Paralympians on qualification quest

Ryon Jones, Gleaner Writer

Four of Jamaica's paralympians left the island yesterday for the 2010 US Paralympics Track and Field National Championships being held in Miramar, Florida, between June 18 and 20.

The team, which consists of veteran athletes Sylvia Grant, Alphanso Cunningham, Kevon Reid and Tanto Campbell, is hoping to use these games to qualify for the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) World Athletics Championships, which is set for January 16-30, 2011, in New Zealand.

Reid is a former world record holder in the discus F53 and 2008 Beijing bronze medallist in the discus class F56.

Coach Jefferson Davis and team manager Suzanne Harris-Henry, complete the six-member delegation.

Christopher Samuda, first vice-president of the Jamaica Paralympic Association, said limited funding prevent them from sending a bigger team.

"You have to qualify for the championships and given our limited resources we could only afford to send those athletes," said Samuda. "There are other athletes, one (Shane Hutson) in particular, who did not get a visa. But we are hoping that there will be other qualifying championships elsewhere so that he will be able to participate in those championships and therefore qualify."

The team comprises only field events competitors with Grant bowing into action on Friday in the javelin classes F54-F58 at 8:30 a.m., before returning at 8 p.m. for the discus classes F54 and F58.

Reid will take the field at 10:45 a.m. to contest the shot put classes F54-F56, and again at 9:15 a.m. on Saturday for the javelin classes F54-F56.

Campbell will also be in action on Saturday, at 7:30 a.m., in the discus classes F51-F53, while Cunningham will participate in the discus, classes F51-F53, at 6 p.m. on Saturday, before wrapping up on Sunday in the javelin classes F52-F53.

Samuda believes the team can do well at the World Championships.

Samuda said: "If we go through the qualifying rounds, and I do not expect us not to do so, I think we have a very good chance. A lot, of course, depends on the training that we will do from now up until the games.

"We have limited resources, compared with other developed countries and therefore our athletes are at a disadvantage. They have nonetheless competed quite well despite the lack of resources and equipment, and I suspect that they are going to do well," he added.