CHAMPS (Jamaica)

KC lose 12 points - decathlon winner deemed ineligible by ISSA

Shocking DQs again.
Dockery DQd along with Shim of Immaculate 200m

This DQ thing is just deplorable. Some discretion needed here. The top girl out because of an electronic anomaly.

Didn't see the incident but just offering my two cents.

Race for Champs tight with KC losing 12pts. Will prevail when all is run and done.

In reply to RoyalDad

They will allow her the chance to run tonight to qualify(Dockery). But the false starts are out off hand. The hurdles this evening continued the trend. I keep hearing that the equipment registered a reaction time of .098 or some number smaller than 0.1

Looking forward to a great day tomorrow.

In reply to Chrissy

More retroactive DQs. Heard they just Dq Shaquane Gordon of cbar and the KC athlete for false starts in the 110 hurdles. This is becoming comedic and tragic

In reply to Chrissy

The 2025 ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships enters its final day on Saturday promising fierce competition between arch rivals Kingston College (KC) and Calabar in the boys’ contest, and Hydel High and Edwin Allen High in the girls, for islandwide track and field supremacy.

After 21 finals among the boys, defending champions KC, with 136.5 points, maintained the lead they had established from Day 2 with Calabar nipping at their heels on 115 points, while Jamaica College are sitting in third position on 90 points.

In the girls’ contest, after 23 finals, Hydel with 140 points are ahead of defending champions Edwin Allen on 129 points, and Holmwood Technical in third with 106 points.

And more

This is the most disgraceful Champs I have ever seen. Clearly, the starting equipment is not properly calibrated, and the resultant plethora of "false starts" are an annoyance for fans and a discomfort for the athletes. Misplaced and lack of speakers for starting purposes also mocks proceedings. We advertise, rightly I might add, that Champs is the best high school meet in the world, the world then tune in to watch this!

On the track, one could not ask for a better final day:

BOYS - KC, CHS and JC locked in a 3-way battle with the "Purples" seeming to have just enough gas to get them across the line. Calabar is moving with stealth and JC has not lived up to the hype those in their circle was trumpeting.

My call = KC

GIRLS - EDA, Hydel and Holmwood also in lock-step. There are more questions than answers. Did EDA bank enough finalists to overcome Hydel? Will Hydel's lack of volume in last day finalists be their undoing? What price will Holmwood pay for dropping the baton in the heats of the Class 4 4x100?

My call = Holmwood (against the grain call)

In reply to JoeGrine

Really very sad to read of these technical issues...Thought we were long past such .
Really a disgrace that distracts from the athletes performances.
No way can this this be good for a Meet that has become an International showpiece and
biggest of its kind.
But will there be any punitive actions,subsequent to this Champs. There must be.

BTW. How is the newly laid track ?

Since you cannot fault the athletes, and they are usually the ones who are punished, there will be no punitive action. ISSA (Wellington) and JAAA (Gayle) should be ashamed of this presentation.

The track is a good one, outstanding times.

In reply to JoeGrine

I share the sentiments. The false starts are really disconcerting to the athletes. Any word if Gordon and the KC young man got reinstated for the hurdles?


It was comical yesterday with the speaker beside lane one and the young lady in lane 1 in the hurdles being thrown out for two false starts.

In reply to mikesiva
Since they reinstated di ineligible player things may change but
I’m still going with JC.
Not the best Champs administratively.

In reply to hubert
Disgrace is kind.

In reply to JoeGrine
Very well said. Pathetic -=and unfair to these kids

In reply to JoeGrine

Thanks .Continue to keep it real please. Appreciate it.

In reply to Chrissy

Writing remotely..were I home.....and on Spot ? .

Very unprofessional and frustrating, I noticed the timing issues from day one, the officials and organizers need to do better.

Jamaica has succeeded in track and field despite administrators.
You cannot have the speaker beside on athlete and not expect her to react before the others and possibly trigger what is a very sensitive starting system.

This is for you pops
Seymour of William Knibb.
Big up Bolt as well.
Sanjay’s dad died last year.

Best race for me - for all the right reasons.

Congratulations to KC and Hydel.

The nonsense of this Champs continued - so they are doing a tribute to Don Wheby and who do they bring out for the world to see, someone called "Ding Dong".

I ask, with the world watching, could we not use an artist who (a) was more in keeping with Wheby's age given that the tribute was for him (b) understand this was a moment to sell Jamaica via music and the name "Marley" or someone singing a Marley song would resonate with the world - marketing brand Jamaica.

In reply to JoeGrine

However, the North Street boys weren’t to be denied, widening their lead as the night went on, finishing with 291 points ahead of Calabar’s 232.5.

Jamaica College, 207 points; St Jago High, 135; and Excelsior, 78 completed the top five.

Hydel reclaimed the title they lost in 2024 with 277 points, dethroning Edwin Allen who tallied 266 points. Holmwood Technical, 230.5; St Jago, 149; and Immaculate, 100, rounded out the top five.

And more

In reply to JoeGrine

Completely agree.

The nonsense with the administration, starters etc. was terrible. Some discretion on the starters part would have minimized the debacle and multitude of false starts. Obvious that something was wrong with equipment.

Congrats to the purples. Was there any doubt? Yes. Too close for comfort. Unsure what next year brings. The Red Hills Rd crew are sniffing too hard. Have to downgrade the aroma.

As usual Joe,thanks for the professional feedback.

BOYS
2026 will usher in a new landscape thanks to recruiting which is the primary determinant in who wins Champs titles. . This season has taught us that:

KC - is resolute (perhaps too much with their African jaunt) to retain their title. Will "Turbo" do what Rose did, return for a final year? Their Classes 3 & 4 were not the usual force and that is where your primary feeder, recruiting aside, into Classes 2 and 1 comes from. Their Class 1 will be potent with or without "Turbo" but his presence is more than just a 400 (possible 200) victory.

CHS - on the ascendancy and they will be hard to repel. They have transfers sitting out that will be factors next season.

JC - continue to talk Championships but off the track something is amiss.

GIRLS
HYDEL - how they got their victory was a testament to strategic moves by their head coach. That they did it minus their usually strong Classes 3 & 4 is shocking.

EDA - just like the last time they lost to Hydel as well as last year, they try to find ways to give away the title. They will return strong next year.

HOLM - not losing too many point from this year will make them an even more formidable contender than they were this season.

In reply to JoeGrine
Thanks for your reports as I gained very much for not being there.

Saddened however by what seems to be a pathetic performance by administrators /officials
of Jamaica's showpiece to the world.

Grades: Athletes - A+
Officials/admins - F - or worse.

The country has a way of regressing in so many key areas .
Congrats however to Kingston College in their Centenary. Most worthy.

But after 115 Years,Champs need to reset with efficient management of the highest standards
as the eyes of the Athletics world are focused on this Regal Event.

In reply to JoeGrine

In regards to the Don wehby tribute, I think the timing was wrong. The relay girls were already on the track and had warmed up. They left the track after realizing that this was not just a 2 minute tribute. Not ideal for the athletes. The grandstand, including myself, was booing ding dong to get off the stage. He got irritated and said to stop rushing him. Nevertheless, he got the message and left. Ding Dong usually performs after champs ends and is usually well received.

Other random observations. The Hydel girls were really determined. You could see it. The KC jumpers were excellent (triple and high). JC flopped. Calabar is back. Shanoya Douglas looks special.


What I did find interesting is that I cannot recall any false starts yesterday. After the ton of FS earlier in the week.

The sad truth is that Don’s cancer is back big time and the main sponsor and the pols felt they had to make him the issue.
I am not sure he is comfortable about that part of the proceedings. There was already a tribute delivered during the meet.