ROB HARRIS
AP Sports Writer
GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — After Usain Bolt quelled a storm over reported criticism of conditions in Glasgow, a Jamaica teammate at the Commonwealth Games said he can’t wait to leave the cold weather.
Sprinter Jason Livermore stressed that he found Scotland “very welcoming” but was struggling to cope with the conditions.
“Scotland is very cold,” Livermore said after winning bronze in the 200 meters on Thursday. “It’s like I’m in a freezer. I can’t wait to get out of the freezer and get back to the Caribbean and soak up some of the Caribbean sun.”
Bolt was quoted by The Times of London on Wednesday as saying “it’s a bit s—” when asked whether he was enjoying the games. After Bolt called the story “lies,” the paper published a transcript which said Bolt “shrugs, looks up to gray sky” after using the expletive.
At a wet and chilly Hampden Park, Livermore’s criticism of the conditions came in response to a reporter working for the official games news service asking what he thought of the track and weather. The question didn’t reference Bolt.
It was 18 degrees C (64 F) at the time of Livermore’s race. At the same time, in Kingston, Jamaica, it was 32 (90).
Livermore finished behind winner Rasheed Dwyer and Warren Weir in a Jamaica 1-2-3.
Given the Glasgow weather, Livermore expressed a desire that the Commonwealth Games Federation take the event to a warmer part of the world closer to home.
“The federation should bring the Commonwealth to the Caribbean one year,” he said.
Kingston hosted the only games in the Caribbean, in 1966, 22 years before Livermore was born.
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