'It was just pure happiness': Akeem Haynes' mom breaks TV after son wins bronze
Haynes part of 4x100 metre relay team that took home bronze at Rio Olympics after U.S. disqualified
Akeem Haynes' mom was so excited to learn her son had captured the bronze medal at the Rio Olympics on Friday, she broke her television.
"I jumped until I jumped and bumped the TV off the dresser, so I actually broke it. But it was for a good reason!" Carlene Smith laughed this weekend.
The result was a surprise. Haynes was part of the Canadian men's 4x100 metre relay team competing in Rio on Friday night. Along with Aaron Brown, Brendon Rodney and Andre De Grasse, the men finished fourth, stopping the clock at a new national record. It appeared Jamaica, Japan and the United States would take gold, silver and bronze, respectively.
Smith was watching from her home in Yellowknife — where she and her son moved from Jamaica in 1998 — with her head in her hands.
"They were perfect — speed, timing, everything was perfect," she said.
"I was just sitting there, I was like God just let something happen, let something happen. And then…" she trails off.
And then the word came out that the U.S. team had been disqualified, meaning Canada was taking home bronze. That's when the TV hit the ground.
"It was awesome, it was amazing, it was like yes they did it. Yes, yes, yes. So it was just pure happiness."
'That's my son'
Haynes was the first to be interviewed by CBC after learning about the disqualification and the bronze medal. He was endearingly short on words.
"That's crazy! I don't know what to say. Hey, I'm proud of these guys, man that's all I can say," exclaimed Haynes.
Smith has watched that moment again and again.
"I replay it and I replay it and I think, that's my son!"
She had a quick chance to speak with Haynes soon after.
"I said 'I just wanted to hear your voice, that's all' and he was like, 'I'm good mom, I'm happy.'"
The 24 year-old Olympian lived in Yellowknife for several years before moving to Calgary. His mom expects that he'll visit the N.W.T. in September to see her and show off his new hardware.
with files from Alyssa Mosher