‘We are coming back’ - Tracey says current crop of sprinters can put Jamaica in front again

DOHA, Qatar:

Jamaica’s male sprinting might not be at the heights that it once was, but Tyquendo Tracey has no doubts that the current crop of sprinters has the ability to take Jamaica back to the top of international male sprinting.

Just one Jamaican has dipped below 10 seconds this season, with Yohan Blake’s 9.96 seconds season best leading the way for local sprinters.

However, Tracey (10.00), who, along with Blake are two of six Jamaicans set to compete on today’s opening day of competition at the World Championships inside the Khalifa International Stadium, believes that the event provides a platform to relaunch the island’s position in the male sprints.

“The males are coming back for sure. We have the talent, and it’s just to properly nurture these athletes – all of us, and as I said, we are coming back. I am just looking to move forward from this, and I am expecting good things for myself,” Tracey stated.

“At the end of the day, people always fail to look at the whole scheme of things where there will always be a turnaround. Jamaica is not 300 million strong, and to be able to put out good enough athletes every year is a major achievement when you should compare 2.5 million people to the rest of the world,” said Tracey. “You can’t always expect to have (Usain) Bolt and a Blake at his best all the time.”

Carrying Ja’s hopes

With Rasheed Dwyer and reserve André Ewers opting to focus on the 200m, the pair will carry Jamaica’s hopes in an event that is largely expected to be dominated by American Christian Coleman, who looks set to make this only the second time since 2008 that a Jamaican will not top the men’s 100m medal podium at a global outdoor championship following Justin Gatlin’s win at the 2017 ‘Worlds’.

Meanwhile, the Jamaican supporters will feel much better about their chances in the women’s 800m.

Natoya Goule will get started in her bid to become the first Jamaican to medal at the World Championships or the Olympics in the two-lap event, when she faces the starter at 5:34 p.m. (9:34 a.m. Jamaica time) in the heats.

Only one athlete, USA’s 2017 World Championships bronze medal winner Ajee Wilson, has gone faster than the Jamaican’s 1:57.90 this season, and the Commonwealth Games bronze medallist will feel good about her chances of creating history here in Doha.

Long jumper Tajay Gayle has also been impressing this season, improving his personal best to 8.32m, a mark that makes him the joint sixth-best athlete in the event at the championships.

Gayle’s coach, Stephen Francis, believes that once the 23-year-old applies himself well, he will make improvements to that mark and challenge for a medal in the event.

“Tajay, I think, has the capability to jump very, very far. I am hoping that him being new to this kind of event is not going to prevent him from doing as well as he could do, but I think he probably can be in medal contention,” said Francis. “We have made some technical improvements over the last few weeks, and, hopefully, he will be able to use those adjustments and set himself a big PB.”

James Beckford, who won silver medals at the 1996 Olympics as well as the 1995 and 2003 World Championships, is the only Jamaican to medal in the long jump at a major senior global championship.

Meanwhile, 400m hurdler Kemar Mowatt, who lowered his personal best to 48.70 seconds on his way to winning the national title this year, will be looking to repeat his 2017 London World Championships qualification to the final when he lines up in the the heats at 8:35 p.m. (12:35 p.m.).

Jordan Scott will also line up in the men’s triple jump qualifiers, starting at 7:25 p.m. (11:25 a.m).