Fraser-Pryce, Thompson headline World Relays team
Published:Friday | April 25, 2025 | 12:09 AM
Sprinters Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Kishane Thompson headline Jamaica’s 31-athlete contingent set to compete at the World Athletics Relays to be held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium in Guangzhou, China on May 10 and May 11.
The athletes will be competing for relay places at the World Athletics Championships set to be held in Tokyo, Japan in September.
Fraser-Pryce, a four-time World 4x100m gold medallist, who opened her season last week with a wind-aided 10.94 seconds clocking over 100m at Velocity Fest 17, headlines a star-studded list of athletes for the women’s teams.
She will be joined by World 200m champion Shericka Jackson, Alana Reid, Tia Clayton, Tina Clayton, Natasha Morrison, Serena Cole, Niesha Burgher and Krystal Sloley in the relay pool for the women’s 4x100m and the mixed 4x100m. The mixed 4x100m will be contested on the global stage for the first time in Guangzhou.
On the men’s side, 100m Olympic silver medallist Thompson leads the way as he is accompanied by Ackeem Blake, who recently became the first Jamaican this year to dip below the 10-second barrier.
They will be joined by veteran speedster and former World Champion Yohan Blake, Rohan Watson, Bryan Levell, Julian Forte, Rasheed Foster, and Javari Thomas for the men’s 4x100m and mixed 4x100m pool.
In the women’s 4x400m and mixed 4x400m relay pool, Jamaica will rely on the likes of Shiann Salmon and Stacey-Ann Williams to lead the charge towards qualification.
Roneisha McGregor, who competed at last year’s World Relays, will return to national duty with Shana Kaye Anderson, Kelly-Ann Beckford, Ronda Whyte and Jodean Williams completing the list.
REDEMPTION
For the men’s 4x400m it will be a shot at redemption for Jamaica, after their failure to qualify for the Olympic Games last year.
Half of the quartet from last year’s team will return to the start list for Jamaica, as Zandrion Barnes and Malik James-King have been chosen by the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) to compete.
Jamaican national record holder Rusheen McDonald has also been selected to compete at the World Relays, as the veteran holds a season’s best of 45.53.
Javier Brown, the former Jamaica College standout who has run a season’s best of 45.62 in the 400m, will also make the trip with Demar Francis, Delano Kennedy and Tarees Rhoden adding to the squad’s depth.
4x100m and Mixed Relay
Women: Niesha Burgher, Tia Clayton, Tina Clayton, Serena Cole, Shericka Jackson, Natasha Morrison, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Alana Reid, Krystal Sloley
Men: Ackeem Blake, Yohan Blake, Julian Forte, Rasheed Foster, Bryan Levell, Javari Thomas, Kishane Thompson, Rohan Watson
4x400m and Mixed Relay
Women: Shana Kaye Anderson, Kelly-Ann Beckford, Roneisha McGregor, Shiann Salmon, Ronda Whyte, Jodean Williams, Stacey-Ann Williams
Men: Zandrion Barnes, Javier Brown, Demar Francis, Malik James-King, Delano Kennedy, Rusheen McDonald, Tarees Rhoden