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Jamaica's Maurice Smith - File
Guadalajara, Mexico:
Jamaica's delegation at the XVI Pan American Games will be looking to significantly increase their two-medal tally when track and field action starts at the Telmex Athletics Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico today.
At the last Games in 2007 Jamaica won nine medals, seven of which came in track and field, and the hope here is that the athletes who go into action today at 1 p.m. will add to the one swimming silver and badminton bronze the team has won so far.
Manager George Peryer and head coach Raymond Graham are both optimistic that the athletes will do well over the five days of track and field.
Jamaica travelled to the Games without megastars such as world 100 and 200 metres record holder Usain Bolt, 2001 world 100 metres champion among the men and female stars Veronica Campbell-Brown and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce but the manager and coach still expect the Jamaican flag to still fly high.
Graham said yesterday the athletes here have been responding well to training.
Most attention will be focused on the men's decathlon which has attracted two Jamaicans, Maurice Smith and Claston Bernard.
Smith, the national record holder with 8644 points, will defend the title he won in 2007 in Rio de Janeiro. The captain of the men's track and field team said on Friday that he was in very good form and ready to successfully defend his title. He had a disappointing World Championships in Daegu where he dropped out after six of the ten events but is ready to rebound.
His main rivals will be Cuba's Leonel Suarez who won a bronze in Daegu and Brazil's rising star Luiz Araujo who had a 8115 points performance recently.
The men's and women's 100 metres are also on today. Jamaica is not represented in the women's 100m.
Jamaica's sprint duo will be strongly challenged by 2011 World Championships 100m bronze medallist Kim Collins of St Kitts and Nevis. Collins has rejuvenated his career this year and if he reproduces his Daegu form will be hard to beat.
Jamaica will be represented in one final today, the women's hammer throw where three-time national champion and Delhi Commonwealth Games representative, Natalie Grant will be in action. Also down to compete today are long jumper Herbert McGregor and 400 metres hurdlers Sheryl Morgan and Rushell Clayton.
