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JA's CARIFTA team ravaged by injuries
PAUL A REID, Observer writer reidp@jamaicaobserver.com
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Jamaica's team to defend their title at the 38th CARIFTA Games at the George Odlum Stadium in Vieux Fort in St Lucia this coming weekend (April 13-16) will be without several of their big named athletes who have been withdrawn due to injuries.
Calabar's Ramone McKenzie is a picture of exhausion at the end of the crucial 4X400 metres ralys inside the National Stadium on Saturday. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)
Several athletes went down injured at last weekend's GraceKennedy/ISSA Boys' and Girls' Championships at the National Stadium, including some who were selected to compete at the meet.
There was good news about Calabar's Ramone McKenzie, however, as he should be on the flight when the team leaves the island on Thursday.
McKenzie slowed down on the anchor leg of the crucial 4x400m relay on Saturday when his team needed to win to retain their title, finishing third.
It was learnt later that he had felt a cramp in one of his calves and decided not to "push it".
Michael Clarke, who coaches McKenzie, the Class One 200m/400m champion, told the Observer yesterday that "the last time I spoke to him (McKenzie) he was all right and I expect he will compete at the meet".
McKenzie, he said, would be re-evaluated either yesterday or today to determine his fitness.
Newly crowned Boys' Champs Class One 100m champion Dexter Lee of Herbert Morrison Technical and Kingston College's Akino Ming are doubtful, while Manchester High's Sandrae Farquharson will miss the meet.
It is also understood that Holmwood Technical's Chris-Ann Gordon, who highlighted the meet with a brilliant 52.68 seconds to win the Class Three 400m last weekend, the fastest of all the girls in the meet, will be restricted to just one event, the 800m.
A Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association (JAAA) official told the Observer yesterday they knew about the injuries, but were awaiting reports from the respective coaches/schools on the health status of the athletes before taking a decision.
A meeting was to have been held yesterday, the official said, and a decision would be taken as to which athletes would be brought in.
St Jago's Nickel Ashmeade, who missed Trials due to a broken arm but was second in the Class One 100m and third in the 200m last weekend, could be drafted into the team.
Ashmeade won the Under-20 200m last year and was second in the event at the World Junior Championships in Poland.
Lee, who missed the 100m final at CARIFTA Trials, but was second in the 200m, grabbed his left hamstring just after winning the Class One 100m on Friday night and was promptly whisked away to the medical tent and was withdrawn from the rest of the meet, missing the two relays - the 4x100m and 4x400m that Herbert Morrison had qualified for.
Lee had told the Observer late Friday night he was feeling slight soreness and it is understood he is to see a doctor today.
Claude Grant, who coaches Lee, told the Observer yesterday he would have made an evaluation at training yesterday.
Lee was second in the Under-20 100m last year, beaten by teammate Yohan Blake, who set the meet record 10.11 seconds in 2007 and then anchored the 4x100m team to the gold.
Ming, it was learnt, was being "monitored and undergoing diagnostic tests" on his calf as it was suspected he had either suffered a strain or a hairline fracture.
Michael Russell, who coached Kingston College to a heart-stopping 1.5 points win over Calabar at Champs, told the Observer he doubted Ming, who represented Jamaica at last year's IAAF World Junior Championships in Poland, would be able to make the trip.
Farquharson was injured during the relay heats on Wednesday, the first day of Champs and missed the remainder of the meet and will be replaced on the team this weekend.
Maurice Wilson, coach of Holmwood Technical, said he had "strongly requested" that Gordon, who won the 400m/800m double, run just one event and then he would shut down her programme for the remainder of the season and would exclude her from the team to attend the Penn Relays later this month.
He said the 14-year-old was running "only her third ever 400m" last week and her preparation leading up to Champs was carefully measured. "For the three weeks leading up to Champs she hardly ran at all, but just jogged and stretched."
He said he was not expecting her to run that fast and while he expected she would win the 400m event, the sub 53-second time might have been too fast at this time.
Wilson told the Observer he was being careful with her, as she was now going through a growth spurt and he wanted to avoid injuries as much as possible.
PAUL A REID, Observer writer reidp@jamaicaobserver.com
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Jamaica's team to defend their title at the 38th CARIFTA Games at the George Odlum Stadium in Vieux Fort in St Lucia this coming weekend (April 13-16) will be without several of their big named athletes who have been withdrawn due to injuries.
Calabar's Ramone McKenzie is a picture of exhausion at the end of the crucial 4X400 metres ralys inside the National Stadium on Saturday. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)Several athletes went down injured at last weekend's GraceKennedy/ISSA Boys' and Girls' Championships at the National Stadium, including some who were selected to compete at the meet.
There was good news about Calabar's Ramone McKenzie, however, as he should be on the flight when the team leaves the island on Thursday.
McKenzie slowed down on the anchor leg of the crucial 4x400m relay on Saturday when his team needed to win to retain their title, finishing third.
It was learnt later that he had felt a cramp in one of his calves and decided not to "push it".
Michael Clarke, who coaches McKenzie, the Class One 200m/400m champion, told the Observer yesterday that "the last time I spoke to him (McKenzie) he was all right and I expect he will compete at the meet".
McKenzie, he said, would be re-evaluated either yesterday or today to determine his fitness.
Newly crowned Boys' Champs Class One 100m champion Dexter Lee of Herbert Morrison Technical and Kingston College's Akino Ming are doubtful, while Manchester High's Sandrae Farquharson will miss the meet.
It is also understood that Holmwood Technical's Chris-Ann Gordon, who highlighted the meet with a brilliant 52.68 seconds to win the Class Three 400m last weekend, the fastest of all the girls in the meet, will be restricted to just one event, the 800m.
A Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association (JAAA) official told the Observer yesterday they knew about the injuries, but were awaiting reports from the respective coaches/schools on the health status of the athletes before taking a decision.
A meeting was to have been held yesterday, the official said, and a decision would be taken as to which athletes would be brought in.
St Jago's Nickel Ashmeade, who missed Trials due to a broken arm but was second in the Class One 100m and third in the 200m last weekend, could be drafted into the team.
Ashmeade won the Under-20 200m last year and was second in the event at the World Junior Championships in Poland.
Lee, who missed the 100m final at CARIFTA Trials, but was second in the 200m, grabbed his left hamstring just after winning the Class One 100m on Friday night and was promptly whisked away to the medical tent and was withdrawn from the rest of the meet, missing the two relays - the 4x100m and 4x400m that Herbert Morrison had qualified for.
Lee had told the Observer late Friday night he was feeling slight soreness and it is understood he is to see a doctor today.
Claude Grant, who coaches Lee, told the Observer yesterday he would have made an evaluation at training yesterday.
Lee was second in the Under-20 100m last year, beaten by teammate Yohan Blake, who set the meet record 10.11 seconds in 2007 and then anchored the 4x100m team to the gold.
Ming, it was learnt, was being "monitored and undergoing diagnostic tests" on his calf as it was suspected he had either suffered a strain or a hairline fracture.
Michael Russell, who coached Kingston College to a heart-stopping 1.5 points win over Calabar at Champs, told the Observer he doubted Ming, who represented Jamaica at last year's IAAF World Junior Championships in Poland, would be able to make the trip.
Farquharson was injured during the relay heats on Wednesday, the first day of Champs and missed the remainder of the meet and will be replaced on the team this weekend.
Maurice Wilson, coach of Holmwood Technical, said he had "strongly requested" that Gordon, who won the 400m/800m double, run just one event and then he would shut down her programme for the remainder of the season and would exclude her from the team to attend the Penn Relays later this month.
He said the 14-year-old was running "only her third ever 400m" last week and her preparation leading up to Champs was carefully measured. "For the three weeks leading up to Champs she hardly ran at all, but just jogged and stretched."
He said he was not expecting her to run that fast and while he expected she would win the 400m event, the sub 53-second time might have been too fast at this time.
Wilson told the Observer he was being careful with her, as she was now going through a growth spurt and he wanted to avoid injuries as much as possible.
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