Jamaica will send probably its strongest team ever to the 2017 staging of the World University Games in Chinese Taipei to be held August 19-30, just days after the end of World Championships in London, England.

Athletes such as Jamaica’s leading discus thrower and The University of the West Indies student athlete Fedrick Dacres will go in search of Jamaica’s largest medal haul at the games.

A number of senior athletes have previously participated in the games, including Hansle Parchment, who won gold in the 110m hurdles in 2011, before going on to win bronze at the Olympic Games in London in 2012 and silver at the World Championships in Russia in 2013.

Danielle Williams has also used the games as a stepping stone, winning gold in Gwanju, South Korea in 2015, before going on to win gold at the World Championships in Beijing, China, a few weeks later.

Chairman of the selection committee Laurence Garriques said it was not easy to select the team as athlete availability was a major consideration. Sixteen track and field athletes and one swimmer will form part of the contingent.

Demish Gaye, Daniel Glave, Shasha Lee Forbes, Rhonda Whyte and Yanique Thompson, all of GC Foster College, were named. Donna Lee Loney, Tiffany James and Jamarie Rose of the Mico University were also among the athletes listed.

Overseas-based Clive Pullen, who represents the University of Arkansas, has returned to full fitness and will contest the triple jump.

Kellian Knibb and Danielle Thomas-Dodd will lead the female charge in the field, while Michael Gunning out of the University of East London is the lone swimmer.

Head of delegation is Dalton Myers, team manager is Laurence Garriques, the head coach is David Riley with assistant coach Sean Michael Samuels.

Garriques is expecting a very strong showing from the athletes named.

“A competition such as this, Jamaica ultimately has to be a part. We are expecting that this will possibly be our best performance at the World University games,” he said at a press conference at the Spanish Court Hotel in New Kingston yesterday.

While boasting of the quality athletes that the country will be sending to the games, Garriques pleaded for corporate support.

“We still do need support from corporate Jamaica with funding our trip to Taipei,” he pleaded.

Head coach David Riley, who has a lot of experience managing track and field teams, suggested that he would have the easiest task of all.

“The expectations are that the athletes will perform at their best. We hope that there are no injuries and that, indeed, if they are able to perform based on their potential, it should be a very good outing for Jamaica. Our task is really to make sure they are in the right frame of mind and have all that they need to perform at a high level,” he noted.

Dacres, who has represented Jamaica at just about every level of track and field, said he felt honoured to be a part of the team headed to Taipei.

“Being selected for this team is a real honour for me because I have represented Jamaica at almost every level except the World University Games, so being able to represent a tertiary body is an honour.”

GC Foster College, under the guidance of head coach Maurince Wilson, has the largest representation of any university on the team, four of whom will also be representing Jamaica at the World Championships in London.