Dyke cautious about Clayton twins

When the preliminary round of the 100m for Under-17 Girls goes off tonight at the Carifta Trials, Michael Dyke will have his fingers crossed as Tia and Tina Clayton vie for a spot to represent Jamaica at the 2019 Carifta Games.

Dyke, who coaches the girls at Edwin Allen, is not worried that the twins from Grange Hill, Westmoreland, might not make the team but is concerned that they might pick up injuries as their bodies are still recovering from the five-day ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls' Athletics Championships (Champs), which concluded on Saturday.

"It is really a cause for concern because of the fact that we are coming out of a hard championship, but it is the national team, and they are excited to an extent," Dyke said.

The Clayton twins were impressive at the Championships as they ventured into uncharted territory when they grabbed the gold and silver medals in the 100m and 200m for Class Three girls.

Tina smashed the 100m record when she ran 11.27. The feat surpassed her sister's 11.32 to become the fastest time by a 14-year-old girl.

"None of them have any niggles, but it is two hard rounds," Dyke said. "You have to run hard to make the finals, and you have run fast in the final again to make the team."

Carifta Trials, for the first time in a number of years, has been scheduled for after Champs because the Games are scheduled for late April this year.

"I think for this particular one, they should have just done the selection from Champs," Dyke said. "I know the rules are there, but this year, they could have modified it."

But president of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) Dr Warren Blake believes that the six days between the events is enough time for the junior athletes to recover.

"It is not against the medical recommendation, and I am telling you this as a medical doctor and as a sports medicine specialist," Blake said.

"We couldn't use Champs results to choose the teams for Carifta because we have trials specific to Carifta. In my memory, we have never used Champs to select the Carifta team, and I have been on the executive of the JAAA pretty close to 20 years.

"If they have sustained injuries and they don't come to the trials, then we can't select them. It has always been like that where some of the top athletes from Champs don't make the Carifta team."