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Jamaica's chances at winning medals at International youth championships have taken a dramatic turn for the worse.
In previous years, the age limit rules were simple. To be eligible for the IAAF World Junior Championships an athlete had to be less than 20 years of age. To be eligible for the World Youth Championships an athlete had to be less than 18 years of age. There were no lower age limits and Jamaican athletes as young as 14 years old (Usain Bolt, Melaine Walker, Lisa Sharp, Aneisha McLaughlin) represented Jamaica at these games.
By Oliver Harris –AKA Elmo.
Now, the rules have changed and Jamaicans are finding out this year that although Jamaican has a strong under-18 team that would have been eligible for the World Youth in previous years, a number of those top athletes will not be eligible to represent the country this year.
World Youth Championships
------------------------
The New rule governing World Youth participation states that only athletes who are 16 or 17 years old in the year are eligible. For the first time, athletes below 16 years of age will not be eligible to participate in these games. This means that Jamaica’s top three Youth athletes Chris-Ann Gordon, Sherika Jackson and Jazeel Murphy will not be eligible to participate in those games this year, because they will not be 16 years of age until next year..
A quick look at the results at the last world youth games (2007) and the performances of our three top athletes this year, shows how well our athletes would have performed:
At the last World Youth, Dexter Lee won the 100M in 10.51. This year, 15 year old Jazeel Murphy has consistently run 10.4 seconds. He did it at champs and at the carifta games, and would have been a favourite to win the world youth title. His 20.97 in the 200M at the Carifta games shows that he also had a good chance to win the sprint double.
At the last youth games, the 400M for girls was won in 53.57 seconds. This year at champs 14 year old Chris-Ann Gordon ran 52.6 (and split 51.2 in the mile relay) while Sherika Jackson placed second in 53.1 and went on to set a new carifta games record of 53.48. Jamaica would have had a very good chance to go 1-2 in this event and easily win the medley relay.
This new IAAF ruling will not allow the participation of Gordon, Jackson and Murphy at these games and that will certainly have a serious effect on Jamaica’s world youth expectations and medal count.
World Junior Games
--------------------------
Most track fans believed that the new rule allowing only 16 and 17 year old to participate in the World Youth , meant that the IAAF thought that for medical or other health reasons athletes under 16 years of age should not participate in the games. However, yesterday a top track official showed me the new rules governing the World Junior and that was an eye opener. The rules state that ONLY 18 AND 19 YEAR OLD ATHLETES will be eligible for the World Junior Games.
The obvious questions to ask about this rule are:
1. What is the objection to 16 and 17 year olds participating in World Juniors?
I can find no sensible answer to that question, but hopefully we will get an answer from the IAAF soon.
2. How will this new rule affect Jamaican Athletes?
This will have a drastic effect on the Jamaican athletes. The rule is basically saying that only class one females (always a small number at champs) and second and third year class one boys will be eligible for world juniors.
Top females who will miss World Juniors next year
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Jamaica has never had the quality of female U17 athletes they now have. A quick look at the Carifta games U17 result for 2009 clearly show the quality of this group of athletes, but all will miss the World Junior cut.
In the 400M, Chris-Ann Gordon, Sherika Jackson, Sandrae Farquharson and Jeneive Russell have all run sub 54 flat races or relay splits and are arguable our top junior females.
In the 100M, our top juniors for next year are Deandre Whitehorn, Sherika Moulton who won gold and silver both at champs and at the Carifta games. They will not be eligible.
In the jumps Chanice Porter and Jeneive Russell, both 6m long jumpers will sit out the event while Peta-Gaye Reid and Russell are 1.80M high jumpers and will also have to sit out the meet.
Top Males who will miss World Juniors next year
--------------------------------------------------------------
All the boys who ran in the U17 division at the Carifta games will miss the cut.
In the 100M, and 200M, Jazeel Murphy, Julian Forte, Travis Drummond, Adam Cummings and Odean Skeene will miss the cut.
In the 400M, Jermaine Fyfe, Rolando Reid, Jovan Williams are among the top quarter milers who will run in class one but will miss the cut. Waqar Dacosta will also have to put his 800M hopes of glory on hold also.
Let us take a look at the former Jamaican athletes who won world medals before age 18?
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If the present rules had applied in previous years, a number of Jamaica’s medalists would not have been allowed to run.
In the 2002 world juniors, McLaughlin (15yrs) and Facey (16 yrs) both won silver medals and Bolt (15 yrs) won our only individual gold medal. These three athletes also ran on the three relay teams that won one gold and two silver medals.
Last year (2008) Dexter Lee won gold in the 100M as a 17 year old, but present rules (only 18 and 19 year olds) would have made him ineligible.
Other athletes who won medals at World juniors before attaining this new age group standard are Claudine Williams (400M silver), Gillian Russell (100H gold), Melaine Walker (400H Bronze), Yohan Blake (100M Bronze), Remaldo Rose (100M Bronze), Nicole Mitchell (100M Silver).
Lisa Sharpe (100M) and Aneisha Mclaughlin (400M) also won medals at world youth at age 14.
So if recent history is to be believed, the Jamaican medal count in the World Junior and World Youth evens will be decimated by IAAF rules that seem to be quite arbitrary. I can think of no other sport, where a 16 or 17 year old is not eligible to participate in the junior event. The question I would like to ask is:
Should Jamaica continue to participate in these Junior and Youth games if our top athletes are not allowed to participate due to quite arbitrary IAAF rules?
Taken from JamaicaWin.com
In previous years, the age limit rules were simple. To be eligible for the IAAF World Junior Championships an athlete had to be less than 20 years of age. To be eligible for the World Youth Championships an athlete had to be less than 18 years of age. There were no lower age limits and Jamaican athletes as young as 14 years old (Usain Bolt, Melaine Walker, Lisa Sharp, Aneisha McLaughlin) represented Jamaica at these games.
By Oliver Harris –AKA Elmo.
Now, the rules have changed and Jamaicans are finding out this year that although Jamaican has a strong under-18 team that would have been eligible for the World Youth in previous years, a number of those top athletes will not be eligible to represent the country this year.
World Youth Championships
------------------------
The New rule governing World Youth participation states that only athletes who are 16 or 17 years old in the year are eligible. For the first time, athletes below 16 years of age will not be eligible to participate in these games. This means that Jamaica’s top three Youth athletes Chris-Ann Gordon, Sherika Jackson and Jazeel Murphy will not be eligible to participate in those games this year, because they will not be 16 years of age until next year..
A quick look at the results at the last world youth games (2007) and the performances of our three top athletes this year, shows how well our athletes would have performed:
At the last World Youth, Dexter Lee won the 100M in 10.51. This year, 15 year old Jazeel Murphy has consistently run 10.4 seconds. He did it at champs and at the carifta games, and would have been a favourite to win the world youth title. His 20.97 in the 200M at the Carifta games shows that he also had a good chance to win the sprint double.
At the last youth games, the 400M for girls was won in 53.57 seconds. This year at champs 14 year old Chris-Ann Gordon ran 52.6 (and split 51.2 in the mile relay) while Sherika Jackson placed second in 53.1 and went on to set a new carifta games record of 53.48. Jamaica would have had a very good chance to go 1-2 in this event and easily win the medley relay.
This new IAAF ruling will not allow the participation of Gordon, Jackson and Murphy at these games and that will certainly have a serious effect on Jamaica’s world youth expectations and medal count.
World Junior Games
--------------------------
Most track fans believed that the new rule allowing only 16 and 17 year old to participate in the World Youth , meant that the IAAF thought that for medical or other health reasons athletes under 16 years of age should not participate in the games. However, yesterday a top track official showed me the new rules governing the World Junior and that was an eye opener. The rules state that ONLY 18 AND 19 YEAR OLD ATHLETES will be eligible for the World Junior Games.
The obvious questions to ask about this rule are:
1. What is the objection to 16 and 17 year olds participating in World Juniors?
I can find no sensible answer to that question, but hopefully we will get an answer from the IAAF soon.
2. How will this new rule affect Jamaican Athletes?
This will have a drastic effect on the Jamaican athletes. The rule is basically saying that only class one females (always a small number at champs) and second and third year class one boys will be eligible for world juniors.
Top females who will miss World Juniors next year
-------------------------------------------------------------
Jamaica has never had the quality of female U17 athletes they now have. A quick look at the Carifta games U17 result for 2009 clearly show the quality of this group of athletes, but all will miss the World Junior cut.
In the 400M, Chris-Ann Gordon, Sherika Jackson, Sandrae Farquharson and Jeneive Russell have all run sub 54 flat races or relay splits and are arguable our top junior females.
In the 100M, our top juniors for next year are Deandre Whitehorn, Sherika Moulton who won gold and silver both at champs and at the Carifta games. They will not be eligible.
In the jumps Chanice Porter and Jeneive Russell, both 6m long jumpers will sit out the event while Peta-Gaye Reid and Russell are 1.80M high jumpers and will also have to sit out the meet.
Top Males who will miss World Juniors next year
--------------------------------------------------------------
All the boys who ran in the U17 division at the Carifta games will miss the cut.
In the 100M, and 200M, Jazeel Murphy, Julian Forte, Travis Drummond, Adam Cummings and Odean Skeene will miss the cut.
In the 400M, Jermaine Fyfe, Rolando Reid, Jovan Williams are among the top quarter milers who will run in class one but will miss the cut. Waqar Dacosta will also have to put his 800M hopes of glory on hold also.
Let us take a look at the former Jamaican athletes who won world medals before age 18?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If the present rules had applied in previous years, a number of Jamaica’s medalists would not have been allowed to run.
In the 2002 world juniors, McLaughlin (15yrs) and Facey (16 yrs) both won silver medals and Bolt (15 yrs) won our only individual gold medal. These three athletes also ran on the three relay teams that won one gold and two silver medals.
Last year (2008) Dexter Lee won gold in the 100M as a 17 year old, but present rules (only 18 and 19 year olds) would have made him ineligible.
Other athletes who won medals at World juniors before attaining this new age group standard are Claudine Williams (400M silver), Gillian Russell (100H gold), Melaine Walker (400H Bronze), Yohan Blake (100M Bronze), Remaldo Rose (100M Bronze), Nicole Mitchell (100M Silver).
Lisa Sharpe (100M) and Aneisha Mclaughlin (400M) also won medals at world youth at age 14.
So if recent history is to be believed, the Jamaican medal count in the World Junior and World Youth evens will be decimated by IAAF rules that seem to be quite arbitrary. I can think of no other sport, where a 16 or 17 year old is not eligible to participate in the junior event. The question I would like to ask is:
Should Jamaica continue to participate in these Junior and Youth games if our top athletes are not allowed to participate due to quite arbitrary IAAF rules?
Taken from JamaicaWin.com
Paul Marin -19 is one thing, 20 is a whole other matter. It gets even worse if they win the UCL. *groan*. 
05/18/2011.MU fans naah cough, but all a unuh a vomit?-Lazie 1/11/2015
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