Hunt for medals at World Championships begins today Loop Jamaica

Black Immigrant Daily News

Eugene, Oregon: The 2022 World Athletics Championships begins on Friday, with around 2000 athletes from 200 countries competing at Hayward Field, as the USA stage track and field’s largest event outside of the Olympics, for the first time in its history.

The US topped the medals table three years ago in Doha 2019, ahead of Kenya and Jamaica. However, this time around added attention will be on Jamaica as the trio of reigning champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Elaine Thompson-Herah, the two-time Olympic champion in the 100m and 200m, and Shericka Jackson headline a Jamaican team that threatens to sweep the 100m medals in Eugene.

In Doha 2019, Jamaica won 12 medals (3 gold, 5 silver, 4 bronze), one less than their record achievements in Berlin 2009 where the country secured 13 medals (7 gold, 4 silver, 2 bronze).

Jamaica will be hoping to win a medal on the opening day as the final of the mixed 4x400m relay will take place.

The relay heats will run off at 1:45 pm Jamaica time, with the final set for 9:50 pm.

Jamaica took silver in Doha three years ago, but finished back in seventh in Tokyo, albeit without several of their one-lap stars. The mixed 4x400m would play into the hands of the nations with the greatest 400m depth. However, the Caribbean nation has the talent and ability to challenge for a medal.

In reality, though, the mixed 4x400m relay gives nations with just a couple of leading one-lapping men and women to be competitive on the global stage. And no nation illustrates this better than the Dominican Republic, which claimed Olympic silver last year.

But the USA won’t want to surrender their title, especially not on home soil. They won the inaugural world title in the mixed 4x400m in Doha, clocking a world record of 3:09.34 and winning by more than two seconds. They boast six of the nine fastest men’s 400m runners in the world this year – including world leader Michael Norman – while sprint superstar Allyson Felix is also included in their mixed 4x400m relay pool.

Also on the opening day, Jamaica’s Danniel Thomas-Dodd, the World Championships silver medallist from Doha 2019, and Lloydricia Cameron will begin the qualifying round of the women’s shot put at 7:05 pm.

At 8:00 pm, the qualification round for the men’s long jump will get underway. Jamaica is being represented by the defending champion from Doha, Tajay Gayle, and Wayne Pinnock.

Gayle, who holds the Jamaican record at 8.69m which he set in Doha, injured himself at the Jamaica trials last month and it is not certain what condition he will turn up in, if at all.

Gayle indicated earlier this week that the knee was swollen following the flight to Eugene and expressed doubt over his title defence.

And Stephen Francis, coach Gayle is worried about the reigning champion.

“At the moment from what I observed, he cannot sprint. If he comes out tomorrow (today) and he can’t sprint I doubt if he is going to turn up for the event,” Francis said.

Gayle has yet to venture beyond eight metres this season, standing joint 64th on the world list with 7.97m and it will take a brave person to bet on him to defend his title.

Gayle, 25, stunned the world on September 28, 2019, to win the gold medal in Doha, Qatar.

Many in Doha anticipated the coronation of rising long jump star Juan Miguel Echevarria. However, it was instead Gayle who beat him to the punch courtesy of a stunning Jamaican record of 8.69m – the longest wind-legal leap in the world for 10 years.

Also on Friday will be the preliminary round of the men’s 100m where 28 athletes will be vying for 14 spots in round one, which takes place in the afternoon session.

The semifinals and final are scheduled for Saturday’s second day.

The Jamaicans will be led by 32-year-old Yohan Blake, the 2011 world champion who ran 9.85 to win his fifth national 100m title at the Jamaica trial. He’s joined by 21-year-old Oblique Seville, who finished second at the Jamaica trials in 9.88, and 20-year-old Ackeem Blake.

Fred Kerley of the USA, who decided last year to drop down from the 400m to the 100m is the man to beat as he chases his first individual gold on the global stage.

Trayvon Bromell, Marvin Bracy, and Christian Coleman complete the USA contingent.

The men’s 100m offers the prospect of something special for the home fans – a possible USA sweep of the medals.

If the USA men look dominant in the 100m, the Jamaican women appear downright invincible.

The heats of the women’s 100m are scheduled for Saturday with the semifinals and final on Sunday.

The women’s 100m at the World Athletics Championships could easily see a repeat of last year’s Tokyo Olympic Games, where Thompson-Herah, Fraser-Pryce, and Jackson finished 1-2-3.

The three Jamaicans currently top the world list in the 100m, Fraser-Pryce leading the way with 10.67 ahead of Jackson’s 10.77 and Thompson-Herah’s 10.79.

Fraser-Pryce has posted the three fastest times of the year, clocking 10.67 in Nairobi in May and at the Diamond League meeting in Paris on June 18. The 35-year-old “Pocket Rocket” ran 10.70 in the heats of the Jamaica trials, where she pulled up in the semifinals and skipped the final, knowing she has a wildcard into the World Championships.

With the three Jamaicans posting blistering time this year, the current 100m world record, which has stood since 1988 could be in danger. Florence Griffith-Joyner, also known as Flo-Jo, became the only woman ever to break the 10.5-second barrier with a run of 10.49 at the US Olympic trials for Seoul 1988.

Since then, many have deemed the mark impossible to beat. But over the last year, both Thompson-Herah and Fraser-Pryce have edged closer to that legendary time, placing themselves second and third on the all-time 100m lists.

Thompson-Herah’s fastest 100m time, set at the post-Olympics Prefontaine Classic in Oregon on August 21, 2021, is a blistering 10.54 seconds, a mere 0.05 off of Flo-Jo’s best-ever mark.

Less than a week later, Fraser-Pryce set her own personal best of 10.60 at the Lausanne Diamond League, beating Thompson-Herah to the line with the third-fastest time in history.

The trio will also contest the 200m, an event in which Jackson clocked 21.55 at the Jamaica trials on June 26 for the third-fastest ever time behind Florence Griffith-Joyner’s world record of 21.34 and Thompson-Herah with her 21.53 from Tokyo last year.

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