11 Olympic medals for Jamaica - T&F News

Jamaica will win 11 medals in Olympic track and field competition. That's the number contained in the final pre-Olympic set of predictions by the respected US publication Track and Field News.

The predictions anticipate another Olympic sprint double for Usain Bolt and a gold medal for Elaine Thompson in the women's 100m.

In predictions appearing on its website on August 9, Track and Field News picks Jamaica to win five gold medals, shared among Bolt, Thompson, 110-metre hurdler Omar McLeod, and the Bolt-led men's 4x100-metre team.

Bolt is expected to beat American Justin Gatlin twice, as he did at the 2015 World Championships, with Trayvon Bromell and predicted 400-metre bronze medal winner Lashawn Merritt third in the 100m and 200m, respectively.

Yohan Blake, runner-up in both sprints at the 2012 Olympics, is picked for sixth in the 100m.

SURPRISING PREDICTION

The prediction of a victory for McLeod is slightly surprising. Undefeated from the Indoor season through to the National Senior Championships, McLeod fell in his last two races before the Olympics.

Thompson has been selected ahead of Dafne Schippers of Holland and two-time defending champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in the 100m, but in a copy of their World Championship finish, behind the Dutchwoman in the 200m.

Veronica Campbell-Brown, the Olympic champion in 2004 and 2008, appears in fourth spot in the predictions for the 200 metres.

The other Jamaican silvers are slated for the women's 4x100m and 4x400m behind the USA, even though the ladies in black, green, and gold won both clashes last year at the Worlds.

Bronze medals are predicted for national champion Stephenie-Ann McPherson in the women's 400m, behind Allyson Felix of the USA and Shaunae Miller of the Bahamas; and the men's 4x400-metre team.

Shericka Jackson, who was third behind Felix and Miller in the 400m at the Worlds last year, is slated for a seventh-place finish.