Doubts raised over record

ATHLETICS: A large question mark has been placed over the validity of the recent Irish triple jump record set by Samual Okantey, the Ghana-born athlete who switched allegiance to Ireland late last year.

Okantey was reported to have jumped 17.11 metres at an indoor meeting in Maryland on January 10th - a significant improvement on the 25-year-old Irish record of 16.27 metres. But Athletics Ireland said yesterday they are now seeking further clarification on the validity of that jump, along with several of his previous jumps achieved in the US.

"We are already in the process of getting further clarification on the results reported from the US where Okantey jumped 17.11 metres indoors," said Liam Hennessy, the international secretary with Athletics Ireland.

"At this point we will not be putting that mark forward for ratification by our record committee, nor will we be putting it forward to the selectors for the forthcoming World Indoor Championships."

Hennessy added that Athletics Ireland would also be seeking immediate clarification from the IAAF on the 17.19 metres that Okantey is listed to have jumped in June of last year, also in Maryland and while still representing Ghana. That jump is still listed as 15th best in the world last year on the official IAAF rankings.

"We hope to get to bottom of this within the next week," said Hennessy. "Right now I cannot comment any further than that for obvious reasons, but we are going to go right back through the whole process of those jumps in the US and get clarification from USA Track and Field and the meeting organisers in Maryland."

Later yesterday there was a brief statement issued from US-based athletics agent Paul Doyle, who had recently begun representing Okantey. "As of January 22nd I have officially resigned as athlete representative of Irish triple jumper Samuel Okantey," said Doyle.

The 28-year-old Okantey, wholives in Maryland, had his transfer of allegiance ratified by the IAAF at their council meeting last November. His late mother was born in Mayo, and he was already a holder of an Irish passport. According to Hennessy, the strict guidelines for such a transfer were applied when approving his new allegiance.

His first jump of significance had come during the indoor season in January of last year, when he jumped 16.80 metres - coincidentally achieved in Maryland. In June of last year he jumped 17.19 metres - again in Maryland - and that was the mark which appeared in the IAAF rankings, although he had no other jumps of note ratified in the remainder of the season.

Neither Hennessy nor Doyle was in a position to expand on the possibility that some of Okantey's jumps could be open to investigation. The IAAF are known to be thorough in the checking of any marks that make their world rankings.

As a new Irish record holder and world championship qualifier (which his 17.11 metre would comfortably achieve), Okantey would be eligible for a significant sporting grant from the Irish Sports Council. With the triple jump being one of the weakest (if the not the weakest) events in Irish athletics, he would also be assured of selection for several international events.