KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica will miss the men’s 4x400m at the Olympic Games for only the second time since 1948 after they failed to qualify via a special relay that was organised on Sunday’s final day of the JAAA national championships at the National Stadium.

A Jamaica team needed to run faster than 2:59.12, the time set by 16th ranked Zambia, but the fastest of the three teams submitted could only manage 2:59.87.

The absence of newly minted national champion Deandre Watkin and JeVaughn Powell, who was third in the 400m final on Friday, was a big blow to the attempt.

It was heard that Powell had injured a toe while Watkin, who had ran a personal best 44.48 seconds, was not available.

Jamaica had failed twice to qualify at the World Athletics Relays held in Nassau, Bahamas in early May and then another attempt was made at the NACAC New Life Invitational in the Bahamas in mid June where having to better the time run by Zambia they could only manage 2:59.73.

Cheered on by an expectant crowd, the Jamaica ‘Gold’ team ran 2:59.87; the Jamaica ‘Green’ team ran 3:02.73 and the Jamaica ‘Black’ team ran 3:09.13.

A team from St Vincent and the Grenadines was fourth in 3:24.35.
-Paul A Reid