When Christopher Taylor hit the home stretch in the final of the 400m on Saturday, it was clear that something was wrong with the 19-year-old phenom. Taking nothing away from the brilliant performance of young Wolmerian Jeremy Farr, who went on to cop gold in the event, one can only imagine that if a fully fit Taylor had taken unto the field, they would not have crossed the line in the order that they did.

Taylor is the athlete who broke the Jamaican youth record for 400m with 45.27s in 2015 and, in 2018, ran a new personal best while simultaneously smashing the National Junior Record running an impressive 44.88s. Farr’s performance at the recently concluded ISSA/Grace Boys and Girls Championships saw him set a new personal best of 45.65 seconds, clearly below the standard of a fit Christopher Taylor.

Yes, ‘fit’, as it was clear that the 19-year-old Calabar captain was suffering greatly on the track from an apparent injury. In the first day of the championships, he pulled up slightly mid-way through the 400m prelims but continued through to complete the race in first position. Throughout, the remainder of his events, it was evident that the star athlete was not himself, and questions started to emerge as to why coach Michael Clarke was continuing to allow Taylor to run. His final race of the championships came in that Farr showdown, which saw Taylor finish behind the Wolmerian and just ahead of his Calabar teammate, Evaldo Whitehorne. Taylor subsequently did not show up for the 200m final.

But, when we look at the broader picture, this year’s championship was perhaps a foreshadowing of what will happen to our golden generation if we are not careful. If we ignore the warning signs, we could very well ruin our reputation as the sprint factory of the world.

Is it a coincidence that six of our young male star athletes of 2018 are injured or performed far below their usual standard in this year’s Champs? Taylor was evidently injured and did not perform to how we are accustomed to seeing him. Neither did fellow Calabar teammates Michael Stephens and De’Jour Russell perform up to their usual standards. Sachin Dennis did not feature at all in this year’s event due to injury. Antonio Watson failed to show up for both the 400m final and the 200m final, also due to injury, while Terrique Stenneth of Kingston College absconded the 200m final and pulled his hamstring in the 4x100m final.

It’s not just the boys

Our young girls have also been feeling the pressure, including the likes of 2018 star performer Kevona Davis, who’s leg was heavily taped but still manage to win the 100m class 2 event in a comfortable 11.17s.

What was visible in this year’s track and field event was a lot of athletes getting injured while running. The site is alarming and should raise concern among all those who are interested in the nation’s athletic development. The question must be asked, are we pushing our young athletes too far?

When one speaks of pressure, we must also note that mental and emotional strains exist. No doubt the external factors at Calabar prior to the start of the 2019 Championships had a role to play in the team’s focus and performance. We must re-align ourselves from the path that we are heading towards, where we are placing our extremely gifted athletes on a pedestal they are simply just not ready to sit on.

What we must remember is that all these athletes are below 20 years old. Their immense passion and superb performances often make them exude a sense of maturity but their minds and their body are still young and putting such a demand on them at such a young age can lead to detrimental circumstances.

Parents must also play a major role in advocating for the protection of their sons and daughters. The emphasis on points and accolades, at the expense of one’s future and health is not only naive but foolish; a decision that will see both individuals and the nation losing out in the long run.

We must protect our young athletes at all cost. We must protect our future.