Jamaica’s elite sprinters are set to light up the track early as the Jamaica Track and Field Olympic Trials get underway at the National Stadium in Kingston on Thursday. The men’s 100-meter heats promise fierce competition, with star-studded lineups featuring some of the country’s fastest athletes clashing in the first round.
Kishane Thompson versus Ackeem Blake must be quick Start list Olympic trials at 100 meters in Jamaica:
Oblique Seville, the fastest Jamaican this year with an astonishing 9.82 seconds, will headline 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 has a season best of 10.16 seconds.
Read more: Day 1: Jamaican 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) are also competing in this heat.
Kishane Thompson vs. Ackeem Blake needs to be quick
Heat Two will see a thrilling showdown between MVP Track & Field Club’s Kishane Thompson and Dynamic Speed Track Club’s Ackeem Blake. Thompson, who enjoyed 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 stretch as it’s clear he’s been performing very well in his training.
Meanwhile, Blake, the silver medalist in the indoor 60m, comes in with a personal best of 9.89 seconds and has already run 10.00 seconds this year.
The second heat will also feature Nigel Ellis, Sandrey Davison and Sachin Dennis. The latter have all been standouts among the juniors in the past and are trying to secure a place in the semi-finals.
In the third heat Julian Forte of Elite Performance Track Club and Rohan Watson of MVP Track & Field Club are present, both sub-10 second sprinters in their best form. But Forte has clocked 10.02 seconds this season, while Watson has clocked 10.23 seconds.
In the fourth and final heat Ryiem Forde and Kadrian Goldson dominated, both of whom have finished under 10 seconds in their careers.
Start list Olympic Trials 100m Jamaica:
100m series for men:
Heat 1:
1. Odaine Mcpherson (GC Foster College)
2. Jayval Wright (University of the West Indies)
3. Jehlani Gordon (University of Georgia)
4. Bryan Levell (Track Club for optimal performance)
5. Yohan Blake (Dynamic Speed Track Club)
6. Oblique Sevilla (Racers Track & Field Club)
7. Bouwahjgie Nkrumie (Racers Track & Field Club)
8. Jamal Miller (unaffiliated)
Heat 2:
1. Shakur Williams (University at Albany)
2. Mario Williams (MVP Athletics Club)
3. Kishane Thompson (MVP athletics 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 (Mico University College)
2. Ricquan Graham (Baylor University)
3. Tyquendo Tracey (SWEPT Track Club)
4. Ramone Barnswell (MVP Athletics Club)
5. Julian Forte (Elite Performance Track Club)
6. Rohan Watson (MVP Athletics 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 (GC Foster College)
3. Jelani Walker (Adidas)
4. Ryiem Forde (Adidas)
5. Kadrian Goldson (Sprintec Track Club)
7. Andre Ewers (not affiliated)
8. André Edwards (Life University)