In the end, history was made as the title went to Italy’s Marcell Jacobs, which was the first time that country was winning the title. At the starter blocks, however, the famous black, green, and gold gear, which has become synonymous with speed, particularly over the last decade, was nowhere to be seen.
The country’s two representatives in the event Yohan Blake and Oblique Seville exited the competition at the semi-final stage. Seville failed to advance after finishing fourth in semi-final two, with a time of 10.09. Blake saw his bid come to an end after finishing a disappointing 6th in semi-final 1, with a time of 10.14. The country’s other entrant Tyquendo Tracey, Jamaica's national champion, pulled out of the competition before the heats after sustaining an injury.
It was a particularly disappointing end for Blake, likely to be in his final Olympics. For several years he was considered the heir apparent to compatriot Usain Bolt, who dominated the event for the last three editions, the first man in history to do so. Blake has the second-fastest time ever run over the event (9.69) and finished just behind the great sprinter at the 2012 edition of the Games in London.
Since sustaining devastating hamstring injuries in 2013 and 2014, however, Blake has not come close to rediscovering his best form. At the previous edition of the event in Rio 2016, he finished just outside the medals behind Canada's Andre De Grasse, the USA’s Justin Gatlin, and Bolt.
Jamaica won nine medals including four gold, a silver and four bronze rounding off another strong Olympic performance in line with what the country’s athletes achieved in Beijing in 2008, London in 2012, and again in Rio in 2016.
Elaine Thompson-Herah led the Jamaican medal haul with three of the country’s four gold medals winning the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay while Hansle Parchment copped gold and Ronald Levy, bronze in the 110m hurdles.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce won a silver medal in the 100m while Shericka Jackson and Megan Tapper won bronze in the 100m and 100m hurdles, respectively.
The country’s Women 4x400m relay team also won a bronze medal capping the team’s medal haul.
“I’m pleased to some extent with most, if not all because the Olympics is a large event and it can be really hard to stay focused and control nerves,” Tracey said in a statement this week.
“So, for me, the athletes did what they could and for some, it was awesome, while others like myself it was just an experience.”
Tracey ran a season-best 10s at the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) Ministry of Health/Supreme Ventures National Senior Championships in July. However, he was unable to deliver in Tokyo because of the injury.
Nonetheless, he said is determined to bounce back bigger and better.
“I sometimes feel like a failure or just useless. But, at the end of the day, there wasn’t much I could do. As they say, setbacks are for a bigger comeback so let’s see,” he said, adding that he is focused on rehabilitation and remains optimistic about his future.
“Tyquendo will be back better than before,” he said.
Tracey caused a stir on social media on Thursday when he uploaded a 15-minute video on YouTube accusing Wilson of “bias” and “favoritism” after it was found that Kadrian Goldson, a sprinter who attends the GC Foster College where Wilson is principal, was on the team and selected to compete in the heats of the 4x100m relay despite not qualifying for the team through the National Championships.
At those championships, Tracey was fifth in the men’s 100m final while Goldson was seventh. The usual protocol is that the top six finishers from the championships make up the relay pool.
In the video, the sprinter also claimed that Wilson has had a pattern of doing this while also calling him "a very evil and vindictive person."
According to Tracey, after he raised the issue with reporters in Budapest, he was contacted by Security Liaison Officer Steve McGregor and told his accreditation to the championships would be withdrawn and he would be asked to leave the team village.
“The utterances were libelous and defamatory,” Wilson said of Tracey’s allegations on Thursday night.
“My family is coming under attack on social media. The posts are out there. There is no way I will not have to seek redress in reference to my reputation. Track and field is a part of what I do. I’m also involved with youngsters that I mentor and try to assist so there is no way that I can allow this to just be a passing fire,” said Wilson, who is also head coach at the GC Foster College-based Sprintec Track Club.
“I’ve seen these things happen before. Tyquendo Tracey has been disrespectful before to management. He has made allegations on social media before about his former coach Stephen Francis so this is his modus operandi. It is very difficult for me not to seek some form of redress. This has to do with my reputation.”
The agreement was finalized on Friday, January 21.
Tracey, who won the 100m at the Jamaican national championships in June 2021, expressed his delight at having secured the deal.
“It’s a very good feeling for me personally because Lifespan Spring Sater has always been a part of me. It’s a product that I’ve been drinking for years,” he said.
“So being able to be a part of their family now, is like greeting a long-lost cousin. I’m very grateful to my team at 7venz Media for getting me into the Lifespan family. I’m very much happy to be a part of the Lifespan family.”
Lifespan CEO and co-founder Nayana Williams was equally delighted to have Tracey on board.
“Lifespan is really pleased to provide this level of support to TyQuendo Tracey, who we know has great things in store,” Williams said.
“A top athlete with the top spring water product in Jamaica is certainly a match made in heaven. But more than the commercial purposes, we like to see this young man do as best as he can and we also appreciate that his management team is also very committed to him.”
Injury prevented Tracey from competing at the Tokyo 2020 Games but he is now healthy and is looking forward to competing this season.
The Stephen Francis-coached sprinter produced a personal best 9.82, the joint, second fastest time in the world this year, to win the second heat. Ackeem Blake also went below 10 seconds for the first time this season with 9.95 to finish second behind Thompson in that heat and advance.
Sandrey Davison (10.00) and Sachin Dennis (10.04) both also made it through to Friday’s semi-finals from heat two after producing new personal bests while Nigel Ellis was the fifth semi-finalist from that heat with a time of 10.13.
Oblique Seville, who produced fourth place finishes at both the 2022 and 2023 World Championships, looked super comfortable on his way to 9.98 to win heat one ahead of Bryan Levell (10.07) and Jehlani Gordon (10.09). Levell’s time is a new personal best.
Julian Forte produced a confident 10.00 to win the third heat ahead of defending National champion Rohan Watson (10.07) and Tyquendo Tracey (10.09). Jazeel Murphy produced a personal best 10.11 to also make it through from that heat alongside Travis Williams whose 10.13 was also enough to make it through.
2023 World Championship finalist Ryiem Forde won the fourth and final heat in 10.02 ahead of Kadrian Goldson (10.12) and Jelani Walker (10.21).
The semi-finals and final are scheduled for Friday.
After a spell abroad with the Florida-based Reider Sports Performance Group, under the tutelage of head coach Rana Reider, Tracey moved back home earlier this year. The athlete is now with the SWEPT Track Club which is overseen by Okeile Stewart.
The former Garvey Maceo High student had spent 6 years at local track club MVP prior to that but left in 2018 after a financial dispute.
On Saturday, at the JAAA Destiny Series, the athlete suffered a bit of misfortune after false starting but later clocked 10.15 in the 100m.
“I’m just looking to do the best I can do. Honestly, right now things have been a little tricky because I recently made a serious change, and right now, I could say it’s a bit of an experiment,” Tracey said.
“Training wise it's going great, things are going good, things are really looking up and I’m really looking forward to the national trials,” he added.
The athlete admitted that he had encountered issues during his time in Florida and was happy to be back home.
“I was having a lot of issues with the previous coach, long story but I had to come home.”
The suspension of the hearing was communicated in a letter received by Tracey's legal team on Wednesday, June 19. The letter, issued by the Chairman of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association's (JAAA) disciplinary committee, stated: "The Chairman of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association's disciplinary committee has further reviewed the complaint against him and decided that the matter be adjourned sine die."
Tracey faces charges for two breaches of the JAAA's disciplinary policy following his public criticism of the selection process for Jamaica's 4x100m relay team at the World Championships in Budapest last year.
His allegations, made in a 15-minute YouTube video in August 2023, accused Maurice Wilson, the technical director of Jamaica's delegation to the World Athletics Championships, of “bias” and “favouritism.” Tracey claimed Wilson favoured Kadrian Goldson, a sprinter from GC Foster College, where Wilson serves as principal, for the relay team despite Goldson not qualifying through the National Championships.
Tracey finished fifth in the men's 100m final at those championships, while Goldson placed seventh. According to established protocol, the top six finishers are typically selected for the relay pool. In his video, Tracey alleged a pattern of such behaviour by Wilson and labelled him "a very evil and vindictive person."
The fallout from Tracey's video was immediate and severe. He reported that after discussing the issue with reporters in Budapest, he was approached by Security Liaison Officer Steve McGregor, who informed him that his accreditation would be withdrawn and he would be asked to leave the team village.
Wilson, responding to Tracey's accusations, described them as “libellous and defamatory.” He stated, “My family is coming under attack on social media. The posts are out there. There is no way I will not have to seek redress in reference to my reputation. Track and field is a part of what I do. I’m also involved with youngsters that I mentor and try to assist so there is no way that I can allow this to just be a passing fire.”
The disciplinary hearing was initially set for over a week ago but was postponed until June 25, two days before the start of the Jamaica National Championships on June 27, where the team for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games will be selected. With the hearing now suspended indefinitely, the situation remains unresolved, leaving Tracey's immediate athletic future in limbo.
