I didn't go into the Olympics with specific expectations of winning a certain color medal or even a medal at all," said Lawrence. "My goal was to give the best performance possible. If I did that, I knew I would be happy regardless of how I placed.
"The only time I started thinking about medals was when I made the two finals, but even then I never thought about particular color medals," said Lawrence.
Lawrence is to be forgiven if thoughts of a medal were not foremost in her mind. Last year, she didn't know if she would ever be able to compete again. Sidelined by a debilitating stress fracture in her back, Lawrence wore a body cast for four months, leaving her ample time to think about her future. "The injury, in a way, was a blessing in disguise. I was in so much pain I couldn't do anything. There were times I felt like giving up, but I never did," said Lawrence. "Being away from the track for so long made me realize how much I missed it, and I said to myself, 'When I come back from this, I'm going to work harder than ever.'" She did. Lawrence, who moved to Fort Worth, Texas, in November of '99 to train with her then-new coach Lloyd Edwards, finished third in the 100-meter dash at Jamaica's Olympic trials in July. But that finish left Lawrence unwittingly embroiled in a controversy over Jamaica's team roster.
Track and field giant and six-time Olympic medalist Merlene Ottey began lobbying for a spot on the Jamaican team for a chance to compete in her sixth Olympics, specifically in the 100-meter dash, after finishing behind Lawrence at the finals. The 40-year-old Ottey, who had seen her suspension for a positive drug test overturned earlier this year, argued that she had not had sufficient time to prepare for the trials and should be given special consideration.
"Before I went to Europe to run on the track circuit, I heard rumors that I'd be the one pushed out," Lawrence said in a September Miami Herald interview. "It made me angry at first, then I decided to use it in a positive way. I figured the best thing was to ignore everything and prove to them I deserved the spot."
Prove it she did, recording a series of solid finishes. Lawrence moved up to 12th in the Grand Prix standings, ahead of fellow Jamaicans Ottey (15), Beverly McDonald (19) and Peta-Gaye Dowdie (20).
Ottey eventually took the spot of Dowdie, and Lawrence's spot on the team was secure.
"I wasn't surprised by her success, really, because when she went to Europe prior to the Olympics, she was beating some of the best runners in the world," said FIU's Mike Becker, coach/coordinator of Athletics/Cross Country/Track, and Lawrence's coach while she was at FIU.
Next up: the March 2001 World Indoor Championships in Spain.
If this past summer is any indication, we'll be reading about Lawrence's track successes for a long time to come.
"Since I've started competing again," Lawrence reflected, "everything has come together."