Jamaican men to win five medals in Tokyo – Us magazine
Published:Wednesday | April 14, 2021 | 5:40 AMHubert Lawrence/Gleaner Writer
Jamaica’s male athletes could win five medals in athletics at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. That’s the early prediction from the respected US journal, TRACK AND FIELD NEWS.
The prediction appeared on the magazine’s website yesterday and awards silver medals to long jump world champion Tajay Gayle and discus thrower Federick Dacres, and a bronze to reigning Olympic 110-metre hurdles champion Omar McLeod. In addition, TRACK AND FIELD NEWS predicts runner-up finishes for Jamaica in the men’s 4x100m and 4x400m relays.
This represents an expected increase over the three medals taken by our men’s team at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Qatar.
Gayle won the long jump there, but Cuban bronze medallist Juan Miguel Echevarria has been picked to win the rematch. Super Swede Daniel Stahl and Dacres are slated to repeat their Doha 1-2, with Austrian Lukas Weishaidinger taking third. McLeod is listed behind in-form World Champion Grant Holloway of the United States and 2016 Olympic second-place finisher Orlando Ortega of Spain in the sprint hurdles.
The Jamaican will be bidding to join Americans Lee Calhoun and Roger Kingdom as a repeat winner in his event.
SURPRISING PREDICTION
The magazine’s prediction for the men’s 4x100m may surprise many, as Jamaica didn’t reach the final in Doha.
US 1-2 finishes are foreseen in the 100m, 200m and the triple jump, where perennial silver medallist Will Claye is picked to beat his friendly rival Christian Taylor, the two-time defending champion. The 1-2-3 pick in the 100m is 2015 World bronze medallist Trayvon Bromell over compatriot Ronnie Baker and Commonwealth champion Akani Simbine of South Africa. In the 200m, World champion Noah Lyles is in pole position.
Caribbean fans will be happy to see a gold medal prediction for Bahamian World Champion Steven Gardiner in the 400m. However, they may not be as cheerful to read that Grenada’s surprise 2019 javelin winner Anderson Peters appears only in third place.
For the record, Usain Bolt led a five-medal haul by the men’s team at the 2016 Games. He made history by winning both the 100m and 200m for the third time in a row, and McLeod became the first Jamaican to win a sprint hurdles gold at the Games. In 2012, with Bolt and Yohan Blake going 1-2 in both sprints and 1-2-3 with Warren Weir in the 200m, and with Hansle Parchment third in the 110m hurdles, our men took seven medals.
That team performance ended with a world record of 36.84 seconds by Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Blake and Bolt in the 4x100m.