Sports In The Making

Ato Boldon NBC Sports Analyst & Sprint Coach

Episode Summary

Ato Boldon is a 4-time Olympic Medalist, sprint coach and NBC Sports Track & Field Analyst. We talk about elite athlete mentality, his experience as an Olympic athlete, coaching the next generation of Olympic hopefuls and how he got his start as a sports broadcast analyst.

Episode Notes

• 2:15 - Reflecting on the International Olympic Committee’s decision to delay the Games to 2021
• 2:48 - How the postponed Games will affect Olympic athletes.
• 4:32 - What challenges Olympic athletes have keeping their mental focus.
• 5:37 -  If he were coaching these athletes, how he would help keep their mental states intact for an additional year.
• 8:17 - Could the Olympics fall back to every four years as it had in the past for both Summer and Winter.
• 9:09 - Ato Boldon’s career accomplishments
• 10:12 - How Ato started as a sprinter.
• 11:45 - If Ato ever thought he would have as many accomplishments as he’s had.
• 13:23 - Other than athletic ability, determination and work ethic, what additional ingredient an Olympic Athlete needs to have.
• 15:15 - How “swagger” or confidence played into Ato’s athletic career.
• 18:48 - What the most memorable Olympic event he ever competed in.
• 19:57 - If he was intimidated running against Michael Johnson in the 200m at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
• 23:08 - The medal Ato is most proud of.
• 24:16 - How Ato shares the story of not giving up to his athletes.
• 25:57 - How he became an aviation pilot, how he still flies and what kinds of planes he flies.
• 29:11 - How Ato got his start in sports broadcasting as a track & field analyst.
• 31:59 - How he was pushed to attend the IAAF World Championships when he was injured and how the BBC gave him a taste of broadcasting.
• 33:45 - How he developed and progressed as an announcer.
• 36:43 - How as an analyst he criticizes or praises athletes while on the air.
• 39:41 - How criticizing athletes when it’s warranted helps with his credibility and how he prides himself on being straight forward with his commentary.
• 41:18 - What methods Ato has when preparing for a broadcast.
• 45:50 - How he became part of the NBC NASCAR production team.
• 46:53 - What the best part of being a broadcast analyst and the worst part.
• 48:44 - How Ato got into coaching with Khalifa St. Fort of Trinidad & Tobago.
• 50:53 - On coaching Olympic hopeful and IAAF Junior World Champion Brianna Williams of Jamaica.
• 52:35 - What Ato’s criteria is for coaching athletes.
• 54:48 - What his approach to coaching is.
• 56:43 - How coaching helps his broadcasting and how broadcasting helps his coaching. 
• 59:58 - How football players aren’t fundamentally sound when they are running.
• 1:02:01 - How he has to find the balance of criticizing an athlete as a broadcaster when he is on-air as an analyst.
• 1:04:28 - What the difference is being an athlete and being a coach when earning accomplishments or having success.
• 1:07:11 - What Ato learned from civil rights activist and 1968 Olympic Bronze Medalist John Carlos when he interviewed him for NBC’s “Bring The Fire” feature story.
• 1:09:55 - How NBC producer Jack Felling utilizes former athletes/broadcasters to interview athletes and why.
• 1:11:13 - What Ato would like sports fans to know about what he does.