The Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association has laid the blame squarely at the feet of the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission for World Athletics' decision not to ratify the World U20 Women 4x100m relay record set on April 17, 2022, during the 49th staging of the Carifta Games at the National Stadium in Kingston.
On that night, the quartet of Serena Cole, Tina Clayton, Brianna Lyston and Tia Clayton scorched the track in 42.58s eclipsing the time of 42.94 also set by Jamaica at the World U20 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya in August 2021.
However, World Athletics rejected the time set in Kingston citing that not all four athletes were subjected to anti-doping control. JADCO, in a statement on Wednesday, said they only tested three athletes after the record was set because one of the athletes had been tested the day before after she had won her event. Hence, they took the decision not to test her again.
However, in a statement released later Wednesday, the JAAA, which had contracted JADCO for the three-day meet, made it clear that the Jamaican anti-doping agency did not adhere to their instructions.
“It is a fact that all four athletes were notified by the Jamaica Anti-doping Commission (JADCO) officials and presented themselves to the anti-doping station within the required time window to be tested. Unfortunately, JADCO took the decision, unknown to the JAAA and the NACAC’s Anti-Doping Delegate, not to test the athlete based on a JADCO standard. This was in direct contradiction to oral and written instructions by the JAAA,” the athletics governing body stated.
“It is to be noted that JADCO is the agency that performs anti-doping testing on our athletes both in and out of competition on behalf of the JAAA and was contracted to do so at the NACAC 2022 Carifta Games.”
The JAAA said it sent the performance along with the supporting documentation to World Athletics for ratification and it was only after they did so that it was pointed it that one of the athletes, Tina Clayton, who won the U20 Girls 100m, was not tested on the night of the relay world record.
Lorne Donaldson has been appointed head coach of Jamaica’s National Senior Women’s team ahead of the CONCACAF Women Qualifiers set to begin in Mexico on July 4. He replaces Vin Blaine who resigned from the post in mid-May after a falling out with the players.
After more than two weeks of searching for a replacement, the Jamaica Football Federation has decided that Lorne Donaldson, a member of the coaching staff that took the Reggae Girlz to the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2019, is the best person to lead the team into the qualifiers.
“We looked at all the dynamics involved, including the short period to prepare, and agreed that Lorne brings specific advantages to the position including familiarity with the regional football culture and knowledge of the players and is well placed to navigate the team through what will be a difficult qualifying exercise,” said Michael Ricketts, President of the JFF.
“The JFF will give all the necessary support to him and the team, and we are confident that they will make Jamaica proud in Mexico.”
Donaldson’s backroom staff will be named soon.
Donaldson resigned from the Reggae Girlz coaching staff in January 2020, citing a lack of integrity and professionalism at the JFF, and came mere weeks after head coach Hue Menzies resigned in December 2019.
The Concacaf W Championship will take place in Monterrey, Mexico, from July 4 to 18.
Jamaica is drawn into a tough Group A with hosts Mexico, FIFA’s number one ranked the United States and neighbours Haiti. Jamaica will meet hosts Mexico on July 4, the USA on July 7 and Haiti on July 11 in the preliminary round.
The teams in Group B are Canada, Costa Rica, Panama and Trinidad and Tobago.
The top two teams from the two groups will qualify directly for the World Cup, while the third-placed teams will qualify for the intercontinental playoffs.
In addition, the group winners will qualify for the 2024 Olympics and the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup while the second and third-placed teams will advance to the Concacaf Olympic playoff.
The United States are the two-time defending champions, having won the 2014 and 2018 tournaments.
The Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) has admitted that it had only tested three of the four members of Jamaica’s Women U20 4x100m relay team on April 17, 2022, after they had established the now rejected world record set at the 2022 Carifta Games held at the National Stadium in Kingston
Meantime, Garth Gayle, President of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA), in describing the development as saddening, has indicated that his administration is planning to appeal the World Athletics decision to not ratify the record.
“We are saddened by the situation that four young ladies would be denied the record. The matter is still at a sensitive stage and we would have done the necessary appeals. We are still hopeful that the record will be ratified at a later stage,” he said.
World Athletics has rejected the ratification of the world record because not all members of the team were subjected to doping control. In a lengthy statement Wednesday, (JADCO) sought to explain the circumstances under which they failed to test all four members of the relay team.
“The event was won by the Jamaican team which was comprised of four female athletes. They completed the race with a world record of 42.58. Doping Control was conducted immediately on three of the female athletes,” the JADCO statement said.
“Since one of the athletes was already tested on the 16th of April 2022, a urine sample was not collected from this athlete on the 17th of April 2022. It is customary and in JADCO’s Best Practice in-competition, that if an athlete is tested today in-competition, the said athlete would not be tested the following day in-competition.”
JADCO claims it was instructed to carry out a specific number of tests for each day of the three-day championships that were being held in Jamaica for the first time since 2011.
“The Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) was contracted by the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) to 18 urine samples throughout the period of the 49th staging of the CARIFTA Games. The Commission was advised to carry 6 urine tests per day with testing being done on any athlete who achieved a national/world record.
On April 16, 2022, six athletes were tested – three Jamaican female athletes, two male Jamaican athletes and one male athlete from the Bahamas.
On April 17, the day the world record was broken, JADCO tested nine athletes – six Jamaican female athletes, one Jamaican male athlete, one female athlete from the US Virgin Islands and one male athlete from the Bahamas.
Six more athletes were tested on April 18, 2022 – three Jamaican male athletes, one Jamaican female athlete, one male athlete from Curacao and one female athlete from the Bahamas.
Going forward, JADCO said they will ensure that all athletes breaking records would be tested.
“The Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission has recognized that World Athletics has declined to accept the result of the record-breaking performance of Jamaica’s Women’s U20 4x100m relay team on April 17, 2022, since one of the athletes previously tested by JADCO on April 16, 2022, was not tested on the day the record was broken,” the JADCO statement said.
“Whilst our testing conforms with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) protocols, going forward JADCO will ensure the testing of record-breaking athletes despite the frequency of testing.”
-
Famed schoolboy footballer Dennis ‘Den Den’ Hutchinson has died after a prolonged battle with an undisclosed illness at the age of 63, his family confirmed to Sportsmax.TV Wednesday.
Jamaica’s Women’s U20 4x100m relay team has been denied the ratification of the world record set at the 2022 Carifta Games at the National Stadium in Kingston in April.
The record of 42.58 set by Serena Cole, Brianna Lyston, Tia and Tina Clayton while winning gold on April 17, 2022, will not be ratified, World Athletics said, because ‘not all team members were subjected to doping control’ at the completion of the race.
The Executive Director of the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) did not respond to calls from Sportsmax.TV. JADCO was responsible for anti-doping controls during the championships/
Chairman of the JADCO Board Alexander Williams was unable to comment on the matter when he spoke with Sportsmax.TV Wednesday morning. However, he promised to respond to questions once he received the relevant information pertaining to the matter.
Calls to Garth Gayle, President of the Jamaica Athletic Administrative Association (JAAA) went unanswered.
Despite the setback, Jamaica still holds the U20 world record. At the World U20 Championships in Kenya in August 2021, Serena Cole, Tina and Tia Clayton as well as Kerrica Hill established a time of 42.94, which was the time surpassed at the National Stadium in Kingston last month.
Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo’s U20 record of 9.96 set in Gaborone on April 22, was also not ratified because no zero gun test was performed for the timing equipment.”
West Indies captain Nicholas Pooran has expressed delight with the team’s development of strong batting partnerships in a 7 wicket win over the Netherlands, in Amstelveen, on Tuesday.
In the end, the West Indies got to the line with quite a few deliveries to spare, in large part due to a steady 119 by opening batsman Shai Hope. Hope, however, also received plenty of support at the top of the order, including a 120-run partnership with Sharmarh Brooks for the first wicket.
Nkrumah Bonner didn’t add much to the total in the way o partnerships, after being dismissed without scoring and Pooran might also have done better after adding just 7. However, another strong partnership between Hope and Brandon King, who added 116 for the fourth wicket, saw the team well over the line. King added 58 for a maiden half-century.
“The way the batsmen went about it, the opening partnership of 100 plus, that was fantastic. That’s something we have been working on as a team, just trying to build partnerships,” Pooran said, following the match.
“Hope was excellent, as usual, Sharmarh Brooks got the opportunity to bat and grabbed it with both hands. Brandon King came and also did well in the end there, he didn’t leave it for anyone. Kudos to King and Hope for bringing the game home for us,” he added.
West Indies batsman Shai Hope joined some illustrious company after scoring his 11th One Day International century, against The Netherlands, on Tuesday.
The batsman looked in imperious form as he put together an unbeaten 119 from 130 balls, at the top of the order, to anchor the Caribbean team in a 7-wicket, in Amstelveen.
The immortal innings not only gave the West Indies a 1-0 series lead but also saw Hope join legends Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Viv Richards, and Gordon Greenidge on 11 100s for the men in maroon. The total is the 4th highest behind Chris Gayle (25), Brian Lara (19), and Desmond Haynes (17).
“I just like batting, so any opportunity I get I am going to stay out there as long as I can,” Hope said after the match.
“The main priority here is to get the team over the line and I open the batting so that’s just how it works,” he added.
The West Indies and The Netherlands are currently locked in a three-match ODI series.
A magnificent 119 not out from vice-captain Shai Hope ensured the West Indies got their three-match One-Day International tour of the Netherlands off to a winning start with a seven-wicket win via the Duckworth Lewis method in the first game in Amstelveen on Tuesday.
The match was reduced to 45-overs per team after a rain delay during the Netherlands’ innings, an innings that saw them accumulate a competitive 240-7 off their 45 overs, leaving the tourists needing a Duckworth Lewis adjusted 247 for victory.
Debutant Teja Nidamanuru (58 not out), Vikramjit Singh (47) and Max O’Dowd (39) were the main contributors for the hosts against 2-29 off nine overs from Akeal Hosein and 2-50 from nine overs from Kyle Mayers.
West Indies openers Shai Hope and Shamarh Brooks then got the reply off to the perfect start, putting on 120 before Brooks was dismissed in the 24th over for a well-made 60 off 67 balls, including three fours and two sixes. That wicket brought Nkrumah Bonner to the crease who lasted for just one delivery, dismissed by Logan Van Beek for a duck.
Captain Nicholas Pooran then made his way to the crease and got to seven before falling to Aryan Dutt to leave the Windies 133-3 off 26.3 overs.
Brandon King then joined Hope at the crease and the pair combined to compile a match-winning 116-run partnership which saw Hope bring up his 11th ODI hundred and King bring up his maiden ODI half-century.
Hope ended up 119 not out off 130 balls, including 12 fours and two sixes, while King ended 58 not out off 51 balls, including five fours and two sixes.
Logan Van Beek took 2-49 from eight overs for the Dutch.
The second ODI will take place on Thursday.
2011 100m World champion Yohan Blake ran a season’s best 10.05 for second in the Men’s 100m at the Ostrava Golden Spike, at the Municipal Stadium, in the Czech Republic, on Tuesday.
The race was won by Great Britain’s Reece Prescod in a personal best 9.93 while fellow British teammate and former Kingston College sprinter Zharnel Hughes was third in the same time as Blake.
Jamaican Tokoyo Olympic finalist Candice McLeod ran a season’s best 50.38 for second in the Women’s 400m behind Poland’s Natalia Kaczmarek who ran a personal best 50.16. Another Polish athlete, Anna Kielbasinska, was third in 50.38, equaling her own personal best.
Puerto Rican Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn sped to 12.56 for victory in the Women’s 100m hurdles ahead of Poland’s Pia Skrzyszwoska who ran a personal best 12.65 and the USA’s Nia Ali (12.69).
It was a Caribbean 1-2 in the Men’s Javelin as Grenadian 2019 World Champion Anderson Peters continued his fine form this season with a throw of 87.88m to win ahead of Trinidadian 2012 Olympic Champion Keshorn Walcott (84.77m). Germany’s Julian Weber was third with 83.92m.
Cuba’s Maykel Masso won the Men’s Long Jump with 8.14m ahead of the Czech Republic’s Radek Juska (8.11m) and France’s Augustin Bey (8.00m).
Cricket West Indies (CWI) on Tuesday paid tribute to David Holford, the former West Indies allrounder who passed away on Monday in his homeland Barbados. He was 82.
As a leg spinner and lower middle-order batsman who played 24 Test matches between 1966 and 1977.
His finest hour came during the Lord’s Test of 1966 when he made a magnificent unbeaten century, as part of a historic partnership of 274 with his cousin Garfield Sobers. In just his third Test innings, Holford made 105 not out to help save West Indies from danger of 95-5 in the second innings. His best bowling figures were 5-23 against India in the first innings which helped set-up a victory at Kensington Oval in 1976.
He was also captain of Barbados and led them to the Shell Shield title, and briefly played for Trinidad and Tobago. After retirement Holford held several roles in the game. He was President of the Spartan Club, Director of the Barbados Cricket Association, West Indies Selector and Manager of the West Indies team.
“David Holford epitomized the values of cricket both on and off the field, and was the quintessential West Indies cricketer and ambassador,” said CWI President Ricky Skerritt.
“As a player he was a top quality allrounder and captain who gave his utmost at all levels. As an administrator, team manager and pitch curator he demonstrated his ongoing love for the game by his vision and dedication. He had a hand in the development of several young players across the region, not just in cricket but in several other fields of endeavor. David’s legacy is therefore one of service and dedication to Barbados and West Indies cricket. CWI hereby extends our deepest condolences to his wife, Marva, and all family and friends,” Skerritt added.
Jamaicans Wayne Pinnock and Carey McLeod booked spots in the Men’s long jump at the NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Championships set for Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon from June 8-11 with good performances at the NCAA East Preliminaries held in Bloomington, Indiana, from March 25-28.
Pinnock and McLeod, both former Kingston College standouts, now competing for the University of Tennessee, jumped 7.93m and 7.63m, respectively, to advance. They were also the top two finishers at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Alabama in March with Pinnock jumping 7.92m for victory against McLeod's 7.91m.
Former Jamaica College and current Purdue jumper Safin Wills produced 15.89m to advance in the Men’s triple jump.
On the track, Jamaica’s Yanique Dayle and Antigua and Barbuda’s Joella Lloyd will both compete in the sprint double at the NCAA Championships after securing their spots.
Dayle, formerly of Hydel High and now competing for Ohio State, ran times of 11.24 in the 100m and 22.64 in the 200m while Lloyd, competing for Tennessee, ran the same time in the 100m and 23.01 in the 200m.
The Women’s 400m also saw two Caribbean competitors advance from the East Region with Bahamian Kentucky standout Megan Moss (52.07) and Bermudan UMBC athlete Caitlyn Bobb (52.40).
Trinidadian Olympian and Kentucky senior Dwight St. Hillaire ran 45.63 to advance in the Men’s equivalent.
Clemson senior Lafranz Campbell of Jamaica and Cayman's North Carolina A&T senior Rasheem Brown both ran 13.63 to advance in the Men’s sprint hurdles while another Jamaican Clemson representative, Trishauna Hemmings, ran 13.13 to advance in the Women’s 100m hurdles.
Barbadian and Tennessee sophomore Rasheeme Griffith and Jamaica and Kentucky senior Kenroy Williams ran 50.91 and 50.96, respectively, to progress in the Men’s 400m hurdles.
Newly appointed West Indies One-Day International (ODI) captain, Nicholas Pooran, has warned against complacency from his team ahead of Tuesday’s start of their three-match ODI series against the Netherlands in Amstelveen.
The West Indies will play matches on May 31, June 2 and June 4 in what will be their first-ever ODI series against the Dutch side and Pooran believes his players need to be in the correct frame of mind.
“Obviously, we don’t want to be complacent. We just saw the Netherlands play New Zealand and they did well,” said Pooran in a pre-match press conference on Monday.
“They didn’t get a win but, as a team, they played really well. They have some good players.”
Pooran, who recently ended a stint for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League, will be in charge in his first assignment as full-time West Indies ODI captain and provided some insight as to how he plans to lead.
“I’ll try to make the best decisions for the team. I’m very instinctive so a lot of my decisions you guys may not like but, hopefully, it will be the right decision for the team at that point in time. It’s similar to my batting so, hopefully, that goes well,” he said.
As for tomorrow’s game, Pooran says the team is prepared for battle.
“I believe that we’re ready to play. We’ve been here a couple days now and getting used to the weather. We came here to be successful and get some wins on under our belt to get some points so, hopefully, things can go our way and we can do the right things,” said Pooran.
The match is expected to begin at 4:00 am in Jamaica, 5:00 am ECT.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) has launched a search for someone to replace Ramnaresh Sarwan who has resigned as West Indies Senior Men’s and Youth Selector citing personal reasons.
The former Guyanese middle order batsman was appointed a selector for the West Indies Men’s Youth and Selection Panels on January 6, 2022. CWI Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams thanked Sarwan for his contributions during the short time he served in the role.
“Given the depth of his experience in the game, we are disappointed that Ramnaresh is unable to continue in the role of a selector, but we fully understand and accept his reasons,” Adams said.
“We are grateful for his contribution during the period he was involved and hope that he will be able to contribute to West Indies Cricket in some capacity in the future.”
Resulting from the resignation, CWI will initiate a recruitment process as soon as possible through a competitive process, based on established criteria.
The aim, CWI said, will be to complete this process in the shortest possible time so that a suitable candidate can complete the selection panel in carrying out its duties. Robert Haynes, who is the current Lead Selector of the Men’s Youth Selection Panel and former interim Chairman of Selectors, will act as Sarwan’s replacement until a suitable full-time candidate is appointed.
Haynes will work alongside Senior Men’s Team Lead Selector the Most Honorable Dr Desmond Haynes and Head Coach Phil Simmons.
The West Indies Men’s team is currently touring the Netherlands for the first-ever ODI Series between the Netherlands and West Indies as part of the ICC ODI Super League.
Former West Indies captain Daren Sammy has been conferred with the Sitara-i-Pakistan Award for Services to Pakistan during a ceremony held on Monday. The 38-year-old all-rounder was being recognized for his role in helping bring international cricket back to Pakistan. It is the third-highest civil award conferred by Pakistan.
The citation read in part: “At a time when most of the foreign players backed off from playing cricket in Pakistan for security reasons, it was Mr Daren Sammy, the captain of Peshawar Zalmi, who against all odds helped the cause of restoration of international cricket in Pakistan and highlighted its soft image. Mr Daren Sammy stood out this whole time and has been a true ambassador and flag bearer of Pakistan ever since.”
He expressed his appreciation and gratitude in a post on Instagram on Sunday.
“Cricket took me all over the world, enabling me to see and play in some amazing places. Pakistan is definitely one of these places. A place that always makes me feel at home. It is such an honour to have received this prestigious award from the Government and the people of Pakistan. Thank you,” said Sammy, who played for Peshawar Zalmi in the inaugural Pakistan Super League in 2016 and now serves as the franchise’s head coach.
In the 2017 PSL draft, he was retained by Peshawar Zalmi. During the draft, Captain Shahid Afridi announced Sammy as the new captain of Peshawar Zalmi. With Sammy as it’s captain, the team won the second edition of the PSL.
Sammy, who led the West Indies to two T20 World titles (2012 and 2016), was receiving his second civil honour from Pakistan in as many years. In March 2020, he received the highest civilian medal of Pakistan, Nishan-e-Pakistan, for his part in helping bring international cricket back to Pakistan. He was also awarded honorary Pakistani citizenship by the President of Pakistan Arif Alvi.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
