Traves Smikle - Ricardo Makyn

National representative at the discus Traves Smikle believes he may have fared better at the Olympic Games, had his regular coach Julian Robinson been present.

"First of all, I am not as strong as those other competitors and so I have to rely on my technique until I develop fully, and so he (coach) would be the one telling me what I am doing wrong and what I am doing right," Smikle explained.

"If he was there my technique would've been much more different, and I would have performed a bit better," he said.

Continuing, Smikle said: "Maurice Westney (coach) did a pretty good job, but when you have a certain coach who you've developed a relationship with, he knows certain things and he could pinpoint them to you, and that's what was missing for me.

"He (Westney) understood the technique very well and he told me what I was doing wrong and I tried to correct it, but there were some other key things that I wasn't doing right that my coach would have pointed out to me," Smikle said.

The thrower has in the meantime decided to take up a scholarship at the University of the West Indies (UWI) instead of going overseas.

The 20-year-old Smikle, who created history for Jamaica when he won a bronze medal at the IAAF World Youth Championships in Italy in 2009, said his coach Julian Robinson and parents were happy with his decision.

"I decided to stay home because UWI (University of the West Indies) offered me a scholarship and so I will see how it goes from there," said the talented left-hander on arrival at the Norman Manley International Airport on Monday.

"If I stay here, I will get big meets overseas and so that would not be an issue," he said. "However, in the collegiate system I know will have competition, but it is still pretty much the same if I am out there."

He added: "Staying home, I think it is a good decision because my coach thinks so and my parents also think it is a good decision."

Smikle noted that he will be pursuing a career in law at the UWI.

Smikle, who finished 20th overall with a best effort of 61.85m, has expressed mixed emotions over his performance at the Olympic Games.

"It was a bittersweet feeling because I didn't have my coach with me, and in terms of progressing and maintaining the technique it wasn't there, but I pulled through," Smikle said.

"This was my first Olympic Games among the guys that I admire and watch, and it was really good because I wasn't intimidated by them, and I went out there and I did my best," he said.