Uncertainty as to fitness of Gonzales, McDonald for 4X400

LONDON, England — Despite 400m runners Jermaine Gonzales and Rushane McDonald telling Jamaican journalists here that they doubted their participation in the men's 4x400m relays later this week at the XXX Olympiad in London, head coach Maurice Wilson told the Jamaica Observer on Monday that as far as he was concerned all six men who were selected in the relay pool were available for selection.

The heats of the men's 4x400m relays are due to be run this morning and Wilson said a meeting to be chaired by the technical leader Donald Quarrie had been scheduled to be held between late last night and early this morning.

Meanwhile, Wilson said no decision would be made on the compilation of the 4x100m relay team until after the men's 200m was complete. “We have been trying out various options” as to who would run.

Wilson, who seems unaware of the reported injuries to the 400m athletes, said until they got word from the team doctors, Dr Warren Blake, Dr Winston Dawes and Dr Priamanand Singh, as far as he was concerned they were a part of the squad.

Both athletes blamed injuries for their failure to advance past the first round of the 400m on Saturday. McDonald, who appeared to be in serious pain, told members of the media that an old back injury had flared up in the race where he finished in 46.67 seconds in fourth place.

The athlete, who had lowered his personal best in each round of the event at the JAAA/Supreme Ventures National Trials in June to 45.10 seconds, said the back injury had been affecting him for a while but seemed to be getting worste.

Gonzales had struggled home in sixth place in 46.21 seconds, over a second below his season best 45.18 seconds, and said he was bothered by a right hamstring injury that had prevented him from training properly and said two days before the race he was in doubt over whether he would be able to compete.

“I am supposed to be the key man in the relays, but as you saw... I did not run that well, if it was up to me I don't want to run on that relay team as I am sure the rest of the guys are running faster than me right now,” he said.

Semi-finalist Dane Hyatt, Errol Nolan, Edino Steele and Riker Hylton are the other members of the relay pool.