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Julian Reid switch reignites allegiance controversy

UK Athletics last weekend revealed that Jamaican triple jumper Julian Reid is the next athlete in line to qualify for British eligibility, but head coach Charles van Commenee defended the recent spate of new UK recruits amid criticism from Colin Jackson.

22-year-old Reid is a student at Texas A&M University and is a four-time medallist at the NCAA Championships in both the long jump and triple jump. His PBs are 8.04m and 16.98m, and he has wind-assisted bests of 8.18m and 17.10m. Reid – who has had a British passport since birth – last represented Jamaica at the 2009 World Championships, where he finished 27th in the qualifying round.

It is understood that he may have to wait a while before he can represent Britain at a major championships, but he could compete at smaller international meetings – such as the European Team Championships – as soon as next year. The World Championships in Daegu this year may come too soon, but his eligibility could be finalised before the London 2012 Olympics.

Reid is the latest in the ever-growing list of athletes taking up British eligibility. Former American Tiffany Porter gained a British passport and earlier this year won silver at the European Indoor Championships. She now holds the British records for the 60m hurdles and 100m hurdles.

Fellow former American Shana Cox represented Britain in the 400m at last weekend’s European Team Championships in Stockholm, where long jumper Shara Proctor – formerly of Anguilla – competed for Britain in the long jump.

“If you’ve got a British passport, you’re welcome!”

But, speaking to the BBC, van Commenee explained the governing body’s stance. “UK Athletics doesn’t recruit athletes. We’re not searching actively across the globe for people who may be interested to compete for the British team,” he said. “There are lots of people with a British passport and at one point they knock the door and ask ‘can we compete for Britain?’. I say ‘Of course! If you’ve got a British passport, you’re welcome’.

Former world champion sprint hurdler Colin Jackson disagrees. During the commentary of the BBC coverage of the European Team Championships, he said: “I’m not very keen on it. Even though you have a British passport, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you are British. You don’t absorb yourself totally into the British culture. And it makes it very difficult and sometimes causes a bit of controversy in the team. If you hear an American accent from someone wearing a Union Jack it’s slightly… slightly… different.

“A lot of people are wondering if it wasn’t the London Olympics next year, would all these people be coming to compete for Great Britain this year?”

But Commenee sees all Brits as equals and welcomes the rise in standards. “There’s no such thing as superior Brits or inferior Brits – when you’ve got a British passport, you’re welcome,” he said. “These girls (Cox, Porter, Proctor) are good, positive forces in the team. They lift the standard, so they’re more than welcome.”

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