Track and field boss Pat Anderson (left) confers with first vice president Lincoln Eatmon yesterday during a press conference announcing Jamaica's delegation to the Olympic Games in Athens next month. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

The Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) yesterday formally announced its 78-member contingent for the August 13-29 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.

World Junior record holder, Usain Bolt, who has been included in the Olympic squad, will undergo a physical examination today by Dr Warren Blake at the National Stadium to determine his level of fitness.

Dr Blake told the Observer yesterday that he will present his findings and make a report to the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA) today.

His report should be released to the media tomorrow, Dr Blake added.

Meanwhile, the un-named athlete who allegedly tested positive for testosterone has also been included in the squad, officials said yesterday. He or she has five days in which to respond to the alleged positive result.

Jamaica's leading quarter-miler, Lorraine Fenton, silver medallist at the 2000 Olympic Games and last year's World Championships, has not recovered from her hamstring injury and will not travel to Athens.

Jamaica will be represented at the 2004 Olympic Games in athletics, badminton, shooting and swimming.

Chef de Mission Don Anderson said at a press conference yesterday that the first batch of athletes (track and field) for the Games, about 25, will leave on Monday, August 2 for a seven-day training camp in Nuremberg, Germany.

Anderson will leave for Athens Wednesday night (August 4) to prepare the way.

The JOA's first vice-president said his duties will include "a thorough cross-check" of Jamaica's application for participation, including officials, at the Olympics.

On August 7, Anderson noted, the four swimmers and their two officials will leave Jamaica, accompanied by badminton player Nigella Saunders and her manager/coach Kingsley Ford. They are expected to arrive in Athens on August 8.

Shooter Dawn Kobayashi and her manager/coach Dr Keith Hammond depart Jamaica on August 10 to arrive in Greece on August 11, the same day that the track and field delegation are expected to return from their training camp in Germany.

Anderson said that the Jamaican home in the Olympic Village will be located close to the 24-hour dining hall and the transport hall.

"So we are very conveniently located in the Village," he stressed.

Once athletes have finished competing, they will immediately leave Athens immediately, said the chef de mission.

Athletes will be given incentives by the government through the CHASE Funds. Individually, a gold medal will be worth US$12,000; silver, US$8,000; and bronze, US$6,000.

For the relays, the gold medal team will pocket a total US$18,000; silver medal, US$12,000; and bronze, US$10,000.

Sponors for the team include Digicel, Tru-Juice, Lasco, Puma and National Commercial Bank.

Jamaica's delegation

Don Anderson - chef de mission
Marie Tavares - assistant delegation manager
Lloyd Gooden - assistant delegation manager
Compton Rodney - assistant delegation manager

Athletics, women

Veronica Campbell - 100m, 200m, 4x100m
Sherone Simpson - 100m, 4x100m
Aleen Bailey - 100m, 200m, 4x100m
Beverly McDonald - 200m, 4x100m
Tayna Lawrence - alternate for 100m
Peta-Gaye Dowdie - 4x100m
Kerron Stewart - 4x100m
Nadia Davy 400m - 4x400m
Novlene Williams - 400m 4x400m
Ronetta Smith - 400m, 4x400m
Allison Beckford - 4x400m
Sandie Richards - 4x400m
Michelle Burgher - 4x400m
Michelle Ballentine - 800m
Delloreen Ennis-London - 100m hurdles
Brigitte Foster - 100m hurdles
Lacena Golding-Clarke - 100m hurdles
Debbie-Ann Parris - 400m hurdles
Patrina Allen - 400m hurdles
Shevon Stoddart - 400m hurdles
Elva Goulbourne - long jump
Trecia Smith - triple jump
Kimberli Barrett - shot put

Athletics, men

Asafa Powell - 100m, 4x100m, alternate for 200m
Steve Mullings - 100m, 200m, 4x100m
Dwight Thomas - 100m, 4x100m
Michael Frater - 4x100m
Patrick Jarrett - 4x100m
Winston Smith - 4x100m
Christopher Williams - 200m
Usain Bolt - 200m
Brandon Simpson - 400m, 4x400m
Michael Blackwood - 400m, 4x400m
Davian Clarke - 400m, 4x400m
Jermaine Gonzales - 4x400m, alternate for 400m
Richard James - 4x400m
Michael Campbell - 4x40m
Maurice Wignall - 110m hurdles
Christopher Pinnock - 110m hurdles
Richard Phillips - 110m hurdles
Danny McFarlane - 400m hurdles
Dean Griffiths - 400m hurdles
Kemel Thompson - 400m hurdles
James Beckford - long jump
Claston Bernard - decathlon
Maurice Smith - decathlon

Athletics officials

Lincoln Eatmon - team manager
Ian Forbes - assistant team manager
Dennis Johnson - head coach
Glen Mills - coach
Fitz Coleman - coach
Stephen Francis - coach
Maurice Wilson - coach
Maurice Westney - coach
Raymond Graham - coach

Badminton

Nigella Saunders - women's singles
Kingsley Ford - manager/coach

Shooting

Dawn Kobayashi - 10m air rifle
Keith Hammond - manager/coach

Swimming

Janelle Atkinson - 200m free, 400m free
Angella Chuck - 100m free
Alia Atkinson - 50m free, 100m breast
Jevon Atkinson - 50m free
John Eyre - manager
Jacqueline Walter - coach
Youth Camp
Gillian Millwodd
Vishwanauth Tolan

The fear factor

Feeding the multitude

DANGEROUS PETS