Gibson fireworks
THE absence of perennial contenders Calabar High School from today’s 34th staging of the Gibson Relays will not have an adverse effect on the meet, according to organising committee chairman Neville ‘Teddy’ McCook.
“It’s not the first time this has happened, this has been the rule of the Gibson Relays (that) If there’s a transgression in any way we reserve the right not to invite an individual,” McCook told Sporting World yesterday.
His comment follows Calabar’s self-imposed punishment of withdrawal from the Caribbean region’s ace relays carnival, following their use of a Class Two athlete on their Class Three 4x100m team at last year’s staging of the event. Calabar had received their invitation to the event, but their head coach Michael Clarke thought it prudent to withdraw his team, following what he termed as an administrative mix-up at the 2009 staging of Gibson Relays. McCook believes the meet will be as successful as previous years.
“Some years ago, there was an attempt when the new rule for the boys and girls champs came in about transfers (of athletes between schools) that there was a walk-out on the very final event by six (top) teams, leaving only Kingston College and Vere Technical. We did not extend an invitation to them and the Gibson Relays was extremely successful,” he explained.
“So let me just let you know that we have a track meet here tomorrow; they’re going to be nearly 4,000 athletes participating and the Jamaican public is sensible enough to realise that they will be seeing top-class track and field competition and as chairman of the Gibson Relays organising committee, I can say to the public we are going to have an excellent meet,” McCook added, noting that there will be keen competition at all levels, from preparatory schools to the masters.
Fireworks are anticipated in events involving Jamaica’s elite athletes, as the organisers have received entries from Usain Bolt’s Racers and Asafa Powell’s MVP Track Clubs.
“I know the Racers Club athletes will be participating and the only way they will not compete is unless they are injured… I can’t vouch for who will be participating from MVP,” the chief organiser offered.
In the meantime, the president of the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC), says almost all the overseas teams that had indicated an interest in the Relay Carnival will participate.
“The Canadians are here, they’ve been here from early in the week and they were over in Trelawny training, I know the American and Martinique (teams) are expected today (yesterday). I don’t know when the teams from the Bahamas will be here…those are the ones I can vouch for at this particular time,” he said. “But of course the athletes who are involved at the High Performance Training Centre, people who are involved in the Racers Track Club from overseas will be taking part in the event,” McCook posited. Athletes from Puerto Rico, Costa Rica and Gambia currently train at the IAAF High Performance Centre at the University of West Indies, Mona campus.
As customary title sponsors Gatorade will be offering the ‘Record Breakers’ prize of $500,000 for the fourth year running.
The prize was shared between 15 institutions and athletes last year.