Jamaica’s elite sprinters are poised to light up the track early as the 2024 Jamaica Track and Field Olympic Trials kick off at the National Stadium in Kingston on Thursday. The men’s 100m heats promise fierce competition, with star-studded lineups featuring head-to-head clashes between some of the nation’s fastest athletes from the first round.
Oblique Seville, the fastest Jamaican this year with a blistering 9.82 seconds, headlines heat one. The Racers Track & Field Club star will face relatively comfortable competition from veteran and multiple world and Olympic medalist Yohan Blake of Dynamic Speed Track Club, who boasts a season’s best of 10.16 seconds.
Read more: Day 1: Jamaica Olympic trials women’s 100m start list
Jehlani Gordon (University of Georgia), Bouwahjgie Nkrumie (Racers Track & Field Club) and Bryan Levell (Uptimum Performance Track Club) will also compete in this heat.
Kishane Thompson vs Ackeem Blake Should Be Fast
Heat two sets the stage for a thrilling showdown between Kishane Thompson of MVP Track & Field Club and Ackeem Blake of Dynamic Speed Track Club. Thompson, coming off a breakthrough 2023 season with times of 9.85 and 9.87 seconds, is now fully fit and expected to deliver a standout performance at the trials, according to his coach Stephen Francis.
This will be the season opener for Thompson, but from all indications, it shouldn’t be too much of a bother as it is understood he’s been running very well in his training sessions.
In the meantime, Blake, the world indoor 60m silver medalist, enters with a personal best of 9.89 seconds and has run 10.00 seconds already this year.
Heat two will also see Nigel Ellis, Sandrey Davison and Sachin Dennis — all junior standouts in the past, looking to secure semi-final spots.
The third heat features Julian Forte of Elite Performance Track Club and Rohan Watson of MVP Track & Field Club, both sub-10 second sprinters in their best forms. But Forte has clocked 10.02secs this season, while Watson has done 10.23secs.
In the fourth and final heat, eyes will be on Ryiem Forde and Kadrian Goldson, who have both dipped under 10 seconds in their respective careers.
Jamaica Olympic Trials 100m Start List:
Men’s 100m Heats:
Heat 1:
1. Odaine Mcpherson (G.C. Foster College)
2. Jayval Wright (University of the West Indies)
3. Jehlani Gordon (University of Georgia)
4. Bryan Levell (Uptimum Performance Track Club)
5. Yohan Blake (Dynamic Speed Track Club)
6. Oblique Seville (Racers Track & Field Club)
7. Bouwahjgie Nkrumie (Racers Track & Field Club)
8. Jamal Miller (Unattached)
Heat 2:
1. Shakur Williams (University of Albany)
2. Mario Williams (MVP Track & Field Club)
3. Kishane Thompson (MVP Track & Field Club)
4. Nigel Ellis (Elite Performance Track Club)
5. Ackeem Blake (Dynamic Speed Track Club)
6. Sandrey Davison (Dynamic Speed Track Club)
7. Oshane Bailey (Sprintec Track Club)
8. Sachin Dennis (Elite Performance Track Club)
Heat 3:
1. Rasheed Foster (The Mico University College)
2. Ricquan Graham (Baylor University)
3. Tyquendo Tracey (SWEPT Track Club)
4. Ramone Barnswell (MVP Track & Field Club)
5. Julian Forte (Elite Performance Track Club)
6. Rohan Watson (MVP Track & Field Club)
7. Jazeel Murphy (Dynamic Speed Track Club)
8. Travis Williams (University of Southern California)
Heat 4:
1. Damor Miller (Excelsior High)
2. Michael Sharp (G.C. Foster College)
3. Jelani Walker (Adidas)
4. Ryiem Forde (Adidas)
5. Kadrian Goldson (Sprintec Track Club)
6. Micheal Campbell (MVP Track & Field Club)
7. Andre Ewers (Unattached)
8. Andre Edwards (Life University)
