Stadium track quick-fix delays start
THE National Stadium running surface received a quick repair job overnight Thursday causing a delay to the start of yesterday’s track action at Champs 100 by close to two hours.
Independence Park Limited (IPL) general manager, Major Desmon Brown told the Observer that a technician from German-company BSW carried out repairs to the 100m start.
“Because the Stadium East is not in use we have had to use inside much more and it caused rapid deterioration,” Brown explained. “People were slipping in the blocks.”
He added that the work should have been done on Wednesday evening, but had to be delayed because of rain that day.
BSW is the same company which is laying the running track at the University of the West Indies (UWI).
“They were very gracious,” Brown said.
Repair work generally takes six hours, but Brown said they gave an extra hour for good measure.
The 400m start area is also worn, but Brown said it was not as badly damaged and therefore repair work could wait until after the National Championships in June.
— Dania Bogle