With the announcement last year that Grand Slam Track (GST) would début in Kingston there was speculation about how Jamaica would be presented to the world because of the regular controversies regarding the National Stadium.

A tribute to Jamaica’s breakaway from colonialism, it has slowly become a mere shadow of its former glory. It found itself in the news in recent years because of poor maintenance and a lack of upgrades to keep in line with modern standards.

This year started much the same, with word that the track had become tattered. The stadium’s operators, Independence Park Limited, made quick adjustments. But while the work made the running surface functional, it made more headlines, with patches of darker blue visible on the light blue track.

In stepped Mr Michael Johnson, who proved to be the stadium’s saving grace.

This newspaper understands that Mr Johnson not only funded renovation of the track, which saw it transform from blue to Jamaica’s famous black, green and gold, but also upgrades were done to other areas of the venue, such as the media tribune.

Although the National Stadium still needs massive renovation, it was finally brought to a state that made it palatable for international cameras.

With the stadium concerns now out of the way, would GST deliver?

Yes.

Not only were high-profile names brought to our shores, but so too was the level of production and marshalling needed to ensure a streamlined and smooth meet across all three days.

This newspaper notes the improved functionality of the stadium. We note too that marshals were polite to the patrons, parking was easily accessible, and journalists had easy access to athletes without the typical two-minute restriction imposed on interviews that weren’t for television.

Getting into and exiting the venue did not take the usual two hours for people travelling from as close as Half-Way-Tree. It was less than 30 minutes both ways each day. This was made possible by the number of police manning each intersection in the environs of Independence Park.

The roughly 6,000 spectators each day were much less than Mr Johnson and his team had hoped for or expected in a 35,000-seater stadium. That forced organisers into the decision to provide free entry to the bleachers on the second and third days, but to little success. It did ultimately prove American sprinter Noah Lyles correct in his forecast that the turnout would be poor, even though how he arrived at his assessment was totally flawed.

However, this newspaper extends kudos to the spectators present each day. Though little in number, they were tallawah in voice. Every athlete who was asked about the atmosphere praised the crowd for the cheers they received, and it is not lost on us that local fans are becoming more mature and willing to recognise talent, regardless of their passport.

We note the value local organisers could gain from closely observing how a proper sporting event should be run. The point is that quality, efficient administration is key to the successful staging of sporting events.

Kudos to Mr Johnson and his GST team.