Jeremy Dobson’s biggest regret is missing out by milliseconds on a gold medal for the 100m sprint to earn two gold medals for Samoa.
Dobson says he would have loved to have won 2 Gold medals for Samoa and his mother Peggy Mauala of Malie and his huge Samoan family of cousins, aunties and uncles.
Dobson is based in the United States for training while his family are permanent residents in Sydney Australia.
But his two silver medal performances in the Men’s 100 meters and 200 meters at Apia Park is giving him confidence to build on his run for a third Olympic Games appearance for Samoa.
Prior to the Pacific Games the US born Samoan participated in four world class events during the week. Dobson says he needs at least 20 solid races to get him back to world class form.
But it’s no excuse, says the two time Olympiad, complimenting his Fijian arch rival and close friend Banuve Tabakaucoro for his two gold performances.
“This week is his and he has been the better sprinter of the games,” says Dobson.
Dobson and Tabakaucoro last competed against one another five years ago at the Oceania Athletics Championships in Cairns, Australia.
It was an equal contest. Dobson edged Fiji’s fastest man Taubakacoro in the 100m final but came second to him in the 200m.
Dobson was not included in the Samoan track and field team for the 2015 PNG Pacific Games.
Satisfied with his performance he told the XVI Samoa Pacific Games 2019 media that his times in both events shows that he is going in the right direction leading up to the world championships in Doha in September and October.
His target was to meet the Olympic standard time of 20:23 in the 200 meters and he clocked in at 20.91 second almost a second behind gold medalist Tabakaucoro’s 20.87 winning time.
Still coming to grips with his debut performance in Samoa, Dobson says since arrival he remains amazed with the warm reception from his “huge Samoan family” and everyone who has welcomed him openly.
“It’s overwhelming and a huge encouragement to qualify for Samoa in the next Olympics,” he added.
“I have been representing the United States for so many years but during all that time it just didn’t fell right. I was just another person, another sprinter.
“Next time I will represent Samoa better in the Olympics.”
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