A New Haitian Favorite Endures Hard Knocks

Seventy-six years after last winning an Olympic medal, a silver by Silvio Cator in the long jump, Haiti finally had a new favorite son in its bid to elevate the Caribbean nation to the gold standard .

It was a son they had never met, a son who had never set foot on Haitian soil. But Andre Berto’s parents were born in Haiti. And, after all, he was a 152-pound boxer with a devastating punch, a granite jaw and a toughness molded by a father who would nudge him with the bumper of a moving car when he didn’t do his roadwork diligently enough.

So when Berto was disqualified from the U.S. team for inadvertently injuring a competitor at the Olympic boxing trials in February, Haiti was thrilled to take him in.

“Even though they didn’t know him,” said Andre’s father, Dieusuel, “they embraced him like a hero.”

But there is no heroic ending to this story. Berto’s first appearance in an Olympic boxing ring for Haiti was also his last. In his opening match Sunday night, he was beaten by Xavier Noel of France, 36-34.

“I did the best I could,” Berto said afterward, obviously crushed.

The 5-foot-9 Berto gave away three inches to Noel, who had previously beaten Berto by one point in a dual meet when Berto still had the letters USA on his gear.

Noel started off quickly Sunday, moving to a 7-2 lead after one round. He had expanded that lead to 18-12 by the end of the second round, even though he was given a standing eight count after being stunned by Berto’s right cross. Berto made it close at the end, but fell a few punches short.

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There never was any shortage of punches in the Berto household. Dieusuel and his wife, Wilnise, encouraged their seven children to engage in all forms of hand-to-hand combat, some of the most memorable battles taking place in the family kitchen.

Son Cleveland specialized in wrestling. Another son, Edson, turned to ultimate fighting. Daughters Ravelina and Rachelle have tried wrestling, kickboxing, karate and jujitsu.

Andre didn’t have much choice about becoming a fighter. After he’d hit and bitten a teacher -- he was 10 at the time -- his parents were told by a psychiatrist that their son needed anger management.

Dieusuel decided that Andre would channel that anger in the gym. And Dieusuel was not a man to be ignored. Through his determination, he had forged a life for himself in a foreign country. Having migrated to Florida in 1980, Dieusuel had supported himself by delivering newspapers and picking fruit before enrolling in a culinary arts course, where he pursued his passion for Haitian food.

This was a man who pounded his shins with a metal pipe to toughen himself. He extended that toughness to his children by holding combat in various forms in the kitchen, bringing new meaning to the term “family feud.”

Andre was instructed to run so much by his father that his friends began calling him Forrest Gump. And always, if Andre slowed down, there was Dieusuel behind him in the family car, giving his son a little shove with the bumper.

It’s no wonder Andre made it to the Olympic trials. Then, in his opening match, with 27 seconds remaining and Berto leading Juan McPherson, 10-8, the two were locked in a clinch. Berto pushed McPherson away with such force that McPherson hit the canvas, injuring his head. The injury knocked McPherson out of the trials and also eliminated Berto, who was disqualified by the referee.

Berto tried to regain his place on the U.S. team through an appeal but it was eventually denied. Enter Haiti.

With the help of his longtime coach, Tony Morgan, and a waiver from the U.S. Olympic Committee, Berto, who holds dual citizenship, joined Haiti’s team.

“There is only one gold medal and it doesn’t matter if it is won for the U.S., Haiti or Colombia,” Morgan said. “We were going to try for it. Andre had spent a good deal of his life in the ring and he wanted a gold medal, even if he couldn’t get it the way he wanted.”

Posters of Berto sprung up in Haiti. He was sought for interviews by every Haitian media outlet.

Berto was one of a dozen Haitian fighters who tried to qualify for the Olympics through sectional tournaments, and the only one who succeeded. Seven other Haitians qualified in track and field, taekwondo and judo.

“I went through a lot just to get here,” Berto said. “It’s been a good experience. Now I’m going to go to Haiti for the first time, check it out, enjoy the culture and put my face out there.”

They had hoped he would be bringing a medal with him. He hopes he can still be one of their favorite sons.