Four criteria to select Ja’s team to Commonwealth Games
Paul A Reid, Observer Writer
Saturday, February 18, 2006
Montego Bay - Jamaica’s track and field team to next month’s Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia, will be selected rather than be chosen based on results of the National Championships.
The Commonwealth games, the only major out-door track and field meet this calendar year, will be staged March 15-26, well ahead of the traditional dates for the Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association (JAAA) National Trials which are usually held in June or July, and so the decision was taken to select a team based on performance and world rankings.
National Junior and Senior Championships will be held this year between June 23-25.
According to the official website of the JAAA, www.thejaaaltd.com, four criteria will be used for both the Commonwealth Games and the IAAF World Indoor Champions that will be held March 10-12 in Moscow, Russia.
The criteria are: Ranking in 2005; Best performance in 2005; Indoor and outdoor performance in 2006; Satisfy the Association at the time of team selection that the athlete is in a satisfactory physical condition to warrant selection.
Traditionally, teams to major summer meets are chosen based on performances at the National Championships.
Sporting World understands that the team should be about 50 members strong.
Jamaica won 17 medals, four gold, six silver and seven bronze at the 2002 Games held in Manchester, England, 14 of which came in track and field athletics.
Decathlete Claston Bernard, long jumper Elva Goulbourne, quarter-miler Michael Blackwood and sprint hurdler Lacena Golding-Clarke were the gold medallists.
The silver medals came from Veronica Campbell in the women’s 200m, Vonette Dixon in the 100m hurdles, Juliet Campbell in the 200m and Debbie-Ann Parris in the 400m hurdles.
Sandie Richards in the 400m, where she edged team mate Allison Beckford, Maurice Wignall in the 110m hurdles, Ian Weakley in the 400m hurdles and Trecia Smith in the triple jump were the bronze medallists.
Jamaica also won a bronze in the netball competition and two more in swimming, thanks to Janelle Atkinson in the 400 and 800m free style events.