FOLLOWING Ja-maica’s sub-par showing at the IAAF World Youth Championships in Colombia, Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association’s (JAAA) President Dr Warren Blake has said going forward that his organisation might have to take charge of the athletes after Champs.

In 2013 Jamaica finished atop the Championship medal count with six gold and two bronze ahead of Kenya with four gold; Ethiopia and Australia with three gold; and the mighty USA with two gold.

Two years later in Colombia, Jamaica could only muster one medal courtesy of Christopher Taylor’s gold in the 400m in championship record time of 45.27 seconds.

“The figures depended on what came to the trials. We had a poor turnout at the trials and for some reason the top athletes did not come to the trials. So we ended up with what we ended up with,” said Dr Blake.

“It proves a challenge every year because every year, we have a fall off after Champs with poor showings; but this year is a little worse than expected,” he added.

Jamaica finished joint 16th behind the Americans with eight gold from their 19-medal haul. Kenya once again ended second with five gold ahead of the emerging Japan with three gold.

“I am disappointed, but it wasn’t unexpected because at the trials a number of the lanes were empty and quite a number of the top persons didn’t show up at all,” he lamented.

“I have been trying to figure out the reasons, but all the reasons we come up with operates every year — schools, exams and so on,” added Dr Blake.

“For some reason this year we had a fall down in terms of who came out to the trials and they weren’t injured.”

Jamaica sent a 30-member team to Colombia under Head Coach Michael Dyke and were hoping to match the tremendous feat achieved two years earlier.

Then, the young Jamaicans produced some astonishing displays with a world best performance from Yaneek Thompson in the 100m hurdles of 12.94, becoming the first girl under the 13-second barrier. That was accompanied by a then second-fastest ever 110m hurdles performance from Jaheel Hyde of 13.13, which was a championship record.

Michael O’Hara established a championship record of 20.4 seconds in the 200m; Martin Manley in the 400m and Marvin Williams in the 400m hurdles all won gold medals, as well as the boys’ Swedish Medley Relays team that set a world-best mark.

Those performances are now a distant memory as this year the team failed to sparkle.

“We’ll have to look at it and have a talk with the high school coaches going forward, and we probably might have to reinstitute the camp situation where we take charge of them, because, by and large, they are the responsibility of their coaches,” Dr Blake explained to the Jamaica Observer.

“We will have to put something in place where we take them and train them after Champs. Our season starts earlier than most other people’s season and then after Champs everybody shuts down,” he added.

But it was not all gloom for Dr Blake, as Calabar High’s 15-year-old standout, Taylor, delivered after promising all season.

“I think he is one for the future. Mr (Michael) Clarke has been doing a good job with his 400m, charges because he also has Javon Francis as well. I am certain Mr Clarke will be keeping a close eye on him and his future development,” said Dr Blake.

He continued: “Notwith-standing the fact that he is a little shorter than most 400m runners, he is fantastic.

“Even though we only got one gold, we got a quality gold,” Dr Blake reiterated.