Photo: National 200m champion Elaine Thompson will look to repeat at the National Trials this weekend.
The women’s 200m will be an interesting match up with the defending National Champion Elaine Thompson up against many times and double Olympic champion Veronica Campbell-Brown. Thompson leads on time, with a 22.16 season best, while Campbell Brown is at 22.29 seconds.
Simone Facey with 22.63 seconds, will also be looking for an individual spot over this distance. The Sprint Tech pair of Anniesha Mclaughin-Whilby and Audra Segree, along with Kerron Stewart will be eyeing individual representation over the 200m. It is a wait and see game, as it relates to a possible double from Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce who had established early, her desire to contest the sprint double in Rio.
Schillonie Calvert, Samantha Henry-Robinson, Sasha-Lee Forbes and UTech’s Shimirya Williams should be among the other creditable entrants looking to push the veterans for a spot on the plane.
Bolt should secure another comfortable victory but the fight for the runner-up spots should make for huge entertainment and unpredictability in the men’s 200m.
London Olympics, Bronze medallist Warren Weir, Rasheed Dwyer, Julian Forte and defending National Champion Nickel Ashmeade have shown decent form at various points throughout the season, but will know that come this weekend they will have to bring their ‘A’ game or might just miss a chance at Olympic glory over 200m.
Other notable contenders should be Jermaine Brown, Sheldon Mitchell, Chadic Hinds, Everton Clarke, Givans, and Jason Young who has returned from a two year injury lay-off. There is also speculation that Asafa Powell is down to contest this event along with Nigel Ellis.
400m.
The men’s 400m should be one of the most interesting events scheduled to be contested at this year’s championships.
If there is to any real duel among the contestants, it might come from the pack excluding defending champion Javon Francis who is looking to retain his title. Based on his form this season, the Akan Track club athlete is the only Jamaican among the top 400m runners globally. He has been consistently cracking the 45 seconds barriers this season with a best time of 44.77 seconds, which places him tenth on the IAAF rankings.
The 2016 NCAA 400m runner up and World Indoor Championship semi-finalist Fitzroy Dunkley is expected to be one of his main challengers. Dunkley 45.06 seconds ranks him second best among Jamaicans and ninetieth globally. The 2016 Intercollegiate champion Demish Gaye (45.30) and national record holder Rusheen McDonald(45.90) are expected to set up their game as they vie for one of three spots up for grabs. McDonald who set the national record at the World Championships last year has been ragged this season and needs to get his act together come Friday.
A host of youngsters, led by 2016 National Junior Champion, Christopher Taylor (45.66), Akeem Bloomfield (46.01) and Nathan Allen will keep the seniors on their collective toes.
The chasing pack will feature the likes of Peter Matthews, Edino Steele, Dane Hyatt, Jonia McDonald, Ricardo Chambers, Javere Bell, Twayne Crooks and Demar Murray.
In the women’s 400m, it should be a more of an epic battle for the available spots as the golden four from the mile relay at the Beijing World Championships lay it all on the track.
Defending national champion Christine Day has been enjoying a decent campaign on the circuit but her season best of 51.09 ranks her fifth among the Jamaican ladies.
The lead Jamaican athlete by time is the MVP based, Stephanie McPherson with a season’s best time of 50.44 seconds, placing her fifth on the global ranking. Her club mate and 2015 World Championship bronze medalist Shericka Jackson is running into form and is looking set to put a wrap on the 2016 national title. Her season best time of 50.72 seconds came at the Racers Grand Prix and she knows it might take just a bit more than that to clinch a top three finish.
They often say experience is a great teacher and as such veteran Novelene Williams-Mills, who knows how to get it right when it matters most, will be looking to prove just that come this weekend. She is the third ranked Jamaican over this distance, with a season best of 50.87 seconds. The 2016 National Junior champion Tiffany James and club mate Dawna-Lee Loney of Cameron Blazers are expected to be among the main challengers this weekend.
The 2016 NCAA championship finalist Chris-Ann Gordon (51.03) and junior stand out quarter miler, Anniesha Mclauglin-Whilby (51.40) who is looking to return to those territories, will be among the seniora fighting for a spot to Rio.
Verone Chambers, Anastacia Leroy, Patricia Hall, Sonikqua Walker, Bobby-Gaye Wilkins, Junelle Bromfield, Samantha Curtis, Jodian Muir and Candace McLeod should complete the mix for that event.
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