Derrick Atkins knows he isn’t the favorite
Derrick Atkins
Derrick Atkins knows he isn’t the favorite in the 100-meter dash at the 2008 Olympics. That’s fine with him.
“I love an underdog story. I always root for the underdog,” said Atkins, 24, who is competing in Beijing, China, for the Bahamas, his home country. “I kind of feel, in some ways, that I’m an underdog. I’m not even mentioned. I’m in the best position I can possibly be in.”
In 2007, Atkins won a silver medal in the 100-meter dash at the International Association of Athletic Federations World Championships in Osaka, Japan. His time was 9.91 seconds, but he has cooled off lately.
While he has four wins this summer, his fastest time in IAAF competition was a 9.98 wind-aided run in Oslo, Norway. Atkins still is confident that he can compete at the Olympics with front-runners Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell and Tyson Gay, but he knows it won’t be easy.
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