WITH Jamaica seeking to be part of all relay events at the World Athletics Championships in September, Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) President Garth Gayle says he’s optimistic the best athletes will make themselves available for the respective qualifying attempts in the coming weeks.

Three of the country’s relay teams: the men’s 4x100m, women’s 4x400m, and mixed 4x400m, are yet to meet the qualifying standard after missing out at the World Athletics Relays in China last month, and they need to beat the August 24 deadline.

The JAAA confirmed they will make qualification attempts at next Saturday’s Barbados Grand Prix, the London Diamond League on July 19, and the North American, Central American and Caribbean Championships (NACAC) in August.

It’s the second year in a row in which Jamaica has sought to qualify a relay team for a major championships with several attempts, including at the National Senior Championships.

Last year, the focus was on the men’s 4x400m team to the Paris Olympics. However, the men failed in their bid which meant Jamaica failed to participate in the event at the Olympics for the first time since 1948.

The JAAA blamed that outcome on the non-participation of a number of the top 400m athletes, who had withdrawn for various reasons despite previously signalling their availability to compete.

Gayle says he’s hoping to avoid a similar situation this year and is optimistic the athletes and their representatives will honour their word.

“We live our lives that we don’t hide behind the curtain, and I have never hid behind the curtain. While I do know that there are persons who will say [one thing] in front [of] your face and then possibly do otherwise, we have felt it but I do believe in the human race,” he said.

“I’m a God-fearing man so we’re acting in good faith — which many persons from time to time use other media to say we don’t, so I want it recorded that we believe in God, we believe in our various stakeholders, and I know they would want the best for Jamaica. But we as the governing body will provide, although not budgeted, and are committed to our athletes’ participation,” Gayle added.

Although indicating that the JAAA has received confirmation from a number of athletes, Gayle says the men’s 4x100m, women’s 4x400m, and mixed 4x400m should be confirmed following the completion of the senior championships on Sunday.

He’s confident that the teams will qualify well in advance before the deadline.

“We’re looking for the three in Barbados. We’re guaranteed of at least one [relay event] because we’re close to seven teams thus far, [but] the others aren’t at the safety level so we’re in constant dialogue with the Barbados association,” said Gayle.

“At NACAC we will be putting forward the full complement of teams for that event; and the London Diamond League, only for the 4x100m. Although we would have qualified for the women, we would still want to run them for the practise and so forth, so it’s coming out of dialogue with coaches as well.”

For the teams to qualify, the men’s 4x100m will need to run faster than 38.20 seconds, the women’s 4x400m will need to improve on their 3:24.92 seconds done last season, and the mixed 4x400m needs to surpass 3:11:00.

Jamaica’s Jehlani Gordon (left) hands the baton to Kishane Thompson in the men’s 4x100m heat during the Olympic Games at Stade de France in Saint-Denis on August 8, 2024.Photo: Naphtali Junior

Jamaica’s Stacey Ann Williams (left) receives the baton from teammate Shiann Salmon in the women’s 4×400 relay during the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, on August 26, 2023.Photo: Naphtali Junior