Discus day in Santiago

The men’s and women’s discus throw finals will be staged today at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, with two-time defending champion Fedrick Dacres carrying hopes of a medal for Jamaica. World Championship competitor Samantha Hall and Adrienne Adams will report for duty at 12.30 p.m. local time (10.30 a.m. in Jamaica) with Dacres and teammate Kai Chang on deck at 5.30 p.m. local time.

Hall is the number-eight thrower in the Pan Am region this year, but with the United States pair of world champion Laulauga Tausaga and silver medallist Valarie Altman absent, there is a chance that Hall could match the sixth-place finish by Shanice Love in 2015 and Shadae Lawrence in 2019. Eliminated in qualifying at the World Championships, Hall has thrown past 60 metres in two of her 19 meets this year and will need to do so again.

Among those ahead of her in the rush for medals are Cuba’s 2023 World Championships finalist Silinda Oneisi Morales and the American duo of Veronica Fraley and Elena Bucknor.

By contrast, Dacres was the highest-placed thrower from the Pan American region at the World Championships with fifth position in his fifth World Championships final. In 2019, he set a meet record 67.68 metres and will lead Jamaica’s World University Games runner-up Chang into battle.

If the 29-year-old Dacres won again, the 2019 World Championships runner-up will outstrip Cuban Luis Delis, the 1983 and 1987 winner and American Anthony Washington, the victor in 1995 and 1999, with a third gold medal.

The Jamaicans will have their hands full in Santiago with 2021 Olympic eighth-place thrower Sam Mattis of the United States.

Ring rust might be an issue as Dacres and Mattis haven’t been in the throwing circle for a competition since September 10 and 17, respectively.

Jamaica’s bid for medals will begin on the track as well. Mickael Moodie goes in the 100m heats for women with Jevaughn White and Odaine McPherson starting in the men’s 100m. Jamaica has won the last two Pan American Games 100m gold medals for women thanks to Sherone Simpson in 2015 and Elaine Thompson-Herah in 2019. In the men’s event, the previous Jamaican winners are Don Quarrie in 1971, Michael Frater in 2003 and Lerone Clarke in 2011.