Discus trio set sights on Budapest final
Published:Saturday | August 19, 2023 | 12:06 AM
BUDAPEST, Hungary:
A trio of Jamaica discus throwers competing in the World Athletics Championships final?
For national champion Traves Smikle, World Championships debutant Roja Stona and 2019 World Championships silver medallist Fedrick Dacres, it is not just a possibility but a target.
All three men enter their men’s discus qualification round which starts at 12:10 p.m. today having thrown over 68 metres this season and are ranked in the top 10 in the world this year.
Smikle, who won the national title last month in what he calls the best competition the event has seen in years, believes in his own growth this season after finishing 11th last year. Smikle is currently ninth in the world with his best being 68.14m.
“I think between 68m and 70m (is what it will take to win the title). As you know, there are a lot of guys who are throwing above 70m this year. So there is great competition in the discus, it’s just for us to go now and execute,” Smikle said. (My preparation has been) pretty steady. It is arguably my best season and I just want it to come right tomorrow (today).”
“Everybody is trying to give a good account of themselves. Right now we are all just focusing to do well. The dream would be for all three of us to make it to the final and we are going to see if we can make that happen.”
Stona, who will be making his World Championships debut, says that the consistency that he has shown all season in college with the University of Arkansas as well as changes to his training put him in the best shape to perform with the best in the world. He is the highest ranked Jamaican with 68.64m.
“I have been consistent all season. I’m going to approach this the same way that I have approached all the competitions that I had. I think being in a different environment, with a different focus (helped). I changed my focus on a lot of stuff, so the environment helped a lot as well. I am confident in all three of us (making the final). I think we have the ability to do that,” Stona said.
A top-eight finish for qualifying is the goal for Dacres whose best is 68.57m. He says that he is not hindered by anything that will limit him from improving on last season when he finished 10th.
“The hand is good. It hasn’t given me any problems. Based on everything that is going on, it is not really pressuring me right now,” Dacres said. “We are just trying to get it right in terms of making the podium and I think we have a solid chance but we just need to get the work done,” Dacres said.