Churandy Martina, a four-time Olympian who lives and trains in Clermont, was given a gold key to the city by Mayor Gail Ash at Tuesday’s council meeting. The key is a symbolic gesture given by a city to well-regarded residents or visitors.
“Churandy is a national hero in his country and in the Netherlands. He’s not only an outstanding athlete but known for being positive and sharing that message”, said a city official.
The 34-year-old athlete and gold medalist is a sprinter from the Dutch Caribbean island of Curacao. His first gold came in the 100 m at the 2002 South American Games in Belém, Brazil. He holds the Dutch national records for the 100 meters with a time of 9.91 seconds (2012), and the 200 meters with a time of 19.81 (2016) achieved at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland. Churandy also holds the 4x100m Relay Record in a time of 38.29. Churandy and Usain Bolt are the only athletes who reached the final of the 200m at the Olympics three times in a row.
Clermont is known as the “Choice of Champions” because of its superb reputation as the training ground for athletes. Clermont’s ideal climate, rolling hills, pristine lakes, and state of the art sports facilities, make the friendly city an ideal place to work and play. In addition, Clermont is the home of many great champions, some holding no medals but having the characteristic of great champions. Clermont representative Doris Bloodsworth described Clermont Champions as possessing spirit, sportsmanship, character, perseverance and heart.
Congratulations to Churandy Martina for being a Clermont Champion and choosing Clermont to live, play and continue to train in preparation for the 2020 Olympics.
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