Mason's death saddens British team

Nassau, Bahamas:

Stephen Maguire, head coach of Great Britain's track and field team here, said that they are deeply saddened by the tragic passing of Jamaica-born British athlete Germaine Mason.

Maguire, who said, he had never met Mason himself, said that the entire team was shaken by the loss of the athlete who died on Thursday from injuries he received in a motorcycle accident.

"It is a massive loss because I spoke to the coach who used to coach Germaine and he was very sad and very disappointed about his death," Maguire told STAR Sports here yesterday.

"I have never met him - Germaine - before but, anybody who has met him and guys in the team are visually upset and shocked by what happened," he added.

Maguire said, that the British athletes are shocked and disappointed by the news of Mason's death.

"All the athletes who knew him were just very visually shocked when they heard the news at of his passing."

"It is very tragic," he said, adding that Mason's death was not only a major loss to the British team, but also to track and field.

"All the guys on the team are saying that he was such a nice guy and such a vibrant character. They said he was such brilliant around the team and so it is a very sad loss," said Maguire.

Mason matched his personal best of 2.34m to claim silver for Great Britain at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, after he switched allegiance from Jamaica to that nation in 2006.

Mason holds both the Jamaica national junior and senior records in the high jump event.

He won medals at the Carifta, CAC Junior Championships, Pan American Games, World Junior Championships, and World Indoor Championships for Jamaica.