The Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) believe they have selected a well-rounded team that will do the country proud at the London World Championship between August 4 and 13.
The incomparable Usain Bolt, Rio Olympic gold medallists, Elaine Thompson and Omar McLeod, along with defending 100m hurdles champion Danielle Williams, headline a strong 56-member team that is tipped to equal or surpass the 12 medals garnered in Beijing, China, in 2015.
Jamaica finished second in the medal table behind Kenya who had 16, inclusive of seven gold and ahead of the United States of America with 18 medals including six gold. In the points table, Jamaica were third with 132 points behind the Americans with 214 and Kenya on 173 points.
However, JAAA’s treasurer, Ludlow Watts, who will be travelling as a congress delegate, told the Observer, they are not playing the numbers game.
“We think it’s a strong team and they will do well but in terms of medal count we don’t like to do that with predictions,” said Watts.
“We think overall the team is strong, not every aspect very great, but we have a good all round team,” he noted.
Jamaica mined seven gold, two silver and three bronze at the last edition including a historic bronze in the shot put by O’Dayne Richards.
“If we get some field events medals people will begin to listen because the truth be told, we are known as sprinters and it would be a good situation if we can really get some field events medals as well,” said Watts.
“We have two long jumpers which is the first for men. Two women triple jumpers and the discus and shot put, so I think it’s really in the field events that we have shown the greatest improvement,” he emphasised.
There have been some issues surrounding the release of the team on Monday which had three alternative athletes listed in a 59-member team but was quickly removed as an error.
Calabar High schoolboy star Dejour Russell (110m hurdles), Andrae Clarke (400m hurdles), Janieve Russell (400m hurdles) and Kenroy Anderson (200m) are on standby.
“I do know that the alternative athletes should not have been listed because they are registered in the event that somebody is injured. But you have to be registered to be able to take the space of somebody so that that’s the importance of having the alternate athlete,” Watts explained.
However, these alternative athletes will not be travelling with the team but was told to keep fit so in the case of somebody being injured, they can move in immediately.
“So far four persons have been listed as alternatives they are really not officially on the team but registered because it would have cost over US$6,000 for each athlete,” Watts explained.
Meanwhile, it is understood that some members of the team are having visa issues but Watts said he was not at liberty to divulge information as the matter is being dealt with.
“The team manager is actually dealing with it so I can’t say specifically whose visa have had any difficulties with securing,” he noted.
Bolt, 30, who says he will be retiring at the end of the championships, will be defending his 100m title he won in 2009, 2013 and 2015. Yohan Blake, who won the 100m title in 2011, joins him.
Bolt will only be competing in the 100m and a weakened 4x100m relay team that will be without Asafa Powell, who has not recovered in time to prove his fitness after withdrawing from the Senior Championships.
Sprint queen Elaine Thompson leads 29 other females into action in what is really a team in transition without the likes of Veronica Campbell-Brown, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Sherone Simpson or Kerry-Ann Stewart.
Thompson, the Rio Olympic double champion, will be competing only in the 100m and is a heavy favourite to defend the title won by Fraser-Pryce in 2013 and 2015.
Jamaica will be well represented in the field events with Fedrick Dacres highly touted for a medal in the discus and O’Dayne Richards in the shot put.
