ONE DOWN, TWO TO GO

AFTER BOOKING their ticket to the Tokyo World Championships in the men’s 4x100-metre relay at the London Diamond League with a nippy 37.80 seconds, Jamaica will now focus on the women’s 4x400m and mixed 4x400m relays in their quest to qualify for the big show.

President of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA), Garth Gayle, is very confident that both teams will pass the test and advance.

“We are very confident that both teams will qualify for the World Championships. Strong teams will be sent to the NACAC Senior Championships in Freeport, Bahamas, as our top female athletes have indicated their commitment to the cause,” stated Gayle.

At the moment, Jamaica’s women’s 4x400m team occupies the final qualification spot in 16th with their 3:24.90 clocking done at the 2024 Paris Olympics. As long as only the 15 countries ranked ahead of Jamaica run faster than that time between now and August 25, Jamaica is in. The Netherlands, ranked 15th, looks safe with their 3:19.50.

In the mixed 4x400m relay, Jamaica are also on the bubble in 16th place, based on their solid 3:11.06 from the Paris Olympics. Again, the Netherlands holds a gold-plated insurance policy in 15th with 3:07.43 (the second-fastest time in history). So, in the absence of a near-impossible overturn of Germany’s second-place finish at the World Relays, the Jamaican team will have to watch their backs if meets start hosting mixed relays, as several other teams are ready to pounce.