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Ja could benefit from changes in WC schedule
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Ja could benefit from changes in WC schedule
BY PAUL A REID Observer Writer reidp@jamaicaobserver.com
Saturday, September 04, 2010
JAMAICA could close next year's IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea in a blaze of glory and a world record after a change in the schedule of the event which sees the women's and men's 4x100m relays ending the nine-day meet.
The new schedule, which was first released in April and amended last month, will see both rounds of the sprint relays being run on the final day of the championships.
DIACK... we’re delighted to present this newlook timetable for Daegu 2011
DIACK... we’re delighted to present this newlook timetable for Daegu 2011
1/1
Traditionally, the finals of the men's and women's mile relays (4x400m) are the closing track events at the meet, but will be run earlier. The men's race is set for day seven, with the women's equivalent set for the following day -- the second-to-last of the meet.
Jamaica's men hold the 4x100m world record of 37.10 seconds set at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, as well as the second fastest time (37.31) in history in winning the event at the 2009 IAAF World Championships in Berlin, Germany.
The team of Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell set the world mark, with Steve Mullings replacing Carter in Berlin.
Jamaica's men's relay pool was deepened this year with Carter and Yohan Blake having dramatically lowered their personal bests over the 100m, and along with Bolt, who holds world records in both sprints (9.58 and 19.19) and former 100m record-holder Powell (9.72), give Jamaica an outstanding chance of lowering the record even further.
Carter's recent personal best of 9.78 makes him the fourth fastest man of all time, while Blake's personal best run in London is 9.89 seconds.
Additionally, Mario Forsythe, a teammate of Bolt and Blake at the Racers Track Club, has also lowered his personal record to 9.95, giving Jamaica seven men running under 10 seconds.
A senior member of the IAAF Communications Department, Chris Turner told the Observer on Wednesday that despite the performances of the Jamaicans in the 100 this season, the changes were made to impact the sport on a wider base, rather than to suit any one set of athletes.
"While the performances of Jamaican and many other countries' sprinters have certainly been superb recently, it is exceptionally rare that the World Championships timetable has been changed to reflect the achievements or ambitions of any athlete based upon the sound principle that athletics has to be bigger than any one athlete or group of athletes of a certain generation, however talented.
"The IAAF must always have the sport's wider long-term interests as its primary objectives," said the IAAF Communications Department's senior editorial manager in an email.
"The reason was -- as with so many of the changes -- to explore different formats which will hopefully increase the excitement level of the championships," Turner said.
A release from the IAAF in April explained the changes in the timetable, saying it has "been developed in conjunction with athletes, and the sport's broadcasters and marketing partners, with the goal to increase the appeal of the biennial IAAF World Championships to the world's television audience, especially to younger viewers".
The release states that the aim was to make shorter evening sessions with "more impact... and will feature only semi-finals and finals".
The evening sessions, the release added "will last less than three hours, and there will be a balanced number of finals across all days, with qualification rounds only in the morning sessions, and relays spread over more days".
IAAF boss, Lamine Diack was quoted as saying: "We're delighted to present this new look timetable for Daegu 2011. It ushers in a new era for our sport, helping to meet the demands of a world in which athletics must compete even harder to attract, excite and retain the public's interest in an increasingly diverse sports and entertainment market worldwide."
Jamaica won 13 medals at the 2009 renewal -- seven gold, four silver and three bronze -- second only to the United States with 22 medals and third in points with 136, again trailing the USA's 231 and Russia's 154.
Ja could benefit from changes in WC schedule
BY PAUL A REID Observer Writer reidp@jamaicaobserver.com
Saturday, September 04, 2010
JAMAICA could close next year's IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea in a blaze of glory and a world record after a change in the schedule of the event which sees the women's and men's 4x100m relays ending the nine-day meet.
The new schedule, which was first released in April and amended last month, will see both rounds of the sprint relays being run on the final day of the championships.
DIACK... we’re delighted to present this newlook timetable for Daegu 2011
DIACK... we’re delighted to present this newlook timetable for Daegu 2011 1/1 Traditionally, the finals of the men's and women's mile relays (4x400m) are the closing track events at the meet, but will be run earlier. The men's race is set for day seven, with the women's equivalent set for the following day -- the second-to-last of the meet.
Jamaica's men hold the 4x100m world record of 37.10 seconds set at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, as well as the second fastest time (37.31) in history in winning the event at the 2009 IAAF World Championships in Berlin, Germany.
The team of Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell set the world mark, with Steve Mullings replacing Carter in Berlin.
Jamaica's men's relay pool was deepened this year with Carter and Yohan Blake having dramatically lowered their personal bests over the 100m, and along with Bolt, who holds world records in both sprints (9.58 and 19.19) and former 100m record-holder Powell (9.72), give Jamaica an outstanding chance of lowering the record even further.
Carter's recent personal best of 9.78 makes him the fourth fastest man of all time, while Blake's personal best run in London is 9.89 seconds.
Additionally, Mario Forsythe, a teammate of Bolt and Blake at the Racers Track Club, has also lowered his personal record to 9.95, giving Jamaica seven men running under 10 seconds.
A senior member of the IAAF Communications Department, Chris Turner told the Observer on Wednesday that despite the performances of the Jamaicans in the 100 this season, the changes were made to impact the sport on a wider base, rather than to suit any one set of athletes.
"While the performances of Jamaican and many other countries' sprinters have certainly been superb recently, it is exceptionally rare that the World Championships timetable has been changed to reflect the achievements or ambitions of any athlete based upon the sound principle that athletics has to be bigger than any one athlete or group of athletes of a certain generation, however talented.
"The IAAF must always have the sport's wider long-term interests as its primary objectives," said the IAAF Communications Department's senior editorial manager in an email.
"The reason was -- as with so many of the changes -- to explore different formats which will hopefully increase the excitement level of the championships," Turner said.
A release from the IAAF in April explained the changes in the timetable, saying it has "been developed in conjunction with athletes, and the sport's broadcasters and marketing partners, with the goal to increase the appeal of the biennial IAAF World Championships to the world's television audience, especially to younger viewers".
The release states that the aim was to make shorter evening sessions with "more impact... and will feature only semi-finals and finals".
The evening sessions, the release added "will last less than three hours, and there will be a balanced number of finals across all days, with qualification rounds only in the morning sessions, and relays spread over more days".
IAAF boss, Lamine Diack was quoted as saying: "We're delighted to present this new look timetable for Daegu 2011. It ushers in a new era for our sport, helping to meet the demands of a world in which athletics must compete even harder to attract, excite and retain the public's interest in an increasingly diverse sports and entertainment market worldwide."
Jamaica won 13 medals at the 2009 renewal -- seven gold, four silver and three bronze -- second only to the United States with 22 medals and third in points with 136, again trailing the USA's 231 and Russia's 154.