NATIONAL monitor and discipline coach Maurice Wilson is optimistic about Jamaica’s performances within the upcoming monitor and discipline season.
Jamaica’s final outing at a significant world occasion was the Paris Olympics the place it returned with six medals consisting of 1 gold, three silver, and two bronze. That is some measure in need of the tally Jamaicans are used to on the Video games since Beijing 2008, which many regard as Jamaica’s golden period of monitor and discipline.
Many followers had been annoyed at this return, particularly as Jamaica took just one medal within the sprints (Kishane Thompson’s Males’s 100m silver) from which the nation had anticipated its strongest performances. Nonetheless, Wilson says he would reasonably concentrate on the positives from that summer time, describing the opposite occurrences as mishaps.
“To start with, allow us to congratulate those that did effectively, particularly within the discipline occasions,” he advised the Sunday Observer. “We’ve got at all times been in line with wherever between 10 and 13 medals on the highest stage since 2008.
“I believe there have been a lot of components. I don’t consider in dangerous luck however I believe we had been very unfortunate when it comes to a few of the occasions with individuals getting injured, individuals coming forth and so they had been injured. There have been certain medals we anticipated however [we] had the baton being dropped. I believe we misplaced about 4 or 5 medals due to unlucky circumstances, nonetheless I don’t suppose we should always have a look at it [in] that [negative] manner.”
Wilson says these mishaps may be prevented this season with correct preparation.
“We must always have a restoration plan in place — it’s one thing I’ve been speaking about for years,” he mentioned. “And we can’t sit on our laurels as a result of all of the issues we used to do, different nations are doing it now and doing it higher.
“So I assume if we’re in a position to construct on what now we have been doing over time, we should always get again to the place we had been within the subsequent two or three years.”
Jamaica’s important focus this 12 months is the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan, from September 13 to 25.
There, Jamaica will look to redeem itself within the sprints as Shericka Jackson, a two-time 200m world champion, and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, a five-time 100m world champion, ought to be among the many medal contenders supplied they qualify from the nationwide trials. Jackson didn’t compete in Paris due to damage whereas Fraser-Pryce’s Olympic marketing campaign ended moments earlier than the 100m semi-final when she additionally pulled out injured.
Nonetheless, Jackson has already began her season, inserting second in 7.18 seconds over 60m on the Queen’s/Grace Jackson Improvement Meet in Kingston final month. She was overwhelmed by Jodean Williams (coached at Sprintec Observe Membership by Wilson) in 7.14s.
Thompson has additionally began his season, working a private finest 6.48 seconds over 60m in Spanish City final month. Since then he has additionally clocked 6.56 and 6.58 seconds at an indoor meet in Astana, Kazakhstan.
Jamaica’s solely Girls’s 100m finalist in Paris, Tia Clayton has had an analogous path to Thompson this season. She additionally clocked a private finest (7.14s) over 60m in Spanish City, then competed twice in Astana, clocking 7.18 and seven.22 seconds there.
Jamaica will probably be sending a group to the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China, in March.
