No repercussions for Jamaica - IAAF CEO

IAAF CEO Olivier Gers said the body holds no hard feelings towards the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) for its decision to abstain from votes towards reforms in the sport.

Gers, who is currently in the island as a guest speaker for tonight’s RJR Sports Foundation National Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year Awards ceremony, said that the association has nothing to fear regarding sanctions for its decision.

“There’s no change (in the relationship), there won’t be any repercussions and there won’t be any impact,” Gers said. “Don’t get me wrong, we were disappointed because of the amazing ranking and amazing weight that Jamaica has in our sport so I think President Coe and all of us on the council were disappointed not to get the full support of Jamaica but it doesn’t mean that there will be any repercussions. We’re working together already, we’ve been talking since then and we’ll be working to hear Dr. (Warren) Blake’s (JAAA's President) concerns.”

Gers’ visit will not just be delivering tonight’s main address at the awards ceremony, but also to assess the growth of Track and Field in Jamaica and this suggests that the working relationship he mentions with Dr. Warren Blake has already started.

He said he is also here to have a look at two developmental meets taking place tomorrow - the JAAA/Puma Development meet at the Kirkvine Sports Club, in Manchester, and the Douglas Forrest Invitational Meet at the GC Foster College in St. Catherine.

There, he said, he hopes to have a good conversation with Blake regarding the state of affairs in the sport.

“One of my objectives is to learn from what you’re doing so that we can figure out what you do so well and hopefully do it in other countries as well,” Gers said. “With Dr. Blake, I hope we can have a general catch up and understand his concerns. I’m sure he has things that he wants to share with me and we want to work together and collaborate. We (the IAAF) want to hear his ideas on improving our constitution and improving our sport.”