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Gibson Relays to be used as Olympic qualifier
DANIA BOGLE, Observer staff reporter bogled@jamaicaobserver.com
Friday, September 14, 2007
JAMAICA, which has produced world-class athletes, hosted world-class track & field meetings and whose National Stadium boasts the world's top-rated running surface, Mondo, will be used as a platform for qualifying for events at next year's Beijing Olympic Games.
The 32nd Gibson Relays to be held on February 23 has been approved by the sport's world governing body, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) as a qualifying meet for the China Games from August 8-24, meet chairman and NACAC president Neville 'Teddy' McCook told the Observer yesterday.
"We think we have a very good product here and when we realised the decision to have only 16 teams, we thought that we have such good competition we feel that we have a very good product and a good opportunity too, and the IAAF thought it would be good to set aside this meet as a qualifier," he said.
IAAF rules state that for relays, only the best 16 national teams which meet the qualifying standard between January 1, 2007 and July 16, 2008 will be eligible to compete at the Olympics, while for individual events athletes must meet the qualifying standard at approved meets between January 1, 2007 and July 23, 2008.
McCook told the Observer he had asked the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA) to apply to the IAAF for approval as the Gibson Relays met all the requirements of having a recently certified 'Class A' track in good condition, doping controls and wind gauge.
"That is something that gives a lift to the credibility of the JAAA's," he said adding that the Gibson Relays would be the first domestic competition which had been approved as a qualifying meet for a major championships.
McCook, who was elected president of the regional athletic body and re-elected IAAF Area Representative during the recently concluded World Championships in Osaka, Japan, said he had applied last year for approved status for this year's championships but it had been too late.
"I've had inquiries from Brazil, Canada, and countries in Africa because the advantage with this meet is that it's the time of year when you have good weather so it bodes well for the Gibson Relays and it's a good opportunity for these countries to have a warm weather competition so early in their season," he stated.
According to the IAAF website, a list of the qualifying competitions for the Marathons, the Relays and Race Walking Events, which meet with the IAAF's qualifying criteria, will be produced and approved by February 1, 2008.
DANIA BOGLE, Observer staff reporter bogled@jamaicaobserver.com
Friday, September 14, 2007
JAMAICA, which has produced world-class athletes, hosted world-class track & field meetings and whose National Stadium boasts the world's top-rated running surface, Mondo, will be used as a platform for qualifying for events at next year's Beijing Olympic Games.
The 32nd Gibson Relays to be held on February 23 has been approved by the sport's world governing body, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) as a qualifying meet for the China Games from August 8-24, meet chairman and NACAC president Neville 'Teddy' McCook told the Observer yesterday.
"We think we have a very good product here and when we realised the decision to have only 16 teams, we thought that we have such good competition we feel that we have a very good product and a good opportunity too, and the IAAF thought it would be good to set aside this meet as a qualifier," he said.
IAAF rules state that for relays, only the best 16 national teams which meet the qualifying standard between January 1, 2007 and July 16, 2008 will be eligible to compete at the Olympics, while for individual events athletes must meet the qualifying standard at approved meets between January 1, 2007 and July 23, 2008.
McCook told the Observer he had asked the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA) to apply to the IAAF for approval as the Gibson Relays met all the requirements of having a recently certified 'Class A' track in good condition, doping controls and wind gauge.
"That is something that gives a lift to the credibility of the JAAA's," he said adding that the Gibson Relays would be the first domestic competition which had been approved as a qualifying meet for a major championships.
McCook, who was elected president of the regional athletic body and re-elected IAAF Area Representative during the recently concluded World Championships in Osaka, Japan, said he had applied last year for approved status for this year's championships but it had been too late.
"I've had inquiries from Brazil, Canada, and countries in Africa because the advantage with this meet is that it's the time of year when you have good weather so it bodes well for the Gibson Relays and it's a good opportunity for these countries to have a warm weather competition so early in their season," he stated.
According to the IAAF website, a list of the qualifying competitions for the Marathons, the Relays and Race Walking Events, which meet with the IAAF's qualifying criteria, will be produced and approved by February 1, 2008.
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