Jamaica's success at this summer's Beijing Olympics continues to reap dividends as numerous countries book time to train on the island.

President of the North America, Central America and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC), Neville 'Teddy' McCook, yesterday told the Observer he has had queries from various countries including Denmark, Egypt, Greece and Slovenia, who want their athetes to train in Jamaica.

"We have been getting a lot of requests from federations overseas to come here (Jamaica) for short-term preparation in athletics for one reason or another," McCook said.

Jamaica won a record 11 medals - six gold, three silver and two bronze - during the 29th Olympiad in Beijing to finish third in the track & field medals table behind the United States (23) and Russia (18).

Only five of the 15 athletes who shared in Jamaica's medal haul - Veronica Campbell, Kerron Stewart, Novlene Williams, Shereefa Lloyd and Dwight Thomas - do not train in the island.

"We do have a lot of other requests (but); we do not have the accommodation facilities at the (IAAF) High Performance Training Centre, and so I'm working very closely with Miss (Grace) Jackson up at the University (of the West Indies) to see how we can access accommodation facilities for these teams that are coming and I can assure you that a lot of countries, mostly from Europe, are requesting to train here," he added.

Jackson, the 1998 Olympic 200 metres silver medallist to whom McCook refers, is currently the Student Services and Development Manager in charge of Sports at the University of West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus.

She indicates that six athletes from Denmark, along with their coach, are scheduled to arrive in Jamaica on December 30 and train at UWI until January 15.

"We'll be giving them the Usain Bolt experience of training on our grass track and using our facilities, exposing them and others likewise, to this experience," said Jackson, who explained that the move forms part of UWI's plan to reposition itself in sports.

"This is part of the repositioning, being able to have available the facilities to accommodate situations like these. The accommodation, the use of the track, the use of the weight room is also part of this package that we have been promoting in recent times of what we offer in terms of physical therapy, testing, the training (and) we have elements of nutrition there as well and we can also get research done from all of that," added Jackson, who also serves as first vice-president of the Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association.

McCook said the Danish group of mostly hurdlers will be preparing for the 2009 European Indoor Championships set for Torino, Italy between March 6 and 8.

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