Ford sees bright future for Salmon

The recently concluded ISSA Boys and Girls' Athletics Championships showcased outstanding performances in field events, particularly in the throwing disciplines.

One of the standout athletes at the Championships was Jamaica College's (JC) Joseph Salmon in the boys' Class One discus. Competing in his first year in Class One after transferring from Clarendon College, Salmon secured victory with a throw of 62.14m.

This marked back-to-back success for him, as he won the Class Two title last year for his previous school with a throw of 53.53m.

Rajive Ford, the throws coach at JC, expressed satisfaction with the performance of his athletes, including Salmon.

"The throwing events in Jamaica are evolving significantly - it's not just about track events anymore, and it will only get better," he said.

Ford, a past student of JC, joined the coaching staff in 2019 after a stint at Wolmer's Boys' between 2011 and 2015.

Reflecting on his team's performance, he said, "It was a good Championships for my boys, as we picked up 21 points, led by Salmon's success. I'm confident we'll continue to improve. I think we fell short in the javelin, which has traditionally been a strong event for us, but we'll work on that moving forward."

He also acknowledged the contributions of key figures in the throwing community.

"The likes of Julian Robinson, Michael Vassell, and Machell Woolery have set the standard, and I like what's happening at Munro College as well. The new ISSA transfer and quota rule has allowed boys to stay at their respective schools, and we saw the results at Champs from them ," he noted.

Ford has his sights set on the Class One Champs record of 66.88m, held by former Calabar thrower Travis Smikle.

"My goal for Salmon is to break Smikle's Champs record, which I believe is achievable as he continues to improve," said Ford, who also expressed gratitude to the JC community for their support in making the throwing programme a success.

R.G.