Ja’s World University Games team cut to four

FOUR JAMAICANS are currently at the 29th World University Games in Chinese Taipei representing the country in two different sports. Three will do so in track and field and one in swimming.

The GC Foster College’s Sashalee Forbes is one of two females there. Forbes, who anchored the Jamaica Women’s 4x100m relay team to the bronze medal at the recently concluded IAAF World Championships in London, England, will compete in the 100 and 200m. The other female, Dawnalee Loney of the Mico University College, will compete in the 400m sprint, while the sole male in the sport, Tyquendo Tracey of the University of Technology, will compete in the 100m. Tracey ran in the first round of Jamaica’s Mens 4x100m relay team, which failed to finish in the finals in London.

INSUFFICIENT FUNDS

Michael Gunning, out of the University of East London, will compete in swimming for the country. Originally, 16 athletes were selected, but due to a lack of funds, the number was drastically reduced to four.

The swimming competition started on Sunday, while track and field will begin tomorrow. Loney will be the first Jamaican in action as she will compete in Heat 1 of the Women’s 400m, the first track event of the Games.

Two years ago, Jamaica finished 12th at the Gwangju, South Korea, staging of the Games in Track and Field, and the country’s athletes picked up five medals. Danielle Williams led the way then with gold in the Women’s 100m hurdles, while there were three silver, by Shimarya Williams in the Women’s 100m, Simoya Campbell in the Women’s 800m, and Kimarley Brown in the Men’s 100m. Kedeisha Dallas took bronze in the Women’s 200m.

Laurence Garriques, general secretary of the Jamaica Intercollegiate Sports Association is the head of delegation, while David Riley is the team’s head coach.