Track stars seek JAAA spots

Andre Lowe, Senior Staff Reporter

A number of Jamaica's past and current athletes will be looking to make their first foray into sport administration, with the campaigning activities around the upcoming Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) annual general meeting and elections gathering pace.

Now a seasoned veteran off the track, 1988 Seoul Olympics 200m silver medallist Grace Jackson, who will be contending for the JAAA presidency at the November 29 election, spent the last few years on the administration that also featured other Olympians Donald Quarrie and Vilma Charlton.

However, this year's slates comprise a number of new faces, as some of the island's most celebrated names in track and field make themselves available to serve the sport in another capacity.

The 2005 World Championships 100m silver medallist Michael Frater - a key member of Jamaica's all-conquering 4x100m team - two-time Olympic silver medallist Juliet Cuthbert, 1996 400m hurdles Olympic champion Deon Hemmings, and 2009 100m hurdles World champion Brigitte Foster-Hylton and former sprint hurdler Maurice Wignall are expected to run for spots at the highly anticipated election.

Frater has replaced Quarrie on the incumbent Warren Blake's slate and will be installed, if elected, as the vice-president with responsibilities for athlete relations.

The MVP athlete, who captained Jamaica's team at the recent Olympic Games in London - the country's most successful Olympics in history - will also have Hemmings as a running mate, with the former hurdler replacing Jackson on Blake's slate of candidates.

Hemmings shot to national and global admiration after striking gold at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.

Cuthbert, who has long been involved with the sport since her competitive retirement, will face the over 300 members of the JAAA as a part of the Lincoln Eatmon-team, while Brigitte Foster-Hylton is understood to be a member of the Jackson slate, as is Wignall, the 2006 Commonwealth Games 110m hurdles champion.

A star at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, where she won silver medals in the 100m and 200m, Cuthbert has remained close to the sport over the years, while Foster-Hylton recently called time on a very successful career after the recent Olympic Games.

The JAAA elections will pit Blake, who ascended to the presidency following Howard Aris' death last November, against Jackson and lawyer Lincoln Eatmon.

Blake and his experienced team, which has presided over the island's most successful period in international track and field, is expected to be hard-pressed by Eatmon in particular, who also boasts the likes of Alfred Francis, Hector Edwards and Ian Forbes among his ranks.

Blake and Jackson are planning to publicly announce their slates next week, as the race for one of the region's most glamorous sporting positions go up for grabs.