Jamaican athletes who are selected for the men’s and women’s 4x100m and 4x400m pools and fail to show up for practice could be excluded from competing in the relays at this summer’s Paris Olympic Games, the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) has moved to clarify.

“It is a condition for selection that the athletes selected for the relay pool should make themselves available when required for relay practice. Athletes who fail to make themselves available may not be allowed to participate in the competition,” stated a document which the JAAA circulated among shareholders.

Lincoln Eatmon, chairman of the selection committee, told the Jamaica Observer this week that the “competition” referred to in the document was the relays and not the Olympic Games as a whole.

“The requirement to make themselves available for relay practice is a JAAA requirement,” he pointed out, while adding that the requirement is “not new”.

Eatmon, who has managed or served on many teams to major championships, said that following the JAAA National Senior Championships at the National Stadium set for June 27-30, there will be consultations to work out suitable schedules for relay practice.

“The technical staff and team management will engage the coaches and managers of athletes regarding possible dates for relay practice prior to the training camp in Germany. Relay practice will be scheduled both at the training camp and during the period the team is in the Olympic Village,” he said.

Meanwhile, Donald Quarrie, who is to manage Jamaica’s team to the Games, confirmed that World Athletics, organisers of the track and field competition at the Olympics, has ruled that each country taking part in the relays in Paris can only use a maximum of five athletes.

“The National Olympic Committees (NOCs) may enter one team for each relay event. A total of five athletes may be entered for a relay team,” World Athletics outlined.

“Should a NOC have entered a relay team and individual athletes in the corresponding individual event (100m and 400m), the entered individual athletes must be included in the total of five athletes entered for the relay events. In addition, NOCs can nominate a maximum of one alternate athlete for each team,” World Athletics continued.

Quarrie explained that the alternates, who are non-competing athletes, are not included within the athletes’ quota.