Performances from nearly half of the track and field meets to be staged in Jamaica during the 2025 season will not be recognised by the global governing body, World Athletics, as the meet organisers had not registered their meets in time for results from these meets to be acknowledged, the Jamaica Observer has been informed.

As a consequence, results from the meets that did not meet the deadline such as Saturday’s Queen’s/Grace Jackson meet, where high jumper Raymond Richards achieved a meet record and personal best 2.31m, the second best by a Jamaican man in history and the best in the world so far this year, will not be recognised by World Athletics.

A release issued by the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association on January 20 listed just over 20 meets that met the approval conditions but another 14 or so had not received approval.

Usually results from meets that met certain criteria including electronic timing and all weather synthetic tracks were automatically submitted to World Athletics and were used as part of their global ranking system.

However, according to WA Global Calendar laison and deputy chairman of the Competitions Commission at the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) David Riley, this method was changed in 2022.

Riley explained that the application for each meet to be recognised by World Athletics should be accompanied by a 35 Euros fee, adding that the process also included other elements.

“Meet organisers (must) apply to the JAAA for sanctioning. That requires at least two weeks from the event. JAAA sanctioning is different from being listed on the World Athletics Global Calendar,” said Riley.

“To be listed on the global calendar, World Athletics requires an application to be submitted 60 days from the date of the event. That application cannot be submitted by the meet organiser, but the JAAA does it on their behalf and is billed for each meet listed. The JAAA requires a written request from the meet organiser 70 days from the date of the event with the 10 additional days used for the internal processes, including invoicing and collection of those fees,” Riley further stated.

Checks made by the Jamaica Observer showed that several meet organisers including the County of Cornwall Athletics Association and Western Relays were unaware of the adjustments.

One meet organiser, who asked for anonymity, questioned why the JAAA did not “use their initiative and submit the list of meets and take the fees out of our affiliation fees”.

The JAAA release also said in parts, that on February 26, 2019 World Athletics launched its Global Ranking System in a bid to find an objective way of identifying the top athletes in each event discipline as well as to compare athletes across the many disciplines. With this system, athletes will score points based on a combination of their results, place as well as the level of competition in which those results were achieved.

“In December 2022, World Athletics Council voted to approve a rule change in which the governing body would only recognised results of competitions that are achieved in those listed/published in their database referred to as the World Athletics Global Calendar.

This became effective on January 1, 2023 and Member Federations are required to apply for their local events to be listed in this Global Calendar in order for the performances achieved by athletes to earn ranking points.

Since then, the JAAA has submitted local competitions to World Athletics, if they indicate an interest in being listed. Written confirmation is required 70 days prior to the date of the event.

The list of meets that were left off the World Athletics list are: McKenley-Wint, SpringFest 100m, Douglas Forrest, Queen’s Grace Jackson, STETHS/Ollivierre/ Smith Invitational Meet, Western Relays, Central Champs, Western Champs, Throws Fest 1-4, Big Shot and King of the Rings.

According to the JAAA release, the list of ‘approved’ meets are: OndiRun/JC SprintFest 200, Jamaica College Invitational, JAAA/Puma Fuller Anderson Meet, Central Hurdles Relays & Field Events, Camperdown Classics, SW Isaac Henry Invitational, Fervet Distance Carnival, Gibson McCook Relays, JAAA CARIFTA Trials, WICQ Meet, Eastern Championships Regional Meet, Corporate Area Development Meet, GC Foster Classics, Inter-Collegiate Track and Field Championships, Velocity Fest #16, ISSA/Grace Boys & Girls Athletics Championships, Grand Slam Track, Velocity Fest #17, Racers Grand Prix, JAAA All Comers Meets 1-5, and the JAAA National Junior and Senior Championships.