RAYMOND GRAHAM, Star Writer
Kerron Stewart...could win as many as three medals. - AP
IN a couple of days, all Jamaicans will be glued to their television sets as track and field events at the Beijing Olympics will start Friday night (local time). With expectations so high of Jamaica getting their most medals ever, no one will want to miss this historic moment.
It is true that this is Jamaica's best team to attend a major championships, but bear in mind that this is the Olympic Games and other athletes from the various countries are also coming to make their presence felt.
Based on form going into the Games, Jamaica, especially in the sprinting events, are expected to be favourites to medal. Following are The STAR's predictions of the top three finishers in selected events. These are the events that Jamaican athletes are expected to be among the finalists.
MEN'S 100mJamaica will be well represented here with new record holder Usain Bolt and former record holder Asafa Powell, along with World Champion Tyson Gay of the United States fighting for the gold. Bolt, with his world record run of 9.72 seconds this year, is new in this event, while both Powell and Gay are very experienced. After injury earlier this year, Powell has shown great form going into the Games and has chalked up three successive wins, including one over Bolt. Gay has not competed in six weeks due to an injury at the United States Olympic Trials and this could affect his chance of taking the gold. Bolt is given the edge here to win.
1. Usain Bolt (Jam) 2. Asafa Powell (Jam) 3. Tyson Gay (USA)
MEN'S 200mFollowing his expected win in the 100 metres, Bolt will be seeking his second gold medal in five days. With the three leading top times of 19.67, 19.76 and 19.83 in the world this year, there is no stopping the Jamaican and his win here is expected to be much easier than the 100 metres.
1. Usain Bolt (Jam) 2. Walter Dix (USA) 3. Shawn Crawford (USA)
MEN'S 400mJamaica's Ricardo Chambers has been in top form going into the Games as he has recorded three consecutive sub-45 second times. He should be among the finalists but will find it hard in medalling as the United States' Jeremy Wariner, the only sub-44 second competitor this season, is expected to defend his title successfully.
1. Jeremy Wariner (USA) 2. Lashawn Merritt (USA) 3. Chris Brown (Bah)
MEN'S DECATHLONAfter a surprised finish at last year's World Championships where he got a silver, decathlete Maurice Smith will have to reproduce that form if he hopes to be among the medals. His main challengers will be World Champion Ramon Sebele and Bryan Clay, who are both in top form.
1. Bryan Clay (USA) 2. Ramon Sebele (CZE) 3. Dimitriy Karpov (KAZ)
MEN'S 400m hurdlesFollowing his silver medal in Athens, Danny McFarlane, who is expected to compete in his final Olympics, will want to leave with a bang by grabbing another medal. He has been consistent all season and has a good chance of medalling, but it will be no easy task.
1. Kerron Clement (USA) 2. Bershawn Jackson (USA) 3. LJ Van Zyl (South Africa)
Jamaica's Asafa Powell (left) and Usain Bolt are medal favourites. - AP
MEN'S 4x100mJamaica will be seeking their first major win in this event. With the likes of Bolt, Powell, Michael Frater and Nesta Carter, the Jamaicans are expected to be the favourite here. Despite not boasting as much speed as the Jamaicans, the USA have been participating as a unit in several meets leading up to the Games, and like they did last year in Osaka, they could upstage the Jamaicans. Victory for the USA will also hinge on the fitness level of Gay as they try to redeem themselves after being upstaged by Britain four years ago. Trinidad, with two sub-10 runners, should not be taken lightly along with defending champion Great Britain.
1. Jamaica 2. U.S.A 3. Trinidad
MEN'S 4x400MAfter being disqualified in Athens four years ago and failing to medal at the World Championships last year, Jamaica, led by Chambers, Sanjay Ayre, Michael Blackwood and Allodin Fothergill, will be hoping to to set things right this time around and be among the medalists. They are expected to fight out for the bronze with Trinidad, Poland and Australia as the United States and the Bahamas team are a cut above the others.
1. U.S.A 2. Bahamas 3. Jamaica
WOMEN'S 100MDespite the absence of Veronica Campbell-Brown in this event, Jamaica will still be strongly represented in national champion Kerron Stewart (10.80), Shelly Ann Fraser (10.85) and Sherone Simpson (10.86). These three athletes are capable of filling the podium. This event looks to be a straight duel between Jamaica and the United States, as the U.S.A will be led by world 100 metres silver medallist Lauryn Williams, their national champion Muna Lee and world leader Torrie Edwards who did 10.78 at their trials. Also look out for Defending champion Yulia Nesterenko of Belaruse who was very quiet leading up to the 2004 Games and could repeat with another surprise performance.
1. Lauryn William (U.S.A) 2. Kerron Stewart ( Jam) 3. Muna Lee (U.S.A)
WOMEN'S 200MThis event, like the 100 metres, will see the United States vs Jamaica once again. After failing to make it in the 100 metres, Jamaica's Campbell-Brown has been in great form this season in the half lap event as she has two sub-22 second clocking this season with her 21.94 seconds done at the National Championships being the top time in the world. Despite not showing the same form of a year ago, the United States' Allison Felix is a dangerous competitor and once she comes to the Games injury-free she will not be beaten. While both Campbell-Brown and Felix will be fresh going into this event, the likes of Jamaica's Stewart and Simpson along with the United States Lee would have competed in at least four rounds of the 100 metres and this could take the toll on them.
1. Allison Felix (U.S.A) 2. Kerron Stewart (Jam) 3. Veronica Campbell-Brown (Jam)
WOMEN'S 400MThis will be the easiest race to call among the women as the United States' Sanya Richards is head and shoulder above her rivals and should win on a canter to take home her first major individual title. World Championships gold medallist Christine Ohuruogu of Great Britain with a season best of 50.80 seconds can perform on the big stage and she along with Jamaica's Novlene Williams-Mills, and the Russian pair of Anastasiya Kapachinskaya and Yulia Guschina should fight out for the other two medals.
1. Sanya Richards (U.S.A) 2. Yulia Guschina (Russia) 3. Christine Ohuruogu (Great Britain)
WOMEN'S 100M HURDLESThis will be the most difficult event to call at the Olympic Games as any of seven ladies can win the gold. These are Jamaica's Delloreen Ennis-London and Brigitte Foster-Hylton, the United States' Lolo Jones and Damu Cherry, Sweden's Susan Kallur, Australia's Sally McLellan and Spain's Josephine Onyia. With defending champion Joanna Hayes and her compatriot Michelle Perry, the two-time World Champion, not competing, the race is wide open. The two Jamaicans are the most experienced here and could use this to their advantage, while Kallur, who looked out of class at the start of the year before a hamstring injury jolted her preparation, could be waiting for this moment. World leaders Jones and the inactive Cherry will be hoping the title remains in the United States. Onyia has lost some of her early form while McLellan seems to be peaking at the right time and she will have to be caught as she has a good start.
1. Sally McLellan (Aus) 2. Lolo Jones (U.S.A) 3. Susan Kallur (Sweden)
WOMEN's 400M HURDLESWorld leader, Melaine Walker of Jamaica with her personal best 53.48 seconds done in her final meet leading up to the Games will be hoping to join Deon Hemmings by becoming Jamaica's second gold medallist in the 400 metres hurdles. The United States has never won gold at the Olympics in this event and Tiffany Ross-Williams and Athens fourth-place finisher Sheena Tosta could give the U.S.A their first win here as they were very close behind Walker in 53.54 and 53.58 seconds respectively. The likes of Jamaica's Nickeisha Wilson, Poland's Anna Jesein, the United States' Queen Harrison and Russia's Yekaterina Bikert could also spring surprises.
Melaine Walker looks to win Jamaica's second Olympic medal in the 400m hurdles. - AP
1. Sheena Tosta (U.S.A) 2. Melaine Walker (Jam) 3. Tiffany Ross-Williams (U.S.A) .
4x100M RELAYIt will be hard stopping Jamaica, the defending champion in this event. With their four top athletes running sub 10.9 seconds, the Jamaicans could threaten the world record of 41.37 seconds here. However, relay is not only about speed but the chemistry is very important and the United States seemed to have better cohesion than the Jamaicans as they have been competing in relay races leading up to the Games. Since 1996, the United States have not won the gold here and will be determined to set the record straight. It is hard to separate both teams here, but the key in winning could be who runs the third leg for both teams as this leg will decide the winner.
1. Jamaica 2. U.S.A 3. Russia
4x400M RELAYThis is a four-way fight between the United States, Great Britain, Russia and Jamaica. Four years ago, the Russians were touted to beat the Americans but had to settle for silver with Jamaica taking the bronze. Jamaica's team is much stronger than the one that broke the national record last year but the United States, who is expected to include Allison Felix in their team to join Sanya Richards and company, are given the edge to retain their title. It should be close going all the way, however, as Jamaica, led by Novlene and Shericka Williams, along with Shereefa Lloyd and new kid on the block Rosemarie Whyte, could spring a big surprise.
1. U.S.A 2. Jamaica 3. Russia
FINAL TALLY
MEN - GOLD 3, SILVER 1, BRONZE 1
WOMEN - GOLD 1, SILVER 4, BRONZE 1
OVERALL TOTAL: GOLD 4, SILVER 5, BRONZE 2 = 11 MEDALS
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