Gayle: No need for debate on absence of national jumps coach
Published:Friday | August 18, 2023 | 12:08 AM
BUDAPEST, Hungary:
Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) president Garth Gayle says the presence of the personal coaches of jumpers at the World Championships fills the need for support as the debate rages about the absence of a national jumps coach on the management team.
Eleven athletes will contest the horizontal and vertical jumps when the championships start tomorrow and the absence of a specialist in that field among the national coaches has caused debate.
However, Gayle said that athletes (jumpers) have their personal coaches with them, and this fits their needs.
“I can’t see why there is a debate. All of our athletes are prepared by coaches, and these coaches are those who have gotten the nod from the selection committee to be on the team, but there is a rule open for all other coaches in the category of personal coaches. We have made it available. None of our athletes who would have approached the association and asked for assistance has been denied that support,” Gayle said.
Additionally, Gayle said that it was disingenuous to suggest that options weren’t being considered to meet that need while hinting at constraints.
“We have gone a little further by assisting financially some of these individuals. So I don’t think it is fair to say that we did not, or we didn’t look in that direction. We are spread within the disciplines of the sport,” Gayle said.
Technical leader Maurice Wilson said that he would have made general recommendations for the coaching staff but that the final decision would be up to the JAAA.
“There can be many factors. I can make a recommendation for particular coaches, and there are factors why those coaches cannot be ratified by the association,” Wilson said.
Gayle defended the approach, saying that they had to operate within their limited scope.
“We can only within the scope of our finances and other concerns make a decision. Again, the personal coach category is there, and those individuals are given the opportunity and were entered in the World Athletics entry system so that they can take care of their charges accordingly,” Gayle said.