Audley Boyd, Assistant Sports Editor

( L - R ) Bailey, McFarlane

POOR BATON changes by the men's sprint relay team in the World Championships' final and its subsequent finish behind the United States; and Danny McFarlane's omission from the mile relay team for the final, are the hottest topics in track and field in Jamaica right now.

It is so hot, that one highly placed track and field official, when asked about the decision not to bring in McFarlane for the 4x400m final, said: "I wouldn't even touch that one."

McFarlane, the 400-flat runner turned 400m hurdler, who placed fifth in the individual final, was set to geta spot on the 4x400 team. However, that never happened and the team placed fourth, following a bad anchor leg by national champion Sanjay Ayre, who got the baton second but was overhauled by the Bahamas and Poland. Ayre had pulled up injured in his individual 400m semi-final, but ran in the first heat of the mile relay.

The official, who requested anonymity, made it clear that McFarlane was slated to run in the 4x400m final but not at the expense of Ayre, the team's fastest runner. Instead, he would have come in for the final ahead of Leford Green who, ironically, ended up running a brilliant third leg.

And the official also pointed out that a tirade launched by McFarlane after placing fifth in the 400m hurdles final was not the reason either.

"It never had anything to do with that," the official said about long-standing competitor McFarlane demanding "something to show" from the Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association (JAAA) or he would quit running for the country.

Nine time champion

McFarlane has won nine Olympic and World Championship medals.

Like many of his countrymen, the official agrees that the men's 100m relay unit should have won the gold medal easily.

"It was the United States' weakest team, we should've beaten them," he said.

The team muffed the baton changes on all three legs, losing considerable ground especially on the second and third changeovers involving Usain Bolt, who is not a regular relay runner, and came home just short after world record holder Asafa Powell ran a blistering leg on anchor to finish behind the United States' Leroy Dixon. The U.S. won in 37.78, while Jamaica clocked a national record 37.89.

Besides baton changes, the official said Steve Mullings was unavailable due to 'back spasms' and that also affected their plans.

"Mullings had back spasms, he just could not run. If he did, it would have been Mullings on the team and Carter out. According to the medical report he couldn't run and he was ok with that," the official insisted.

Another burning issue concerns the women's sprint relay team's silver-medal finish, which many feel could have been enhanced with Aleen Bailey's addition in the final ahead of third-leg runner Simone Facey.

Last-minute addition

Bailey, who did not qualify for the 100m final at the National Trials, was not an initial member of the relay squad and only given an individual spot when Kerron Stewart's coach told the Jamaica coaching staff that she would only run the flat 100m, but not 200m.

"She was a last-minute addition ... she improved at the championships in the 200m," said the official of Bailey, who finished sixth in the final.

Commenting further, the official defended the decision to use Facey as "Simone didn't drop her form significantly after the Trials ... so we basically stuck to what went on at the Trials."

The official added: "You've to give credit the U.S. team. They had four girls running under 11.04, so to run so well was a great achievement ... the team did extremely well, we ran them right down to the end."

On the men's side, the speedy Bolt did not run the 100m at the National Trials but was brought in for the final, so since you're basically going off what went on at the Trials, how do you account for that?

"Bolt's case is different, the official stated. "Some cases are exceptional, Bolt is the second fastest in Jamaica, he ran the 100 in 10.03. Mullings is next with 10.04. Apart from Asafa, nobody had run faster than Bolt so he was included in the squad."

The U.S won in 41.98 seconds, but barely, ahead of Jamaica as 100m gold medallist Veronica Campbell bore down on the U.S. anchor, Torri Edwards, to take Jamaica across the line in 42.01 - setting the stage for another hot topic.