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Tracey blasts Wilson about ‘bias’
August 25, 2023
BUDAPEST, Hungary:
Two-time national 100 metres champion Tyquendo Tracey is expressing frustration over his non-inclusion in the team as Jamaica prepare to begin their 4x100 metres quest at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
Tracey finished fifth in the 100 metres final at the National Championships and was selected as part of the relay pool. However, with reports that World University champion Kadrian Goldson being included in Friday's heats, Tracey spoke to Radio Jamaica Sports before posting on Instagram to explain his situation.
"I noticed something a bit off when we got to Budapest for the training camp. When we got there, there was an additional person. This person no one knew of him being selected for the national team," Tracey said.
He outlined in the Instagram video that, to his knowledge, Goldson, who finished seventh in the National Championships, will compete in the heats, with national champion Rohan Watson replacing him in the final.
Tracey accused technical leader Maurice Wilson of bias towards Goldson, who competes for G.C. Foster College, where Wilson is the principal.
"This is a prime example because an athlete is not supposed to be on the team, and he is here because his coach is the head coach of the team. If you are going to say this person ran xyz time, that is not a valid point because you have Kishane Thompson, Julian Forte and Yohan Blake who have run faster than him, but unfortunately, they didn't make the team," Tracey said.
"From my point of view, I feel extremely cheated, and I feel like Mr Wilson has a personal vendetta against me for whatever reason I don't know because this is not the first time I have been in a situation where I have been replaced by one of their athletes."
In an interview with RadioJamaica Sports, media liaison Dennis Gordon explained the selection policy, highlighting that coach Lennox Graham makes the final call as he is in charge of the 4x100m team.
"The JAAA selection criteria allow for the first three past the post to be mandatory. All the other three positions are discretionary. Coach Graham is in charge of the men's 4x100 metres, and he would have sat down and had a dialogue with the technical leader, who he prefers.
"It is not the technical leader's call. It is coach Graham's call. The technical leader rarely overrides the coach," Gordon said.
Goldson was named on the start list for the mixed 4x400 metres.
Gordon further told RadioJamaica Sports that a meeting would be arranged between Tracey and coach Graham regarding the situation.
