JAAA boss praises management and technical team in Rio

President of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) Dr Warren Blake was full of praise for Jamaica's track and field team and support staff upon arrival from the Rio Olympics in Brazil on Wednesday.

With the debate over team selection dominating the air waves prior to Jamaica's arrival in Brazil, Dr Blake says the association was vindicated by the athletes’ performances at the Games.

He says the medical exemption worked well with both Usain Bolt and Elaine Thompson winning gold medals at the Games.

Dr Blake also took time out to commend the technical staff for their efforts throughout the Games.

“This is one of the things we have come to learn over the years. Once a Jamaican athlete is competing at the Stadium, no matter how few, someone from the management and technical staff has to be there because the technical staff can be tied up on the warm-up track and the management has to be in the stadium. So someone who knows the rules and knows how to apply the rules has to be present in order to file appeals and everything. This was done in two instances that I’m certain of with great success that our athletes were reinstated.

Jamaica's Chef de Mission Vishu Tolan was also pleased with the way things panned out despite the lack of preparedness of some of the rooms on the team's arrival at the village.