PATSY MCGONAGLE got the most pleasant of surprises as he prepared to make his way home from the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Beijing.
McGonagle (pictured above), the current chairman of Finn Valley AC and Irish Athletics team manager, got a knock on his hotel door from Ricky Simms, a Milford native, who works for PACE Sports Management and has a rather famous client – Usain Bolt.
Patsy McGonagle with Usain Bolt’s World Championship winning spikes
The Jamaican sprinter won the 100m, the 200m and was part of his national team that also won gold in the 4 x 100m relay alongside Asafa Powell, Nesta Carter and Nickel Ashmeade. McGonagle takes up the story.
“I need to tell you a story about an aspect of life behind the scenes at the final evening of a World Championships in Beijing and what is that enduring Finn Valley AC loyalty,” he said.
“The story involves the greatest athlete in the world, Usain Bolt, his manager/agent Ricky Simms and yours truly. I’m preparing to catch a flight to Dubai..
“He’s off to London via a short stop in Stuttgart. We had shared the same hotel through the week the Jamaicans, USA and Ireland as did Ricky. A knock on the door and Ricky hands me Usain’s 100m spikes for the club!
“I’m grateful and in a short good bye reckon we will meet Ricky at Christmas. We had a number of catch ups over the period but in language we use here at home Ricky has never forgotten where he came from .
“Thank you on behalf of your fellow members at Finn Valley it’s an honour to showcase these spikes as we already have his 100m winning Berlin (2009 World Championsips) spikes from Ricky as well.”
