Jamaica aim to better 2022 World Indoor medal haul
WHEN THE three-day 19th edition of the World Indoor Championships get under way tomorrow in Glasgow, Scotland, Jamaica’s athletes will be hoping to better their performance of two years ago in Belgrade, Serbia.
There, the country ended with three medals, one gold and two bronze to finish 12th on the medal table.
The country’s gold medal was mined in the women’s 4x400metre relay, while the two bronze came from Kimberly Williams in the women’s triple jump and Stephenie-Ann McPherson, who produced a national senior Indoor record of 50.79 seconds, in the women’s 400 metres.
Both McPherson and Williams will be back at the championships where the later will once again compete in the triple jump. However, McPherson will not be able to repeat her individual feat, as she is only a member of the women’s 4x400-metre relay group.
Jamaican athletes will be in early action when the meet begins at 5:20 a.m. Jamaican time.
Stacy-Ann Williams, with a season best 51.86 seconds, and Charokee Young with a best of 52.83, will be contesting the preliminary round of the women’s 400 metres. The semi-finals will run later at 3:50 p.m.
National senior outdoor 400-metre record holder, Rusheen McDonald, with a season best of 47.08, will step to the line of the preliminary round of the men’s 400 metres at 6 a.m. The men’s semi-finals is slated for 4:10 p.m. The first Jamaican to be involved in a final will be female shot putter, Danniel Thomas-Dodd. With a season’s best 18.75 metres, she will contest the women’s shot put final at 6:06 a.m.
Natoya Goule and Ackeem Blake will close out competition for the Jamaicans in the first session. Goule will contest the women’s 800 metres preliminary round at 6:40 a.m.
Blake, who has the best chance for the country to mine an individual medal will line up in the heats of the men’s 60 metres at 8:10 a.m.
Ranked number three in the world in the event with a season and personal best of 6.45 seconds, behind the United States pair of Noah Lyles 6.43 and Christian Coleman 6.44, he is expected to move on to the semi-finals, set for 2:45 p.m. The final is scheduled for 4:45 p.m. on the opening day. Ranked fourth in the world in the men’s shot put with a distance of 22.16 metres, Rajindra Campbell will also be involved in a final scheduled for 3:20 p.m.