Ato Boldon's trip from track to TV

Former Olympic 100m silver medallist Ato Boldon retired in 2004 and has proved just as adept in the commentary booth as he did on the track with his shrewd and knowledgeable analysis. spikesmag.com caught up with the NBC favourite to ask him about life behind the microphone.

When did you first consider TV as a career choice?
AB: Everything I am, I owe to the BBC. I got injured just before the worlds in 1999. I started to feel sorry for myself for what was basically going to be the Maurice Greene show when the BBC offered me the chance for a bit of work. I worked with some great people there and I had as much fun working with the BBC as I would have done running. That’s when I started to think this is something that I might not mind doing.

Did you find working in TV straightforward?
AB: I’m the kind of person who does not believe that because something looks easy, it is easy. In terms of track and field I have a whole bunch of information and opinions locked into my head. It’s like people being really good at Jeopardy but they don’t go on the game show. I have all these stats that I’d never really need through life, but suddenly when I got on television some of these things became important. I have a lot of otherwise unusable knowledge in my head.

What qualities does a good analyst require?
AB: You have to have a balance of being able to entertain someone who knows everything about the sport and educating someone who knows nothing about the sport. I can’t go on television, especially during the Olympics, and start getting very technical, but I can’t dumb it down so much to people who know the sport. I found that was the biggest challenge in 2008.

Do you put in a lot of research?
AB: I’ve never seen a research department at NBC with that level of resources and before Beijing I would receive a package every week of discs of everything that ever took place at the Olympics Games since it started. I have a process of what I think is going to happen. I have various scenarios of who may win the race. What is the significance of this? Is this the first time a medal has been won from this country? So I lock myself in the office for two weeks. But it’s not solitary confinement, for me it is a labour of love because I’m always a fan of the sport.

Where do you think you’ve improved since that first appearance in 1999?
AB: I’m extremely critical of everything that comes out of my mouth. The only work that I can really say that I’m thoroughly proud of was in Beijing. Everything I’ve ever done was pointing towards a dress rehearsal for what happened on Beijing. I was afraid of becoming a little repetitive and starting to become a little bit clichéd. I look back at my old broadcasts and it makes me physically sick to hear it. My favourite word on air used to be absolutely, so every sentence started with ‘yes, absolutely'.

Have you had any 'on air' disasters?
AB: I haven’t had anything near a disaster but I had a lot of heat on a comment that I made about Jeremy Wariner anchoring every US team since Michael Johnson retired. At the time I thought was a really cool thing to say, but I found out he hadn’t anchored that much at all. It didn’t get edited and then everyone from Texas was saying. 'what’s wrong with Ato Boldon?'

What is the best part of the job?
AB: Well firstly no-one in the stadium has a better seat. But I think the best part is you get to go to all the meets that I want around the world. People keep asking me, ‘don’t you still miss running?’ But I say not at all, not even 0.01% because I know the work involved. I had a great time running but now I go to the meet, except I get to go at 190lbs rather than 175lbs. I don’t get to work out and I can drink some beer if I feel like it.

How does the buzz of being an analyst compare with the buzz of competition?
AB: I think it’s about the same... that's why you've not heard of Boldon in a comeback. I retired in ’04 and by ’05 I was on the air. Life on the track and in the booth is very similar in terms of the anticipation and the adrenaline.