Claude Bryan, agent for two-time Jamaican men’s 400m champion Sean Bailey, has lashed out at the repechage round that was added to the track and field schedule at the Paris Olympics, describing it as “a dumb concept devoid of prudence.”

Bailey crashed out of the ‘make up round’ of the men’s 400m on Monday’s morning session, less than 24 hours after running 44.68 seconds in the heats. Bailey’s time was ninth best overall in the heats but his fifth place finish in his race saw him drop to the repechage round.

The repechage replaced the system of athletes advancing ‘by time’. The top three finishers in each heat earned automatic qualification to the semi-finals while others dropped to the repechage round for another chance of making it through.

Bailey, who it was heard spent a lengthy time at drug testing on Sunday, pulled up after about 150 metres in the repechage with a grimace on his face.

Bryan blasted the introduction of the system, which has been used in other sporting disciplines, to track and field.

“There is no genius to the notion of repechage in athletics especially in the sprints. It’s a dumb concept devoid of prudence,” Bryan told Observer Online, saying there was nothing wrong with the previous system where athletes could advance on time.

“Were athletes and coaches consulted prior to the institution of this?” he asked.

National champion Deandre Watkins, who had run 45.97 seconds for last in his first round heat, did not show for his race in the repechage on Monday.

It means JeVaughn Powell, who had qualified from his first round heat, will be the only Jamaican in the semi-finals of the men’s 400m.

-Paul A Reid