Jamaica names weakened team

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JAAA names weakened team for Commonwealth Games

BY PAUL A REID Observer Writer reidp@jamaicaobserver.com

Saturday, September 18, 2010

There is guarded optimism in the Jamaican camp following yesterday’s release of the 46-member team to represent Jamaica in track and field at the 19th Commonwealth Games to be held in Delhi, India next month.

With the unavailability of the nation’s top track stars including double World Record holder Usain Bolt, World and Olympic champions Shelly-Ann Fraser and Melaine Walker, the Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association’s selectors have had to name a below-strength team to the championships that starts on October 3.

Jamaica dominated the sprinting events at the previous Commonwealth Games held in Melbourne, Australia in 2006, winning every thing from the 100m sprint to 400m hurdles.

There was a major blow to the 4x400m team, however, after two members — quarter-miler Allodin Fothergill and intermediate hurdler Roxroy Cato — withdrew yesterday.

Judith Ewart, manager for the team confirmed that both athletes had school obligations and would not be able to participate in the event that is being held well outside of the traditional track and field calendar.

The withdrawal leaves just six men in the mile relay pool, which includes former national senior 400m champion Lanceford Spence, who has been named to run both relays as well as the 200m, and 800m specialist Ricardo Cunningham.

Both Ewart and head coach Maurice Wilson agreed Jamaica’s main chances for medals will come form the field events where national record holders Maurice Smith (heptathlon), Dorian Scot (shot put) and Jason Morgan (discus) have been selected.

Wilson told the Sporting World yesterday that he was still evaluating the strength of the team and would not be able to come to a reasonable conclusion until the team was assembled “and we see what we have to work with”.

The Holmwood Technical girls’ coach, who will be assuming his first head coaching duties for a senior team after several trips to the Olympic Games and IAAF World Championships, said he was hopeful the field event athletes who were named would be able to come through.

Ewart echoed Wilson’s sentiments, saying she expects goods showing from triple jumper Trecia Kay Smith, Scott, Maurice Smith and Morgan.

There were a number of surprises in the team, including IAAF World Junior Championships 100m bronze medallist Remaldo Rose, who is coming off injury and ran sparingly this season; 400m hurdler Josef Robertson, who also ran sparingly with little success and former decathlon national record holder Claston Bernard, who has been out of the sport for several years.

Jabari Ennis, who retuned to the pole vault this year after several years away, was named to the team along with the US-based Christopher Smith.

Kenia Sinclair, national record holder in the 800m, IAAF Continental Cup double gold medallist Nickesha Wilson, Scott and Smith will lead the team.

In addition to track and field, Jamaica will be represented in eight others disciplines — badminton, boxing, cycling, swimming, netball, table tennis, shooting and squash.

Team:

WOMEN — Yanique Boothe (100m, 4x100m), Shanna Thomas (100m, 4x100m), Audra Segree (200m, 4x100m), Davita Prendergast (400m, 4x400m), Dominique Blake (400m, 4x400m), Nadia Cunningham (400m), Tanice Barnett (800m), Kenia Sinclair (800m), Twishanna Williams (1500m), Andrea Bliss (100m hurdles, 4x100m), Nickeisha Wilson (400m hurdles, 4x400m), Sheree Francis (high jump), Nickiesha Beaumont (long jump, 4x400m), Nickevea Wilson (long jump, 4x400m), Trecia Smith (triple jump), Zara Northover (shot put), Nadia Alexander (shot put), Natalie Grant (hammer throw), Tammilee Kerr (javelin, Heptathlon), Kateema Riettie (javelin), Peaches Roach (Heptathlon).

MEN — Oshane Bailey (100m, 4x100m), Lerone Clarke (100m, 4x100m), Rasheed Dwyer (100m, 4x100m), Lansford Spence (200m, 4x100m, 4x400m), Steve Slowly (200m, 4x100m), Remaldo Rose (4x100m), Ramone McKenzie (200m, 400m), Oral Thompson (400m, 4x400m), Ricardo Cunningham (800m, 4x400m), Aundrae Drummond (800m), Rayan Lawrence (1500m), Shawn Pitter (1500m), Hansle Parchment (110m Hurdles), Eric Keddo (110m hurdles), Adrian Findlay (400m hurdles), Josef Robertson (400m hurdles), Nicholas Thomas (long jump), Darrel Garwood (high jump), Wilbert Walker (triple jump), Dorian Scott (shot put), Raymond Brown (shot put), Jason Morgan (discus), Jabari Ennis (pole vault), Christopher Smith (pole vault), Maurice Smith (decathlon), Claston Bernard (decathlon).

OFFICIALS — Judith Ewart (team manager), Corinne Clarke (assistant manager), Dennis Gordon (assistant manager), Ravi Rochlani (assistant manager), Maurice Wilson (head coach), Michael Clarke (coach), Kirkland Douglas (coach), Maurice Westney (coach).

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19/09/2010
Jamaica names second string athletics squad for CWG

Kingston, Sep 19 (PTI) Athletics powerhouse Jamaica has named an understrength 46-member squad sans some of the biggest stars in the world, including top sprinters, for next month’‘s Commonwealth Games in India.
Apart from double world record holder sprinter Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell, world and Olympic champions Shelly-Ann Fraser (100m) and Melaine Walker (400m Hurdles), whose absence are already known, Jamaica has named second string sprinters for the October 3-14 Games.
In the men’‘s 100m race, Lerone Clarke and Oshane Baily, who both have more than 10 seconds timing this season, are leading the challenge.
There is no Yohan Blake, no Nesta Carter – the leading Jamaican this season (9.78s) – and even Michael Frater, who all are sub 10 sec runners this year.
In men’‘s 200m also, in the absence of Bolt, Powell and Blake who all are sub 20 sec runners, the responsibility of leading the Jamaicans has fallen to Lansford Spence, who has a season’‘s best of 20.63sec.
In women’‘s 100m, Jamaica has named mostly unknown names without season’‘s world leader Veronica Campbell Brown, Shelly-Ann Fraser, Kerron Stewart and Sheri-Ann Brooks.
There is no Melbourne Games gold medallist Sherone Simpson either in the 200m race, who clocked 22.65sec in July in Paris.
Jamaica dominated the sprinting events in the previous edition in Melbourne, winning gold in both men’‘s and women’‘s 100m, 200m, 4X100m relay, men’‘s 110m hurdles and women’‘s 100m hurdles.
In the absence of the big stars, prominent members of the squad are top woman 800m runnner Kenia Sinclair who won silver in Melbourne, IAAF Continental Cup double gold medallist woman 400m hurdler Nickesha Wilson, and two other 2006 Games silver medallists – men’‘s shot putter Dorian Scott and men’'s decathlete Mauruce Smith.
There was a major blow to the 4x400m team also after the withdrwal of two members -� Allodin Fothergill and Roxroy Cato.
The withdrawal leaves just six men in the mile relay pool, which includes former national senior 400m champion Lanceford Spence, who has been named to run both relays as well as the 200m, and 800m specialist Ricardo Cunningham.
There were a number of surprises in the team, including IAAF World Junior Championships 100m bronze medallist Remaldo Rose, who is coming off injury and ran sparingly this season.
400m hurdler Josef Robertson, who also ran sparingly with little success and former decathlon national record holder Claston Bernard, who has been out of the sport for several years, have also been included in the sqaud.
Jabari Ennis, who retuned to pole vault this year after several years away, was named to the team along with the US-based Christopher Smith. .

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Bolt / Powell / Blake / Carter / Mullens / Walker / Foster are all injured .

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Are they really injured or just don’t want to compete!?

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or is there more to it, but i wont go there.

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I cant say for sure. This list was provided by a prominent European agent in response to my sending him the original report in this thread. There are others absent, such as Fraser, the women’s Olympic and world 100m champion, for others reasons as imputed by Boldwarrior of course.

Question now is who will win the men’s 100m in these Comm Games. This was going to be one of the toughest and most prestigious titles originally with so many great Carribbeans.

Lerone Clarke started the Jamaican 4x100 relay in the heats in Berlin worlds and in 2009 ran sub-10 in Zurich, but havent noticed him in dispatches this year.

Is Richard Thompson going well. Havent spotted his name for a while either.

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Richard Thompson is Trinidad and Tobago. I was told quite a while ago that most of the top Jamaicans wouldn’t be going because there’s no rewards with the Commonwealth title and also with the Worlds in 2011 which is the big one leading up to the Olympics in London.

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Trinidad & Tobago is part of the commonwealth

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Richard Thompson isn’t in T&T’s team. Neither is Marc Burns.

This could have been the greatest track and field meet ever in the Commonwealth Games, better even potentially than 1974 in Christchurch which was my first Games.

But the troubled social environment of the host city and the extreme lateness on the calendar and how that might adversely impact on the remainder of this Olympiad (the four-year cycle) has mitigated against many established stars’ participation in Delhi.

It is such a shame. I wonder whether the Indians and the CGF bothered to seriously consult the IAAF on scheduling matters?

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Lol…i know dude…im from there. :wink: