The Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) has confirmed that the 2024 National Junior and Senior Championships will be staged from June 26 to June 29 at the National Stadium in Kingston. Despite World Athletics recommending August 2–3 and August 23–24 as global trial windows for national federations, JAAA President Garth Gayle says Jamaica had valid reasons to maintain their original dates.
Gayle explained that while Jamaica supports the harmonized global calendar introduced by World Athletics, the August dates clashed with major European events, potentially affecting the earning potential of Jamaican athletes. “We couldn’t go with either of the proposed dates. There are top-tier competitions happening in Europe, and we didn’t want to jeopardize our athletes’ appearance opportunities,” he said.
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He added that JAAA’s proposed dates were reviewed and accepted after constructive dialogue with World Athletics. “We’re thankful they saw the merit in our argument. The current schedule doesn’t disrupt any athlete’s competition or earnings, nor does it conflict with other local events at the National Stadium,” Gayle noted.
The Championships will serve as the primary selection event for Jamaica’s team to the World Championships. However, Gayle revealed that the women’s 4x400m, mixed 4x400m, and men’s 4x100m relay teams still need to secure qualification. These efforts will continue at meets such as the NACAC Championships, a meet in Barbados, and the London Diamond League, with the latter focused solely on the 4x100m.
This year’s trials return to the three-round format, with relay qualification happening separately to reduce athlete fatigue. “It’s not reasonable to expect athletes to run relays after three rounds in individual events. That’s why we’ve outlined a specific strategy,” Gayle said.
In closing, he emphasized that selection will remain straightforward: “The top three who meet the qualification standard will be selected—unless an exceptional situation arises, and even then, it will be carefully considered.
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