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JAMAICA ATHLETICS Administrative Association (JAAA) first vice-president, Ian Forbes, says the organisation has been diligently working alongside local track meet organisers to ensure they are able to meet global standards set by World Athletics.
Forbes was speaking with The Gleaner at the press launch and sponsors’ luncheon for the 2025 Gibson McCook Relays earlier this week at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel.
He explained it is a priority for the JAAA to ensure local meets are able to be recognised by the sport’s global governing body.
“The mission is to ensure that all meets get up to the World Athletics standard, so we are working even closer with the meet organisers to ensure that the game is stepped up and they can all qualify for some sort of designation,” Forbes said.
His comments come days after the news that Jamaican high jumper Raymond Richard’s personal best of 2.31 metres at the Queen’s/Grace Jackson meet would not be recognised by World Athletics.
The mark, which would have made Raymond the second best Jamaican in the discipline and the world leader this season, will not be recognised as an official result as the Queen’s/Grace Jackson meet was not submitted to the World Athletics Global Calendar.
According to a World Athletics ruling which was put in effect in 2023, for a competition’s results to be listed on the global calendar, then an application must be submitted 70 days before the event; a deadline which the Queen’s/Grace Jackson meet had failed to abide.
Forbes has since encouraged all local meet organisers to work closely with the JAAA to ensure they are able to meet all the requirements for their competitions to be globally recognised.
“It is a work in progress and it is a partnership that will always continue. Things evolve very quickly and rules can change quickly, so we are constantly keeping organisers apprised of the situation and keep them fully sensitised,” he stated.
Forbes also pointed to the JAAA’s annual forum, Calendar Conference, where they seek to collaborate with meet organisers to ensure each event is held at a professional standard.
“Each year we have a forum which is called the Calendar Conference where we go through the track and field calendar for the year,” the sports administrator explained.
“During that, we have different speakers that come up and make presentations. Of course, organisers that always contact the JAAA and we collaborate and we ensure that they get the requisite training to meet the criteria.”
Just over 20 of Jamaica’s local meets have been included on the World Athletics calendar while 14 events have been left off.
Among the sanctioned events, the Gibson McCook Relays set for this month has also been earmarked by World Athletics as a Tier Two competition, a feat which draw applause from Forbes and the JAAA.
“It is very important and I am very happy and proud that we have meets which are designated as such based on meeting the World Athletics criteria,” he congratulated the meet organiser of the Gibson McCook Relays.
“This is in terms of the officiating and the requisite support services to ensure that the meet is run at a certain level and has a certain amount of integrity.”
Track meets not yet on World Athletics Calendar
McKenley-Wint Classics, OnDiRun/GC Foster Sprint Fest 100m, Douglas Forrest Invitational, Queen’s/Grace Jackson, STETHS/Ollivierre/Smith Invitational, Western Relays, Central Champs, Western Champs, Throws Fest 1-4, Big Shot and King of the Rings.
English (US) ·