Mullings to miss champs

[MdmeX]

Mullings to miss champs

Published: Wednesday | June 24, 2009


Raymond Graham, Gleaner Writer

Mullings
THE top-ranked Jamaican man in the 400 metres for 2009 will be missing from this weekend's National Senior Championships at the National Stadium.

Mississippi State University student, Dwight Mullings, who clocked 44.98 seconds at the South East Conference meet in Gainsville, Florida, last month is having serious problems with his travel documents and will not be able to leave the United States in time for the June 26-28 championships.

The Jamaican passport of the former St Jago High sprinter, who finished fifth at this year's National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) outdoor championships in the 400 metres in 45.48 seconds, has expired.

Mullings said earlier this week that there were some problems in getting a new passport as the old one was sent to Jamaica to be replaced.

"I was told that I had to go to Miami to get my book and the woman who spoke to me told me that it was going to take up to a week to have it back," Mullings said.

"I am fully rested after the NCAA championships and I am now ready to go to trials to win this event. This will be my first opportunity to represent the country at a big meet, and if I do not get the chance I will be very devastated," he said. Performances at the National Championships will be used to select the Jamaican squad for the August 15-23 IAAF World Athletic Championships in Berlin.

"After running two rounds of 4x400 metres relays along with my three rounds in the open 400 metres, I am now ready and raring to go because I am back to my best form," he concluded.
Mullings' 44.98 puts him among the world's top ten in the 400m. The next best Jamaican is Allodin Fothergill with 45.44. Olympic champion, American LaShawn Merritt is the fastest man over 400m this year with a best of 44.50.

[MdmeX]

Now, without knowing all the facts, I think this is complacency on Dwight's part. You do not wait on the last minute to renew your passport. Make it worse, he's dealing with Jamaican bureaucracy

I made sure to renew my passport 2 months prior to its expiration.

Hope he's luck and get it in time, as all this hard work would be for NOUGHT!!

But lesson to be learned. As an athlete, having a valid passport is part of your preparation!

[Mosiah]

Looks like he was just getting bad advice. Seems like he was trying to fix the problem for a a little while.

But 45+?!? Hrmph!

[Gamma]

i have always thought that it is ludicrous NOT to be able to travel to your home country on a recently expired passport. i could see travelling from your home country elsewhere....

i mean if you cannot travel HOME on an expired passport and your visa or whatever expired don't is dip dem gwine dip yuh? and where dem gwine to dip yuh please? TANK YUH!!

[Sickko]

Sounds like bad advise to me as I was told a few weeks ago that you can travel back to your country on an expired passport...but for me the first thing would eb to speka to the Consulate or some one and get the proper advise.

Aditionally I am wondering if he used the passport lately as he would have had to write out the expiry date and if he was planning to travel this summer he must have known he had to get the book updated...just plain stupid if you ask me.

[Jangle]

Agree. Plain irresponsibility on his part. Many of these kids rely on mommy and daddy to do these things for them. Now that he is an adult he needs to take on those responsibilities that comes with being an adult.

[Time]

He can travel on an emergency letter

Mullings to miss champs

Published: Wednesday | June 24, 2009


Raymond Graham, Gleaner Writer

Mullings
THE top-ranked Jamaican man in the 400 metres for 2009 will be missing from this weekend's National Senior Championships at the National Stadium.

Mississippi State University student, Dwight Mullings, who clocked 44.98 seconds at the South East Conference meet in Gainsville, Florida, last month is having serious problems with his travel documents and will not be able to leave the United States in time for the June 26-28 championships.

The Jamaican passport of the former St Jago High sprinter, who finished fifth at this year's National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) outdoor championships in the 400 metres in 45.48 seconds, has expired.

Mullings said earlier this week that there were some problems in getting a new passport as the old one was sent to Jamaica to be replaced.

"I was told that I had to go to Miami to get my book and the woman who spoke to me told me that it was going to take up to a week to have it back," Mullings said.

"I am fully rested after the NCAA championships and I am now ready to go to trials to win this event. This will be my first opportunity to represent the country at a big meet, and if I do not get the chance I will be very devastated," he said. Performances at the National Championships will be used to select the Jamaican squad for the August 15-23 IAAF World Athletic Championships in Berlin.

"After running two rounds of 4x400 metres relays along with my three rounds in the open 400 metres, I am now ready and raring to go because I am back to my best form," he concluded.
Mullings' 44.98 puts him among the world's top ten in the 400m. The next best Jamaican is Allodin Fothergill with 45.44. Olympic champion, American LaShawn Merritt is the fastest man over 400m this year with a best of 44.50.

The consulate can issue a an emergency travel documents for him to leave but he will need a passport to come back. He needs to contact bot the consulate and the passport office and ensure that the passport office will hold the new passport until he gets here. If he gets to Jamaica and the passport is sent to the US then he will be stranded in Jamaica.

[Islandman]

As Time says it must be the travelling back to the US that is the problem.

[Historian]

Mr. Mullings....

Damn! When I saw the subject line it scared me for a minute! I thought the reference was to Steve Mullings! Now that would have been potentially disastrous! Whew!

Curse me if you like, guys, but right now my opinion of our quarter milers is so damn low that I’m not going to lose any sleep over this 45.48 seconds man failing to make the trip! And my annoyance/frustration has nothing to do with the fact that we first made our mark on the world (1948) with our quarter milers winning gold and silver (1948) and gold (relay and individual in 1952), but made our most recent mark on the world (2008) by coming dead last in a relay and failing to make the finals of the individual 400-meter event. No, my annoyance/frustration has nothing to do with these at all….

Nevertheless, this seeming incompetence on the part of Mr. Dwight Mullings probably indicates a depth of character that one is not a feature of winners?

[Jangle]

He's worth the effort if he can run close or better than his PB 44.98 sec which he ran earlier this year.

[Mosiah]

Really?

[Sickko]

Worth what effort? This is the World Championships for Senior people and not the World Juniors.

[Willi]

Worth it for the relay!!!

[Assasin]

Maybe bad advice but the last time I tried renew my passport over the internet it told me 3 weeks and it took me about 4 months and calling every number they gave me.

When I spoke to the counsellor in NY she was very apologetic and told me that she is sadden by the way her department handled business and within a few days the passport was in my hand. This was in 2001.

he should have made more prepartion but our system at least then wasn't effecient.