No worries over World Indoors in Europe - Ja coach

Daniel Wheeler/Staff Reporter

With the World Athletics Indoor Championships two weeks away in an uncertain time for the European continent, national head coach Paul Francis does not anticipate outside factors impacting Jamaica’s preparations to take on the world’s best.

The Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association released their 16-person team to compete at the Championships, scheduled for Belgrade, Serbia, from March 18-20 on Monday.

Francis will lead the team as the head coach with Lloyd Clarke, Mark Elliot and Lennox Graham on the coaching staff. Olympian Sherone Simpson has been named to the management team as the female team official.

World Athletics, on February 25, issued a statement reassuring participants that Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine, which has thrown Europe into a state of angst, would not affect plans for the staging of the games and Francis says that with that mindset, the coaching staff hopes to create the best environment possible for the team to perform.

“I believe in leaving expert decisions for persons who are experts at a particular area. I’m sure World Athletics has already done their reasonable homework with expert advice and they do not think of it as being a threatening type of situation for the World Indoors in Serbia,” Francis told The Gleaner. “Therefore I am not concerned about that. We are just there to do our jobs professionally the best way we can.”

The team is led by World Outdoor Champion hurdler Danielle Williams, who ran a world-leading 7.75 seconds last month, as well as Britany Anderson who is among the top five in the world this year with her 7.82 seconds run, also in February.

World Indoor 4x400m relay silver medallist Natoya Goule, who will compete in the 800m, has the second-fastest time in the world this year at the distance with one minute, 58.46 seconds.

Among the 13 women in the team are multiple Olympic and World outdoor championship medallist Shericka Jackson, Tokyo Olympic 4x100m gold medallist Briana Williams and 2018 World Indoor shot put silver medallist Danniel Thomas-Dodd

Ronald Levy (60m hurdles), Nigel Ellis (60m) and Christopher Taylor (400m) will be the only men who will represent Jamaica at the games.

While pleased with the current form of the team and not giving a set medal target at the games, Francis says that they cannot be complacent if desired outcomes are to be achieved.

“Sometimes you get distracted by statistics. Our statistics state, for example, that we have two of the top four women in the world at the 60m hurdles and we have the second-fastest woman in the world in the 800m in Natoya Goule. But on the track, we have to get ready and put the performances out,” Francis said.

“So basically, we, the coaching staff, the management and the therapeutic staff, we just want to create the best possible environment for them to be able to do this and make us and everybody proud. That is our aim. That is our mantra. That is our intention.”

daniel.wheelergleanerjm.com

Men

Christopher Taylor: 400m

Ronald Levy: 60m H

Nigel Ellis: 60m

Women

Shericka Jackson: 60m

Briana Williams: 60m

Roneisha McGregor: 400m 4x400m relay

Stephenie Ann McPherson: 400m, 4x400m relay

Natoya Goule: 800m

Britany Anderson: 60m Hurdles

Danielle Williams: 60m Hurdles

Kimberly Williams: Triple Jump

Danniel Thomas-Dodd: Shot Put

Junelle Bromfield: 4x400m relay, 400m alternate

Tiffany James: 4x400m relay

Tovea Jenkins: 4x400m relay

Janieve Russell: 4x400m relay

Management Staff