THERE IS just one word to describe last week's World Junior Championships that was held in Kingston excellence.
From the start to the end of the six-day championships, the praises were heaped on the organising committee for a job well done. In the words of the president of the IAAF, Lamine Diack, Kingston 2002 was the best event ever staged in the history of the series.
That is no easy feat and today, Neville 'Teddy' McCook, Adrian Wallace, Dr. Vincent Lawrence and all who contributed must be congratulated for pulling it off.
Jamaica is the first country of this size and outside any of the major continents to be awarded the championships. Surely, the IAAF must have known something about the organisational abilities of Jamaicans.
The area of main concern was whether or not the National Stadium would be ready. The result was a big success, and while there were areas of the complex that could have been given a week or two more to get into tip-top shape, there were not many complaints.
The only sore point came on the last day when a number of ticket holders could not get into the Stadium. Who would have thought that the day would come when a track and field meet would sell out the Stadium?
There were other aspects that stood out and are worthy of mention. The biggest area must have been the behaviour of the fans who came out for a great time and were not disappointed.
Some athletes managed to woo the crowds more than others, as did the Croatian high jumper, Blanka Vlasic, who started the trend of taking a victory lap with her country's and the Jamaican national flags.
Of course, the high jumpers, long and triple jumpers and javelin throwers had no problems in getting the rhythmic clapping assistance of the crowd, which seemed more than willing to help push them to their best.
The volunteers also came out with flying colours. My first day of the Championships on Wednesday was as a paying spectator. From the minute I purchased my ticket at the booth near the Bob Marley statue to when I took my seat inside the grandstand, I was attended by courteous security guards and volunteers and addressed respectfully even while being searched.
Information was literally at your fingertips through the touch screens that were set up and the volunteers made sure you were kept supplied with handouts.
Of all the sectors, the one that will be able to make full use of the experience for a long time to come and which will benefit the island most are those who worked as track and field officials.
After several training sessions and the actual 10 sessions over six days, those who worked at the World Junior Championships will be able to work anywhere in the world where track and field is being held.
The legacy of the World Juniors will extend long into the future and Jamaica will be much better off for it.
