Forbes praises team effort at World Champs
Published:Sunday | September 21, 2025 | 12:11 AMGregory Bryce - Staff Reporter
WITH JUST today’s final day of competition left at the Tokyo World Athletics Championships in the Japan National Stadium, Ian Forbes, team manager, has hailed Jamaica’s performance and believes they can end their campaign with relay glory.
Jamaica holds a medal haul of eight - one gold, four silver and three bronze medals after eight days of competition.
Forbes said it has been an applaudable performance from the team, regardless of the various disappointments suffered by medal contenders across the championships.
“I think, overall, it has been a good performance. Of course, there have been some highs and lows, some wonderful moments and some disappointments as well,” Forbes said.
“All in all, I think this would have been a pretty good performance.”
He said there have also been positive signs for the future of Jamaican athletics, as several athletes broke new ground in their various events.
He pointed to the likes of Samantha Hall and Navasky Anderson for their history-making campaigns and the rising profiles of Jamaica’s next generation of athletes.
Hall became the first Jamaican woman to compete in the World Championships discus final, while Anderson became the first Jamaican man to compete in the 800m final, setting a new national record of one minute, 42.76 seconds along the way.
“We would have had some ‘unheralded’ athletes who performed tremendously to kick things off. We had Samantha Hall being the first female qualifying in a major championship, reaching the final of the discus women,” he praised.
“We just had Navasky Anderson running a very brave race where he looked like he belonged there and, of course, two national records in the process,” Forbes continued.
“These are some of the performances, apart from the medallists, which have been very inspiring. And it has been spread across a number of disciplines across the board.
“As I said, it’s unfortunate for those who would not have performed up to expectations, but, all in all, all around across disciplines, I think it bodes well for the future.”
While disappointed with the dropped baton by the men’s 4x100m team in their semi-final race, Forbes is confident Jamaica can end their campaign on the podium with the remaining teams.
Jamaica will contest the finals of the women’s 4x100m relay, as well as the men’s and women’s 4x400m relays.
“Possibly one of the most disappointing events would have been the relay, but it happens. It’s always almost a gamble in certain instances, but you have to pick up the pieces, learn from these mistakes, and move forward positively,” he said.
“But we are hopeful. I think, if they execute well, we can be in the medals in all three relays that are left.”
He closed, “They just need to go out there, keep focused, and execute. Execution and keeping one’s composure is very important. It’ll be very important.”