Jamaica’s head coach to the IAAF World Championship in Beijing, Michael Clarke, has come out in total defense of Javon Francis’ controversial anchor leg that has the nation divided on their views of his performance.

Francis, 20, picked up the baton in fifth spot some 12 metres behind, and with approximately 300m remaining, he turned on the after burners and assumed the lead, but could not maintain it and finished fourth.

Having failed to get a medal by four thousandth of a second, Francis was criticised in some circles for not running an intelligent race.

“I think from the perspective of those persons who are not schooled in the discipline or performance analysis, then they would take the view that he messed up,” said Clarke.

“When you look at the harsh reality, you can’t speculate time to think that it’s a bad time or good time. The official body, the IAAF, said he ran 43.52. It’s the fastest time of all the nations that participated in the 4×400. That in itself, put judgement on all calculations to bed,” Clarke pointed out.

Francis had the quickest relay split of the 32 runners in the final. Kevin Borlee, who ran Belgium’s third leg, was timed in 43.58 with Lashawn Merritt, who led the US to victory, did 44.18. Macel Cedenio of silver medal-winning Trinidad and Tobago clocked 44.47. Martyn Rooney, who out-dipped Francis for bronze, did a 43.97 seconds.

“Under the circumstances he (Francis) had made permutation based on where he was positioned upon receiving the baton and he did so and it just so happened that it wasn’t as effective as in two years ago,” Clarke pointed out.

In 2013 at the Moscow World Championships, Francis got the baton in fifth and propelled the team into second on the back of a splendid 44.00 split. Jamaica clocked 2:59.88 for silver behind the US with 2:58.71 with Russia third in 2:59.90.

This time Francis faded into fourth despite running faster with 2:58.51, the same time as third-placed Britain. The US won in 2:57.82 ahead of T&T with 2:58.20.

“I think it’s a fantastic performance, 43.52 the fastest time and had it resulted in a medal, it would have been lauded as fantastic. But he lost the medal by four thousandth of a second,” Clarke explained.

“Powers to him, he is a relay animal and is one of our foremost dependable relay persons, and he is young. Regardless of the perception of what he did or should have done, the harsh reality he ran the fastest time in the whole meet.

“He was daring enough to challenge the mighty persons of the other nations, how many of us have the stomach to take on a Merritt and the other gentlemen who have achieved and accomplished.

“It’s something of a renaissance in 400m throughout the world and our Jamaicans are a part of that. We ran 2:58, the last time we got a medal in Russia the time was 2:59. I think we are poised and the future promises to be bright,” said Clarke.

— Howard Walker