Racers Grand Prix to debut jumps equipment
Published:Wednesday | April 5, 2023 | 1:17 AMDaniel Wheeler/Staff Reporter
THE 2023 RACERS’ Grand Prix could see the introduction of new technology for the horizontal jumps, according to World Class Athletic director Bruce James.
James was speaking at yesterday’s launch of the meet scheduled for June 3, the first time in three years that the Grand Prix will take place after a hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The meet will use the Roster Athletic system for real-time results, which has been used at various meets since the pandemic. In their pursuit of elevating the standards of events, James said that his organisation will be looking to use cameras for the long and triple jump events coinciding with World Athletics rule changes regarding how fair and foul jumps are judged.
“VeriLynk Cameras have been recently increasing because World Athletics has changed the rules for horizontal events. It’s no longer making a mark in the plasticine. It’s whether or not the toe of the athlete broke the plane,” James said.
James said that the technology will be evaluated at Velocity Fest later this month, after which, if it satisfies the organisers’ requirements, then the green light will be given for use at the Grand Prix.
“We are going to test it at Velocity Fest 13 on April 22 and if it passes the test, then we are going to be including it at the Racers’ Grand Prix,” James said.
“We want the very best that is available to be available here in Jamaica. The concept of anything other than world-class doesn’t sit well with us.”
Meanwhile, Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association president Garth Gayle has outlined steps to correct the issues encountered at the recently concluded ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships, even as he experienced confidence in the technology being used.
Improve and learn
“What we will be looking at is bringing in experts from overseas, which is the company from which we purchase the equipment, to work with our group of technicians. Because we would have made some changes with the operators. And we have a new, younger group. And we want to ensure that we give them all the opportunities to improve and learn about the equipment,” Gayle told The Gleaner.
“That is not to say that they are not knowledgeable. But Champs is a mega event that we have here in this hemisphere and we officials work for such long periods, you can have challenges.
“Those challenges included interference in the race by one of the officials as well as multiple false starts relating to the electronic starting gun system.”
Gayle said that correcting the problems are important, especially with a strong lineup of athletes confirmed for the Racers’ Grand Prix.
“We have to be alert and reduce as best as we can, the number of persons in the competition area for the athletes to compete and perform without any possible obstacles or situations like that again,” Gayle said.
Among those stars confirmed are: Noah Lyles, world 200m champion Shericka Jackson, former world and Olympic champion Wayde van Niekerk and world 100m hurdles champion and record holder Tobi Amusan.