In happier times: Erika Belvit after winning silver at the CAC Games in June.
Jamaican hammer thrower Erika Belvit has expressed her profound disappointment at not being selected to her country’s team to the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, later this month.
In June, Belvit threw 70.04m, her second best throw this season to win a silver medal at the CAC Games in San Salvador, a testament to her dedication and hard work. Though, her season-best throw of 70.09m falls short of the 74m automatic qualifying standard, her performance earned her a spot among the top-ranked hammer throwers in the world, reaching as high as 34th in the World Athletics rankings.
Yet, when the Jamaican team for the World Championships was announced, her name was conspicuously absent.
On hearing of her non-selection, Belvit reached out to a JAAA official, a ‘Mr Smith’, whom she had met during the CAC Games, asking why she was not selected.
In his reply on WhatsApp, Mr. Smith told the distraught thrower that only one quota athlete could be selected for any one event. However, this is not true as under the World Athletics rules up to three athletes can be selected.
Three years ago World Athletics overhauled its qualification system in an attempt to create a fairer system where half of athletes would qualify for major championships through achieving an automatic qualifying standard and the other half through their world rankings.
Belvit subsequently fired off an email to President of the JAAA Garth Gayle stating her case and inquiring about her non-selection. He replied saying, “The selection committee would have made its recommendation and you were not selected for this occasion. Please continue to persevere in your training for future events.”
Sportsmax.TV reached out to Lincoln Eatmon, an executive of the Jamaican Athletic Administrative Association (JAAA), who provided insight into the JAAA selection process. He explained, "We had to make up our minds because you can't afford to take everybody who is ranked and as a quota athlete. So we made a policy decision that we're only going to take a certain amount and we will give the preference to the national champions who are quota qualified. We decided that we would keep the number at five and so the others who were selected have made the finals at the last because the last World Championships like Kimberly Williamson and Kimberly Williams," he said.
“And then Rasheed Dwyer was selected because he provides possible cover for the sprint relay because well, they seem to have a problem finding healthy people.”
Eatmon explained further that the existing policy was in part based on cost containment and that Belvit had subsequently fallen down the rankings.
“It would cost to start, you know, I would think somewhere about that JMD $1,000,000 because you have to think of the camp and all of those expenses. So it's a lot of money to take a one person. So it's a matter of controlling costs as well.”
Regarding Belvit’s ranking, Eatmon, stated, “She medalled at CAC but you have to look at where she's ranked. As of the 30 June, Erika was ranked 44 in the world. It doesn't make sense taking somebody who is ranked over 40 in an event unless there are other compelling reasons or even over 36, you have to bear in mind it’s cost containment.”
It should be noted that 15 athletes in the top 44 have not thrown farther than Belvit this season.
Meanwhile, Caltha Seymour of the Heaven to the Yeah Foundation, a former hammer thrower herself, has recognized Belvit's potential and the need for more opportunities for athletes in field events.
The foundation has expressed willingness to fund Erika's trip to Budapest, emphasizing the importance of experience and competition for an athlete's development. Seymour stated, "Erika has worked very hard to be in the Top 40 in the world in her event, and being left off of the world's team is disheartening, as it displays that the JAAA is not committed to providing opportunities to develop their world-class athletes in the field events.
“Athletes require experience to develop, especially a year from Paris 2024. There is a process to development, and our JA athletes in the underrepresented sports need to compete with the world's best... to be the world's best. They need to be provided the opportunity for experience... competition requires development."
As discussions about Erika's exclusion unfolded, she voiced her heartache: "I am extremely disappointed. I can't even express how extremely disappointed I am, especially because I qualified and I worked so hard to get to this point. It's not just me, it's other people as well who have worked so hard just to get to qualify and then to be told, not even to be told but to find out you're not going to be able to make it and not being told why is very disheartening."
She explained further that her disappointment is not just about not being selected.
"This means so much to me. This is more than just going and being there. This is about building and creating this legacy, specifically for women’s hammer. This is such a big thing for me, it always has been. Just becoming closer with the people I have, a lot of throwers, coaches in Jamaica and seeing how important it is. There is more to Jamaica than just track, there is more to Jamaica than just running. There are some great people, especially on the field side, who have been showing up and showing out and I just want to be a part of that and the fact that I wont even be able to do that is so disheartening. And I am upset. I am very upset,” she said.
Leighton Levy is a journalist with 28 years’ experience covering crime, entertainment, and sports. He joined the staff at SportsMax.TV as a content editor two years ago and is enjoying the experience of developing sports content and new ideas. At SportsMax.tv he is pursuing his true passion - sports.
Naggo Head takes 12-point lead into decisive day of INSPORTS/Devon Biscuits Primary Schools Central Champs
Naggo Head Primary surged to a 12-point lead heading in the final day of the INSPORTS/Devon Biscuits Primary Schools Central Championship at GC Foster College, in St Catherine, on Tuesday.
They won three of the eighth relays, all in record fashion, which propelled them to 89 points after 11 finals. Naggo Head is followed by Greater Portmore on 77 points, while defending champions Spanish Town Primary are third with 74.5 points, with St John’s Primary (58 points) in fourth. Davis Primary rounds out the top five on 33 points.
There will be 29 finals on Wednesday's final day with the Central Champion to be crowned at the end.
The winning school will walk away with $350,000, with $250,000 going to the second-placed team, and $200,000 for third. Fourth to 10th place teams will collect $100,000 each.
In the day’s first final, Yasheka Lewis of Gregory Park won the Girls Cricketball Open with a throw of 43.86m smashing the record for the second time in two day. She earlier threw 41.09m.
Naggo Head got massive points finishing second and third courtesy of Tahnida Gordon (40.82m) and Deranique Gordon (38.73m).
Bridgeport Primary won the Girls Class Four 4x100 relay lowering the record they set on Monday to 1:01.50. Greater Portmore (1:01.82) was second, ahead Davis Primary (1:01.97).
In the Boys’ Class Four 4x100, Naggo Head sped to an impressive 58.94 and destroyed the previous record of 1:00.14 set earlier by Greater Portmore. Davis primary (59.87) and Greater Portmore (1:01.43) were the runners-up.
Naggo Head returned and won the Girls' Class Three relay in a record 55.28 and erased their own mark of 56.75 established in the heats. Davis Primary (56.31) continued their good showing in second position.
The Boys’ Class Three 4x100 relay was an exciting one, with Greater Portmore just edging Naggo Head in a thriller. They clocked a record 54.44 to Naggo Head's 54.48.
As the records continued to tumble, Naggo Head continued to pile up the points, as they captured the Girls' Class Two 4x100 in a record run of 52.73, ahead of Greater Portmore (53.40) and Spanish Town (54.83).
So impressive were Naggo Head girls that the boys in the same class, ran a record 53.12. That record was clocked by Greater Portmore, who won ahead of Southborough (53.32), and Ascot Primary (53.45).
Greater Portmore took the Girls' Class One 4x100 in 52.81, which was also a record. They won ahead of Naggo Head (53.07) and Spanish Town (53.09).
The final relay, the Boys' Class One, saw Spanish Town secure their only win, clocking 50.34 ahead of Southborough (50.65).
Charlton donates world record singlet and bib to Museum of World Athletics
Devynne Charlton has donated her Bahamian team singlet and name bib from the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow to the Museum of World Athletics (MOWA).
The 28-year-old Charlton lowered her own world-record, which she set when she ran 7.67 in New York in New York on February 11, when she ran 7.65 to win her first global title in the Scottish capital.
She finished clear of France’s defending champion Cyrena Samba-Mayela. Charlton took silver behind the French athlete in Belgrade two years before.
Charlton handed over her Glasgow top to World Athletics President Sebastian Coe at the official press conference staged infield at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium in Nassau.
"Charlton’s near faultless final in Glasgow was one of two world records during a standout evening session," said Coe.
"On behalf of the Museum of World Athletics, I gratefully thank Charlton for her generous donation, which perfectly embodies her exceptional indoor season.
"In an Olympic year, it is worth reflecting that Charlton’s singlet joins an artefact of a sprint hurdling legend in the MOWA. Our museum’s collection holds the embroidered ‘Nederland’ badge which Fanny Blankers-Koen wore when winning the Olympic 80m hurdles gold, one of four victories achieved by ‘The Flying Dutchwoman’ at the London 1948 Olympic Games."
Charlton expressed joy and excitement at the donation.
"I am very happy to present my world indoor championship winning singlet and bib to the Museum of World Athletics. I will be excited to see them displayed online in 3D and exhibited around the world. I hope they help inspire future athletes and fans about the excitement of athletics,” she said.
"It is a great honour to have my achievements recognised in the museum alongside those of many all-time greats, whose careers I dream to emulate as I fulfil my track ambitions," she added.
Charlton’s World Athletics Indoor Championships winning kit will also sit with the shoes and clothing of two other world indoor 60m hurdles champions in the Heritage Collection of the MOWA.
Olympic champions Gail Devers of USA and Sally Pearson of Australia, respectively world indoor 60m hurdles champions in Birmingham 2003 and Istanbul 2012, donated their singlets, bib numbers and running spikes to the MOWA from their 2004 (60m gold, 60m hurdles silver) and 2014 (60m hurdles silver) world indoor campaigns.
Jamaica, Barbados engage partnership to enhance athletics in the Eastern Caribbean Island
If things go according to plans, then Jamaica and Barbados will execute a partnership with aimed at enhancing athletics training and coaching quality in Barbados.
This was revealed by Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, Charles Griffith, who pointed out that plans are currently in the pipeline for a collaborative effort between the two island nations, which will involve an exchange of coaching expertise to elevate the standard of sports training.
“There’s a MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) between Jamaica and us to exchange coaches to be able to work with them in terms of how we develop,” Griffiths revealed, adding that plans for the bilateral initiative was birthed by a similar partnership between Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.
“I was in Washington at a conference and had a sit-down with Minister [Olivia] Grange, Minister of Sports in Jamaica. They have worked with Trinidad in terms of developing the coaches there,” he noted.
Griffith acknowledged that there are concerns about the current coaching standards in Barbados and, as such, emphasized the necessity of having highly skilled coaches to match the calibre of world-class athletes.
“I won’t push it at this meeting, but I’m concerned with the level of coaches. I think that if you’re going to have a world-class athlete, you must match that athlete with a world-class coach,” he declared.
That said, Griffiths pointed out that upcoming infrastructural developments are in place to complement ongoing sporting initiatives within the country.
“I’m looking to see how we can have that marriage where we can fuse resources together in terms of working with Jamaica to develop the athletes on island. Hopefully by next week or the week after, you will see work starting on the old netball stadium to turn that into a multi-discipline facility for netball, basketball, and volleyball,” he shared.
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