Anthony Foster, Gleaner Writer

JOA president Mike Fennell

Asafa Powell and his MVP Track Club teammates who will represent Jamaica at the Olympics in Beijing starting next Friday may have to begin their preparations without their usual support staff.

The MVP staff, led by head coach Stephen Francis, is yet to secure Chinese visas, and wont before next Tuesday, arriving in Beijing on Wednesday. With a deadline of August 3 (Sunday) for all athletes to report to the training camp in Tianjin, just outside of Beijing, that leaves three days where the athletes will have to train themselves or workout with one of the appointed coaches.

Deadline extension

MVP president Bruce James is requesting a deadline extension to facilitate his staff.

"They are now flying to Hong Kong to receive their Chinese visas, so when they get their visas they can return to Beijing and get to the camp," James told The Gleaner yesterday.

"We will come to the camp. We will be there. We just can't get there until the 6th," added James referring to Francis, assistant coach Paul Francis masseurs Gavin James and Patrick Watson and assistant manager Andre Edwards.

"We need the athletes to stay with the coaching staff, so they can train with the coaches who have been preparing them for the Olympics. I think it's a reasonable request because we have been asking for this for some time now...this is not something we decided on this morning," added James, who said they were only notified of a national camp after the Olympic Trials, which was held June 27-29.

However, Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) president Mike Fennell, stood his ground on the August 3 deadline.

"That's it .. It's not a moving target and August 3 is the deadline for the people to come in (camp)," he said.

Outspoken

When asked what would happen if athletes are not in by the third, Fennell, who earlier approved for the deadline date to be changed from August 1, said: "Then obviously the people don't want to be part of the team."

The outspoken Francis had his own opinion on the issue. He said that the camp was put on by the JOA and the Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association to ensure that his athletes do not do well.

"They put on this camp only after hearing in February that we were planning to have our own," Francis was quoted as saying on JamaicaWin.com.

"The athletes believe that their current programme and training (with him) are geared for their success. The athletes are being forced to go to the camp to work with a bunch of high school coaches who have no clue about what they are doing. There is nothing to be achieved there."

James said he sees this mandatory move as a disadvantage.

"The disadvantage now is, you are going to have a group of athletes who will not have the benefit of their coaches and support staff around them for five or six days leading into the Olympics."

Final decision

Asafa Powell sprints out of the blocks under the watchful eyes of his coach Stephen Francis while training at Stadium East in May, 2005. - file photos

With the JOA staying its ground, James said it's left up to the athletes to make the final decision.

"We told our athletes, when they land in Beijing, whosoever want to get off the plane and go, can go, we cannot force you to stay with your coach, who have trained and prepared you so far," he explained while saying nothing would be lost by allowing a deadline extension.

"If it is a matter of relay practice, they will be there by the sixth - track and field doesn't start until the 15th. If it is a matter of having them there for the opening ceremony, the opening ceremony will be on the eighth. If it's about adjusting to the time...that's fine because they are going to be in Hong Kong, which is the same time zone."

MVP athletes selected to the team are Asafa Powell, Michael Frater, Nesta Carter, Andre Wellington, Markeino Buckley, Sherone Simpson, Shelly-Ann Frazer, Brigitte Foster-Hylton, Melaine Walker and Sherika Williams.