Home-grown talent continues to guide Jamaica’s fortunes

LOCAL-BASED ATHLETES dominated Jamaica’s medal count at the recent World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, where the country secured nine medals on the track and one in the field.

Of the 10 medals, eight came from individual events and two from relays. Impressively, all eight individual medals were won by athletes representing local clubs, with the Stephen Francis–coached MVP Track Club leading the way. Their charge was spearheaded by women’s 100-metre silver medallist Tina Clayton.

Clayton’s clubmate, Shericka Jackson, added to MVP’s tally with her bronze-medal performance in the women’s 200m. The women’s 4x100m relay team, which secured silver, was made up entirely of locally trained athletes.

Tina, running the third leg, collected her second medal of the championships, joined by her twin sister Tia and Jonielle Smith, who are all members of MVP. Veteran Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce works out at Racers Track Club under the guidance of Andre Wellington and Jodean Williams, who ran in the preliminaries and trains with Maurice Wilson’s SprinTec.

The women’s 4x400m relay, which also mined silver, included Roneisha McGregor, who ran in the preliminaries and trains at the University of the West Indies. However, the quartet in the finals - Dejanea Oakley, Stacy-Ann Williams, Andrenette Knight, and Nickisha Pryce - are all based overseas.

On the men’s side, Oblique Seville flew the flag high for the local scene. Training with Glen Mills at Racers Track Club, Oblique Seville delivered Jamaica’s lone gold medal of the championships with victory in the 100m. Silver in that event went to MVP’s Kishane Thompson.

The men’s 110m hurdles also brought double joy, with Racers’ Orlando Bennett taking silver and Elite Track Club’s Tyler Mason claiming bronze. Bryan Levell, of Shaneikie Osbourne’s Optimum Track Club, added another bronze in the men’s 200m.

In the field, 2019 world champion Tajay Gayle secured silver in the men’s long jump. Gayle trains under Kerry-Lee Ricketts, husband of triple jump star Shanieka Ricketts, in St Elizabeth.

With local-based athletes accounting for the majority of Jamaica’s medals in Tokyo, the big question is whether more overseas-based athletes will consider returning home to strengthen their preparation and follow the winning formula.