Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer
Mason: I just hope they won't look at it as turning my back on the country. - FILE
NATIONAL HIGH jump record holder and Pan American Games gold medallist Germaine Mason became the second high-profile Jamaican athlete to switch allegiance in the past two months, making the giant leap to Great Britain.
In an release sent yesterday, Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association (JAAA) confirmed releasing the country's best ever high jumper, Mason, who is ranked joint 49th on the International Associations of Athletics Federation (IAAF) all-time list, with his national record of 2.34m.
"It's not like I have anything against the JAAA or they did anything to me, but because I am under a lot of pressure from my parents to compete there," explained Mason of his decision to switch allegiance.
WORLD NUMBER THREE
Mason, the 2004 World Indoor bronze medallist, who was ranked at number three in the world recently, joins 400-metre hurdler Brandon Simpson, who quit competing for Jamaica after finishing fifth in the World Championship final recently. Simpson announced his decision last month.
Jamaican sprint queen Merlene Ottey also made a similar move in 2001 - to Slovenia - following a protest against her by teammates at the Olympics in Sydney, Australia.
Mason, who became the first Jamaican to win an international high jump medal when he took silver at the 2000 World Junior Championships, said the decision to switch was due to constant pressure from his mother who is a British citizen.
Mason, who holds dual nationality, said at first he told her "no", but it reached a stage where "I wasn't going to be disobedient anymore and just decided to do whatever she told me".
JUST A CHANGE
He added: "I just hope they won't look at it as turning my back on the country ... it's just a change I had to make under certain circumstances and I just have to be obedient."
Despite the move Mason, who won bronze when Jamaica hosted the World Junior Championships in 2002, will live and train with Sue Humphrey in Austin Texas. Humphrey, a two-time U.S.A. Olympic coach, trained 1996 Olympic high jump gold medallist Charles Austin.
"Right now I see it (training in the US) as the best move I have made in a while," said the 2000 CAC Junior Championships champion.
"I know when I go there ... whatever I want to achieve out of track and field will be achieved there," said the former MVP athlete, who is set to leave before year-end.
Mason, who broke the national record no less than three times, said winning the high jump gold at the 2008 Olympic Games remains his primary aim.
He also has his sights set on the 12-year world record of 2.45m held by Cuban Javier Sotomayor.
"I am definitely aiming for the world record," said Mason.
