‘It was really tough’

Jamaica’s team doctor for the World Under-20 Championships, Dr Marlon Reid, has praised the maturity of the young sprinters in how they handled their extended stay in Nairobi, Kenya, because of COVID-19-related issues.

Reid, along with junior 400m runners Shaemar Uter and Oneika McAnuff, and 100m hurdler Oneka Wilson arrived in Jamaica yesterday morning after enduring an extended quarantine period following the completion of the World Under-20 Championships in the African country resulting from positive tests.

While the majority of the team made it home last month, Uter, McAnuff and Wilson were among nine athletes who had to stay behind until they were cleared to travel.

Reid said that while the extended stay took a toll mentally on the youngsters, he is pleased that the athletes returned home with no serious side effects.

“During our tenure in Kenya, I have to say that I thank them for their mental toughness. I know that quarantine can have some psychological impact. We ensured that we were speaking to them daily. I am really grateful that none of them had any severe symptoms and all of them had recovered,” Reid said.

GRATEFUL

Reid said that they were grateful to the hotel staff who helped in seeing to their comfort during the period, as well as the support from the management team in ensuring that they got any essentials that they needed.

“It was very mentally challenging being in a foreign country for nearly a month, given that they have been in quarantine and we know that teenagers like their freedom. They like to be up and about, but we were aware of that, so whatever we could do to make them comfortable (we did),” Reid said.

Uter, who was competing in his first World Under 20 Championships, said that it was far from the experience that he wanted, but was grateful for the team camaraderie that helped him to cope with the conditions. He was also glad to help his fellow teammates follow the protocols once he was cleared.

“I was the first one who tested negative, so when I moved across to a different location, I kept reminding them of the simple things to do, like sanitise and change clothes daily and things like that. Otherwise, we really just followed the instructions of the doctors and we got through,” Uter said.

“Isolation is not very easy; waking up and seeing the same four walls every day, testing and resting and [still] getting a positive result is not an easy thing. But the doctors and the management team who stayed back helped out a lot. They ensured we got certain daily requirements,” he shared.

The experience was also disappointing for McAnuff, who qualified for the 400m final but was unable to run because of her positive result.

“That was really hard. I trained for a long season. I was disappointed, yes, but I have another season; so next year I am capable again (to compete),” McAnnuff said.

According to Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association First Vice-President Ian Forbes, another group of athletes were expected to arrive later yesterday afternoon, with another athlete expected to leave Kenya by the weekend. Additionally, a couple other athletes have left directly for the United States to begin college.

daniel.wheeler@gleanerjm.com