As they set out on the final leg of their Olympic journey, the Jamaica Football Rugby Union (JFRU) is expressing appreciation for the unrelenting support provided by the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA).
The JOA had outlined a goal of attaining higher than normal sporting variety and qualification to the Olympic Games in Tokyo, in its ‘10 in 20’ plan. So far track and field, boxing, gymnastics, aquatics (diving) and swimming have made the mark.
For rugby, both Jamaica’s national men’s and women’s teams, the Reggae Crocs and Lady Crocs will be participating in the Olympic Repechage, which will decide the final qualifiers for the Tokyo Olympics.
The teams’ quest for Olympic participation started several years ago and included funding from the JOA as they prepared for a number of tournaments such as the 2017 Rugby America’s North Sevens at which Jamaica’s Reggae Crocs emerged as champions and the Lady Crocs placed third.
That victory launched Jamaica into the 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens in San Francisco, United States, the Central American and Caribbean Games, Commonwealth Games and Hong Kong Sevens.
“Being a member association of the Jamaica Olympic Association has some wonderful benefits and being in an Olympic qualification hunt affords us good support from the Jamaica Olympic Association,” said JFRU Chairman Jerry Benzwick.
“This is a wonderful initiative from the JOA that allows member unions to access funds and for this Repechage, access to these funds has been given to us by the JOA and without that support, I can tell you, our team would not have the funding to cover the expense of the preparations.”
Ryan Foster, the JOA’s Secretary General/CEO, expressed appreciation for rugby’s progress.
“We are extremely happy with the progress of rugby under Mr Benzwick and his team. The sport has seen tremendous growth and has increased their regional and international presence in the sport,” said Foster.
“The JOA will continue to provide avenues for our members such as the JRFU to find avenues to self-actualise and the Olympics is just one such avenue.”
“Under our Olympic Invest program, we have committed already over $40m to our members for which track and field, surfing, judo, skateboarding, karate, wrestling, gymnastics, fencing, boxing, aquatics, table tennis and rugby have all benefitted thus far.”
Rugby’s final qualification tournament will take place on June 19-20 in Monaco, featuring 12 women’s and 10 men’s teams. The teams represent each of World Rugby’s six regions and this tournament is their final chance to qualify for the Olympics.
In the men’s category, where two will qualify for the Olympics, Jamaica is drawn in Pool B, playing alongside France, Hong Kong, Chile and Uganda.
Pool A comprises Samoa, Ireland, Tonga, Zimbabwe and Mexico for a tournament format in which each team will play all opponents in its pool, with the top two progressing to the knockout stages. Pool winners will face the runners-up from the corresponding Pool, to book their ticket to the final and Tokyo.
For the women’s Olympic Repechage, the Lady Crocs also drew a spot in Pool B, where they will go up against Papua New Guinea, Kazakhstan and Tunisia. Pool A comprises Russia, Argentina, Mexico and Samoa, while Pool C consists of France, Hong Kong, Colombia and Madagascar.
The top two teams in each pool, plus the two third-placed teams with the highest point totals, will qualify for the knockout stages of the competition. As there are two Olympic qualification places available for women, the Repechage will feature two rounds of knockout games with the final round featuring four teams competing in two matches, where both winners gain Olympic qualification and claim their tickets to Tokyo.
Benzwick said while the teams did not prepare adequately, owing to COVID and not being granted approval to play or practice, the teams are working overtime to catch up and he believes they will do well in the Repechage.
“The girls are working hard, they are pushing themselves and our boys are having a good go at it to get themselves ready. So regardless of the setback and all the obstacles we think we are going to pull off a really good performance in this tournament,” he shared.
“I think our players have the spirit of crocodiles – they are resilient, they are tough, they are patient and they are hard-working. So they are thriving off their own energy right now and I’m watching them face adversity, watching them adapt, learn to be adaptive and accepting and just living the moment.
“I think that is very important for the success of any team. If you can seize the moment, it will always be the best team on the day that wins and the hungrier team. Mind you, fitness and experience and all the other attributes of being a sports person come into play, but sometimes it comes down to just grit and determination and that is something that the Crocs are not short of.”
The Jamaican teams have been involved in a pre-tournament camp and will have another in Monaco prior to the Repechage. Benzwick again lauded the JOA for the support to boost its preparation and Olympic hopes.
“We have been afforded a rare opportunity to host an actual camp before we go to the Repechage and this has made a world of difference so far,” said Benzwick. “So we are truly grateful.”
Hughes targets Olympic glory; expects Racers Grand Prix to offer taste of potential Paris test
Winning a first global individual medal at last year’s World Championships whetted Zharnel Hughes’s appetite for more success, and so it comes as no surprise that the Anguillan-born Great Britain sprint sensation is strongly optimistic about clinching a medal at this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris.
In fact, if Hughes’s confidence to top his performances from last year is anything to go by, then he could very well accomplish the feat, provided he maintains a clean bill of health throughout the season.
During last year’s electrifying campaign, which ended with his World Championships bronze in the men’s 100m final, Hughes broke Olympic champion Linford Christie’s 100m British national record when he clocked a personal best 9.83 seconds at the New York Grand Prix, in June.
A month later, at the UK Athletics Championship, Hughes ran a brisk 19.77s, which is faster than John Regis’s national 200m record, but the time was wind-aided and, as such, was recognised as a record. However, Hughes, with his superb form, inevitably established a new record when he clocked a wind-legal 19.73s at the London Diamond League.
With that in mind, coupled with his relentless work ethic and resolute pursuit of excellence, Hughes is poised to make another significant impact on the world stage this year. Whether or not it will be an Olympic gold medal triumph is left to be seen.
“It's the Olympic year, so obviously you want to better what you did last year. I'm happy with how last year turned out for me, and this year is very much more exciting. I'm preparing myself nicely. I'm feeling fit and ready to go. Obviously as an athlete, you want to lower your personal best every year, but unfortunately, sometimes it doesn't work out like that. But I'm definitely aiming to lower my personal best both in the 100m and 200m,” Hughes declared.
“I'm in good shape and I’m excited. I've definitely counted myself as one of them (athletes) to be reckoned with (for an Olympic gold medal). I'm never going to count myself out now because you've seen what happened last year, and I'm excited to top my performance from last year,” he added.
Though he 48.25s in a 400m run in February, followed by a 20.40s-clocking in March, the 28-year-old pointed out that he is yet to really hit top gear in preparation for the upcoming Olympic Games, but is aiming to do so at the sixth edition of the Racers Grand Prix, on June 1, at Jamaica's National Stadium.
At the Racers Grand Prix, Hughes will line up alongside Racers Track Club teammate Oblique Seville and American World champion Noah Lyles in the 100m, which he considers a good prelude for what could come at the Paris Games.
“I'm looking forward to it, I was listening for who was going to be there; Oblique and I have been training pretty good and I know both of us representing coach Glen Mills, will be bringing it on the day. So, I look forward to who's in the field, especially with Lyles being there,” Hughes said.
“This race is to get you prepared for what's to come later in the summer. So, to have great competition like that at the Racers Grand Prix is just a great indicator to see where we're at, and what we can tweak going into our national trials, because my trials will be the latter part of June. So, for me, I'm looking forward to this race and the following week I'll have the European Championships as well. So, it'll be a great indicator for me,” he shared.
Working tirelessly under the watchful eyes of decorated coach Mills, Hughes, a four-time European Champion, has upped the ante in the gym to improve his strength, as he is leaving no stone unturned in his quest for Olympic glory.
“My training has been going tremendously well. I'm excited to open up properly (at Racers Grand Prix) because my first race wasn't so good because I had a little niggle, but I've overcome that now and I'm very excited to see what's there. I've worked on my strength a lot, physically, I'm a lot stronger and I just want to keep on top of my mental health as well,” Hughes revealed.
“Those things are very crucial going into an Olympic year, so you have to be very focused. You have to ensure that your body is properly fit as well in order to go there to give the best that you're looking for. So, I'm pretty sharp on keeping my mental focus up and ensuring that I'm properly recovered,” he ended.
Christania Williams and Coach Unfried target return to personal best ahead of Jamaica National Championships
Christania Williams, the talented Jamaican sprinter and 2018 Commonwealth Games silver medalist, is setting her sights on reclaiming her peak form as she gears up for the Jamaica National Championships in June, with her eyes firmly set on securing a spot at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris this summer.
Since her impressive performance as part of Jamaica's silver-medal-winning 4x100m relay team at the Rio 2016 Olympics, Williams, now 29, has faced setbacks due to injuries and other undisclosed health concerns. However, under the guidance of her coach, Philipp Unfried, she is focused and determined to return to her personal best time of 10.96 seconds.
Unfried outlined their strategy for the upcoming season, emphasizing Williams' goal of nearing or even surpassing her personal best. "The plan for 2024 is to get close to where she was, close to her PB or maybe around PB," stated Unfried. "She is going to do some more races now in preparation for trials and training went really well so far."
At the Velocity Fest 15 on Saturday meeting held at the Ashenheim Stadium in Jamaica, Williams demonstrated her potential by clocking a time of 11.76 seconds into a headwind in her qualifying heat, securing second place behind Remona Burchell, who won the heat in 11.52 seconds. Despite challenging conditions with winds affecting her heat, Williams progressed to the B final.
In the B final, Williams improved her performance, achieving a season's best time of 11.56 seconds. Although she finished second in the final, Williams' progress is indicative of her determination and gradual return to top form.
"Mentally, I am ready," expressed Williams. "The aim right now is to get back to my personal best. There is no pressure. Right now the focus is on me, just taking it one step at a time."
Williams acknowledged the mental fortitude required to overcome setbacks and stay focused on her goals. "It's about going into the race and doing exactly what I do in training," she affirmed. "I know I have a lot of potential, I still believe there is more in there and I still haven’t reached my full potential."
Despite the obstacles she has faced, Williams remains resolute in her determination to move forward. "With all that has happened in the past, I am just trying to put that behind and move forward," she explained. "I do have days when that really gets to me mentally but it’s life. If something happens, you don’t use that to keep yourself down."
As Williams continues her journey towards peak performance, supported by the unwavering guidance of Coach Unfried, the upcoming Jamaica National Championships will serve as a crucial stepping stone towards her ultimate goal of representing Jamaica at the Olympic Games in Paris.
Asafa Powell's absence cost Jamaica a faster 4x100m world record in 2012, suggests Gatlin
In a recent episode of the Ready, Set, Go podcast, American sprint legend Justin Gatlin delved into the hypotheticals of Jamaica's historic 4x100m relay run at the London 2012 Olympics, suggesting that the world record of 36.84 seconds could have been even faster had former world record holder Asafa Powell been part of the lineup.
Powell, renowned for his blistering speed having held the 100m world record at 9.77 and 9.74s, missed out on the opportunity to join the likes of Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Yohan Blake, and Usain Bolt in that record-breaking relay team due to a groin injury sustained during the final of the 100m.
Gatlin, reflecting on the potential of the Jamaican squad, speculated that adding Powell to the mix could have propelled them to an astonishing 36.5-second mark.
"Adding Asafa Powell to that already formidable lineup of Bolt, Blake, Carter, and Frater could have pushed the team to an even faster time," Gatlin remarked on his podcast. Powell's absence, while the team still delivered Olympic gold, left room for speculation on just how much quicker they could have been.
Gatlin, a seasoned sprinter himself, understands the unique pressure and responsibility that comes with relay events. "There is a difference between being an individual runner at the Olympics or world championships and being part of a relay team," he explained. "If you falter as an individual, it's on you; but in a relay, it's on the country's back."
Reflecting on the challenges of breaking a world record in relay events, Gatlin emphasized the need for everything to align perfectly. "36.8 is a gigantic order. 37 low is a tall order," he admitted. "Everyone needs to be in peak condition and ready to run."
Looking ahead to the future, Gatlin also weighed in on Team USA's chances of breaking the 12-year-long Jamaican 4x100m relay world record in 2024. "It's going to take a near-perfect performance from a team firing on all cylinders to surpass what Jamaica achieved in 2012," Gatlin predicted.
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