To suggest that Jamaica hasn’t faced challenges at the Paris 33rd Olympiad would be an understatement. Don’t get me wrong—every athlete, coach, administrator, and support staff member deserves commendation. Securing six Olympic medals, including a gold, is a remarkable achievement, especially for a nation with a population of under 3 million.
What is our true potential?
Stona’s Olympic record throw was a standout performance, and it seems the stars are aligning for Jamaica in field events, with promising talent emerging in hurdles and both vertical and horizontal jumps. Even though our track events didn’t yield as many medals as hoped, I’m not overly concerned about the current situation.
But this is Jamaica—we’re used to punching above our weight. Resting on our laurels and attributing the results to a natural cycle would be a disservice to ourselves. The critical question is: what was our true potential heading into Paris, and to what extent did we fulfil it?
West Indies Cricket a cautionary tale
In my view, the greatest threat to Jamaica’s track and field future is the lack of investment. The situation is similar to cricket, where the West Indies dominated the sport for over a decade. We were so captivated by our successes that we failed to understand the underlying factors and how to replicate them for continued success.
In reality, our cricket triumphs were heavily reliant on players honing their skills in England, much like our early track and field victories depended on athletes securing scholarships to American universities. These countries had already recognised the immense benefits of the sport and invested heavily in programmes to develop their athletes.
Other nations, particularly Australia, studied our methods and, by the 1990s, had toppled us from the cricket throne, maintaining their dominance ever since. Unfortunately, the West Indies’ lack of foresight meant minimal investment in the sport’s development at both individual and team levels, leading to our decline to the bottom of the rankings, especially in Test cricket.
This serves as a cautionary tale for Jamaican track and field, emphasising the need for continuous investment and development to sustain our competitive edge.
A formula for consistently bettering our best
To illustrate this point further, consider this: since 2008, the majority of Jamaica’s 40 individual Olympic medals have been won by homegrown talent, particularly through the efforts of MVP and Racers Track Clubs. Although anecdotal, this trend highlights the significant benefits of investing in local programmes to nurture talent at home.
While it’s impressive that we have, on a per capita basis, outperformed our biggest competitors, it’s essential to delve deeper into what drives this success to ensure its sustainability. Jamaica boasts one of the best feeder systems in the world, but the real challenge lies in strengthening that system to maximise our athletic potential.
To achieve this, we must investigate local systems to identify and address weaknesses in the transition to the professional level and other inherent vulnerabilities.
Here’s what we should do:
These recommendations aren’t entirely original or exhaustive, but they reflect a genuine search for solutions.
- Unregulated Athletic Clubs: Local athletic clubs have developed in a largely unregulated environment. Track and field is primarily an individual sport, and while the JAAA has done well to create a competitive environment, athletes are only required to respond to the JAAA after selection, and even then, attendance at national team camps is not mandatory.
- National Representation: Athletic clubs are not required to report to the JAAA on the condition of national representatives. This could be an area for review, as continuous knowledge of an athlete’s condition is crucial. In other countries, athletes receive retainers from their national associations, and this could be something for the JAAA to consider.
- Funding for Retainers: Potential sources of funding for athlete retainers could include:
- The government allocating the full benefit of the special tax on gaming to the Sports Development Foundation.
- The corporate community viewing sports investment as a potential source of financial benefits.
- The government providing tax incentives to companies that invest in sports.
- The JOA and JAAA lobbying for greater financial support from international bodies like the IOC and World Athletics.
- Pre-Event Camps: Pre-event camps are crucial. Athletes compete for their clubs throughout the season, but when it comes to national representation, it’s essential for the team to come together to build synergy and practice relays. It’s important that all team members participate, as teamwork is fundamental across all sports.
- Relay Practices: Intense competition between clubs often leaves little time for relay practice. There’s a need for a mindset shift, as coaches sometimes insist on which leg of the relay their athlete should run. Establishing a liaison system to ensure athletes can communicate effectively with the JAAA could also improve the current setup.
- Injury Prevention: Injuries seem more prevalent among Jamaican athletes compared to Americans. Limited resources make it essential for local stakeholders to collaborate and maximise what’s available. The UWI’s Sports Medicine Clinic could be resourced to provide national coverage, an investment that would benefit the entire country.
The Jamaican public plays a critical role in affecting these changes and must exercise the immense power they hold to pressure the powers that be to ensure a speedy and sustainable solution and to cast out those unwilling and or incapable of doing what it takes to safe guard Jamaica’s track and field legacy.
