‘We have a tremendous chance’

Veteran coach Bert Cameron said he believes that Jamaica stands a strong chance of medalling in the men’s 4x400-metre relay at the Tokyo World Athletics Championships as it will come down to a strong team effort in the absence of a standout star.

Jamaica has struggled in the men’s 4x400m relay over the last few years, and a national team missed out on qualification to the Paris Olympic Games last year. Cameron, the man tasked with overseeing the 400m runners at the World Championships, believes that those days are behind them as he tips the team to be in medal contention.

This, he explained, comes from the absence of standout athletes among the squad.

Cameron, the 1983 world 400m champion, said without a guaranteed spot on the team, each athlete would need to be at their absolute best to be selected for the relay, and this will ensure that the team remains competitive.

“Sometimes it’s best when you don’t have a standout quarter-miler to go and run the 4x400m because now, everybody knows what their worth is,” he said.

“Nobody knows who is on the team because all of them are at the same level. So now they’re going to work, they’re going to push themselves, and I believe we have an outstanding chance at getting a medal.”

GETTING THEM READY

Cameron said his role in the management staff is to ensure that each athlete is mentally prepared for the task at hand. However, the day-to-day training remains in the hands of the individual coaches, who will ensure that their athletes are in peak condition.

“All I can do with them is get them mentally ready because they have their coaches here. So the coaches do all the work and then turn them over to us for selection.”

“[I] try to encourage them. I even give them some motivational talk, you know, talk to them from back in my days and what to expect. Sometimes they do listen, and when they do listen, they’re, like, very high and ready to go.”

Jamaica’s relay team will be selected from a pool of athletes which includes reigning World champion Antonio Watson, national champion Rusheen McDonald, Zandrion Barnes, Delano Kennedy, Jevaughn Powell, and Jasauna Dennis.

Of the athletes in the pool, McDonald and Watson lead the way with the fastest times this year as they have both recorded 44.89 as their season’s best.

The men’s 4x400m relay will begin on day eight, with the heats before the final, which is set to be run on day nine, the final day of competition.