The Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association and the Jamaica Olympic Association have selected a 66-member team to represent Jamaica at the Olympic Games in Paris, France, from July 26 to August 12, 2024.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, a three-time Olympic gold medalist and ten-time world champion, leads the list of 32 women who will be travelling to Paris. Fraser-Pryce, who has stated that she will retire after the games, will be competing at her fifth Olympics and hopes to cap off her career on a high note by adding to her eight Olympic gold medals in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relays.
Fraser-Pryce will be joined by reigning 200m world champion Shericka Jackson, the second-fastest woman in history in the event with a time of 21.41 seconds. Having won bronze at her last Olympics in the 100m and missing out on the 200m final, Jackson, who will be competing at her third Olympic Games, will be targeting her first individual Olympic gold in both the 100m and the 200m.
Other women named to the team include national 400m record holder Nickisha Pryce, 100m hurdles world champion Danielle Williams, two-time World Championships silver medalist Shanieka Ricketts, veteran 800m runner Natoya Goule-Toppin, and two-time World Championships bronze medalist Rushell Clayton.
Two-time double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah has missed out due to injury. Thompson-Herah, who defended her 2016 gold medal in Tokyo with an Olympic record and then a personal best of 10.61 seconds, did not compete at the Jamaica Olympic trials due to an Achilles injury sustained at the NYC Grand Prix in early June.
With many seasoned campaigners a part of the team, it must not go unnoticed that there are also several athletes who will be making their Olympic debuts, including Tia Clayton, Ackera Nugent, Jaydon Hibbert, Bryan Levell, and the fastest man in the men’s 100m this year, Kishane Thompson.
The 22-year-old Thompson enters Paris with a personal best of 9.77 seconds, achieved in winning the men’s 100m at the Jamaica Olympic trials on June 29, making him the fastest man this year, the fourth-fastest Jamaican man ever, and the joint-ninth fastest man in history. Thompson will be joined by Oblique Seville, who came in fourth at the Tokyo Olympics, and World Indoor Bronze Ackeem Blake, among the 34 men named to the team.
Alana Reid, Federick D’acres, Jelani Walker, Assinie Wilson, Tyer Mason, Stephanie Ann McPherson, Megan Tapper, Andrennette Knight, Ashley Williams, and Rusheen McDonald are the reserve athletes that have been added to the listing. Sashalee Forbes and Bryan Levell were also named as reserves, but they will be in the Olympic Village as of right because they have also qualified for other events; in the case of Levell, the men’s 200m and Forbes, the women’s 4x100m relays.
Fourteen officials have also been named to accompany the team, including seven coaches who are due to have a training camp in Germany ahead of the game’s commencement.
Jamaica is expected to compete in 17 events for both men and women, which include the 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 100m hurdles, 110m hurdles, 400m hurdles, long jump, high jump, triple jump, discus, shot put, hammer throw, 4×100 relay, 4×400 relay, and 4×400 mixed relay. The country will not compete in the men’s 4x400m at the Olympic Games for only the second time since 1948, having failed to qualify despite multiple attempts, including a special relay event at the recently concluded national trials.
See the complete team named by the JOA below. The organisation noted that the selection of the relay teams is at the discretion of the technical leader and his team.
WOMEN
100m: Tia Clayton, Shericka Jackson, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
200m: Niesha Burgher, Shericka Jackson, Lanae-Tava Thomas
400m: Junelle Bromfield, Stacey Ann Williams, Nickisha Pryce
800m: Natoya Goule-Toppin, Adelle Tracey
1500m: Adelle Tracey
100m hurdles: Janeek Brown, Ackera Nugent, Danielle Williams
400m hurdles: Rushell Clayton, Shiann Salmon, Janieve Russell
Long jump: Chanice Porter, Ackelia Smith
High jump: Lamara Distin
Triple jump: Shanieka Ricketts, Ackelia Smith, Kimberly Williams
Discus: Samantha Hall
Shot put: Lloydricia Cameron, Danniel Thomas-Dodd
Hammer: Nayoka Clunis
4x100m: Tia Clayton, Shashalee Forbes, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Shericka Jackson
4x400m: Junelle Bromfield, Stephenie Ann McPherson, Nickisha Pryce, Stacey Ann Williams
MEN
100m: Ackeem Blake, Kishane Thompson, Oblique Seville
200m: Andrew Hudson, Bryan Levell
400m: Sean Bailey, Deandre Watkin, Jevaughn Powell
800m: Navasky Anderson
110m hurdles: Orlando Bennett, Rasheed Broadbell, Hansle Parchment
400m hurdles: Roshawn Clarke, Jaheel Hyde, Malik James-King
Long jump: Tajay Gayle, Carey McLeod, Wayne Pinnock
High jump: Romaine Beckford
Triple jump: Jaydon Hibbert, Jordan Scott
Discus: Roje Stona, Ralford Mullings, Traves Smikle
4x100m: Ackeem Blake, Jehlani Gordon, Oblique Seville, Kishane Thompson