Jak Ali Harvey loving Turkey
Jak Ali Harvey who switched allegiance from Jamaica to represent Turkey, says
he has no regrets and doesn’t care about public opinion. “It doesn’t really matter what the feedback is because it’s my decision. But everyone is very positive about it,” said Harvey, after finishing third in his first round heat in the 100m clocking a time of 10.13 seconds.
Jak Ali Harvey, formerly Jacques Harvey, who represented Wolmer’s Boys’ and Rusea’s High at the Inter Secondary School Association Boys’ Championships, said people leave their countries to work elsewhere so he has no regrets.
“A lot of people leave their country to live in other countries and I just chose to live in a different country and I am representing them” said Harvey. “They embrace me a lot. I am very well known around the area.
I help a lot of the kids with their training in track and field and a lot of these children are improving and because of that they are enjoying it,” he added.
Harvey would eventually falter in the 100m semi-finals, placing fifth in 10.08 seconds behind a stumbling Usain Bolt who recovered to win in 9.96 seconds.
The former MVP athlete said he was just excited to be at the World Championships in Beijing. “I always wanted to compete in the World Championships and it feels good,” said Harvey.
“In life you have to learn to live with your decisions and the best you can do is work to make each decision be of benefit. “If it doesn’t work out in the first couple of years maybe it’s a bad decision, but I have worked hard enough to make the transition and I am happy with it,” Harvey said.