This time around, the Jamaican National Championships have taken on a different kind of spotlight. Why? Because Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has declared it will be her final professional appearance on home soil. The journey that began on the tracks of Waterhouse in Kingston and gained momentum through Champs is now coming full circle. “Honestly, it’s one of those moments that I’m looking forward to… because I have absolutely nothing to lose and all to gain.” Shelly-Ann shared. Just like that, the meet captured massive attention. But there was also another factor that further fueled the excitement around the Nationals.
The Jamaican National Championships are typically seen as the official trial for athletes aiming to qualify for the World Athletics Championships. With this year’s global event set to take place in Tokyo, the 2025 edition of Jamaica’s Nationals was expected to serve as the gateway for selection. But is that actually the case? Surprisingly, no. The Senior Championships have not yet been listed on the World Athletics calendar. While the Jamaican National U-20 Championships have made the cut, the senior meet is still missing. This raises a serious concern: will performances from top athletes like Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Kishane Thompson be recognized by World Athletics? And as everyone knows, unrecognized results mean disqualification from the global stage. A track and field analyst has now delved into the matter, shedding light on the situation.
On June 26, Anderson Emerole addressed the issue during his YouTube podcast, The Final Leg Track & Field. He pointed out that the Jamaican National Senior Championships are notably missing from the World Athletics calendar, even though other age-group level Nationals have been included. So, why hasn’t the senior meet received recognition? It all comes down to a scheduling conflict. Discussing the issue, Emerole said, “The Jamaican National Championships are being contested outside of the window that World Athletics has set for National Championships to occur this year. Because the World Athletics Championships are going down in September, from September 12th to the 21st, I think, in Tokyo, the windows for National Championships are actually set as August 2nd to 3rd that weekend, and then also August 24th to the 25th that weekend.” Along with that, he mentioned the reason behind such spacing.
World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 Hungary, 26.08.2023 Shelly-Ann FRASER-PRYCE of JAMAICA JAM at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 in Budapest, National Athletics Centre, on Saturday, 26. August 2023 *** World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 Hungary, 26 08 2023 Shelly Ann FRASER PRYCE of JAMAICA JAM at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 in Budapest, National Athletics Centre, on Saturday, 26 August 2023. Copyright: xBEAUTIFULxSPORTS/TobiasxLacknerx
According to Emerole, the World Athletics Council sets these timelines to prevent any scheduling conflicts. However, the current situation calls for a solution, as the outcome could significantly impact athletes like Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Kishane Thompson, and many others competing at the Nationals. On that matter, Emerole said, “Jamaican Federation was able to get confirmation that the meet will officially be recognized and that World Athletics will have all the marks from the meet actually count towards qualifying, world ranking points, etc.” But this assurance came in early June. Yet now, as the month nears its end, the senior meet is still not listed on the official World Athletics calendar. This raises a critical question—could there be a deeper issue at play?
Per Anderson Emerole, the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) is currently dealing with several challenges, and scheduling the National Championships this early is one of them. However, he noted that the JAAA is actively working on the issue and is in direct communication with World Athletics to resolve it. This suggests that a solution could be on the horizon. But the question remains—what has the JAAA officially stated about the situation?
The Jamaican authority is assuring Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and others
On Thursday, both Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Kishane Thompson cruised into the semifinals of their respective events without a hitch. The men’s 100m is shaping up to be a showdown, with Thompson set to face off against Ackeem Blake, Yohan Blake, Bouwahjgie Nkrumie, Kadrian Goldson, and Ryiem Forde in the second semifinal.
Meanwhile, the legendary five-time world champion, Fraser-Pryce, returns to the track on Friday in a stacked Heat 2, going head-to-head with rising stars Tia Clayton, Krystal Sloley, Natasha Morrison, and Shenese Walker. With this level of talent on display, one thing athletes won’t have to stress about is whether their performances will count on the world stage.
Paris 2024 Olympics – Athletics – Men’s 100m Round 1 – Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France – August 03, 2024. Kishane Thompson of Jamaica celebrates after finishing first place in heat 1 REUTERS/Alina Smutko
Putting all doubts to rest, the JAAA confirmed in a recent release: “Athletes are assured of receiving ranking points for their participation, and performances will be used for qualification to all global championships.” In short, eyes on the finish line, not the fine print.
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