JAAA should’ve made new status of the World Relays very clear

IN 1948, 14 years before achieving political independence from Britain, Jamaica stunned the world at its first Olympic Games, winning gold and two silver medals in London, thanks to the individual efforts of Messrs Arthur Wint and Herb Mckenley.

Jamaica could have had a fourth medal but injury to Mr Wint in the 4x400m relay eliminated that chance.

Messrs Wint, Mckenley, George Rhoden and Les Laing made amends four years later in Helsinki, Finland. Mr Mckenley’s extraordinary relay leg famously took down the field before a startled, wildly cheering, jam-packed stadium and ensured gold for a nation in the making.

That relay performance became a marker for Jamaican athletics down generations, to this day.

That’s although it seems fair to say that in this country relay running — a team discipline in what is essentially an individual sport — has never attracted the focused attention it deserves.

We suspect that partly explains the circumstances leading to the failure of Jamaica’s 4x400m relay team to qualify automatically for the Paris Olympics set for July.

Many at the heart of Jamaica’s athletics fraternity apparently did not read a World Athletics release from more than a year ago — April 26, 2023 — which should have set off warning bells. Previously the World Relays — the latest edition of which was staged in The Bahamas a week ago — was an important, but not primarily, a relay qualifier for the Olympic Games.

Last year’s brief World Athletics release made it clear that the 2024 World Relays would now be the primary qualifier.

The last two paragraphs said: ‘The top 14 teams at the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 will automatically qualify for places at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Teams will have two opportunities to qualify in Nassau; if they’re unsuccessful on day one, another chance will be provided on day two.

The remaining two places in each relay discipline will be awarded based on top lists during the qualification period (31 December 2022 – 30 June 2024)’.

Legendary head of Racers Track Club Mr Glen Mills has said that he only knew the World Relays was now the primary Olympic qualifier while watching TV last weekend.

Many others, including coaches, agents, and track journalists were apparently in the same boat.

In The Bahamas, four of five Jamaican relay teams qualified for Paris — the 4x400 metres men being the exception.

We now hear that the chance of advance to the Olympics for the 4x400m men is slim at best.

Athlete withdrawals just prior to the Bahamas meet apparently adversely affected performances.

Also, for the 4x400m men’s team, we hear of at least one injury; and that available personnel weren’t at the required standard.

There is the suggestion that the World Relays is ill-timed in early May, with professional athletes being gradually primed for peak physical condition at the national trials in late June, ahead of the Olympic Games.

Handlers — presumably unaware of the enhanced importance of the World Relays — may have been reluctant to risk injury to their elite athletes at a meet where there is no money on the table.

At the very least, we think, the national federation, the Jamaica Administrative Athletics Association (JAAA), should have ensured the new status of the World Relays was crystal clear to all.