Discus throwers Traves Smikle and Basil Bingham will hope to get Jamaica’s medal quest off to a good start on today’s opening day of the track and field section of the Central American and Caribbean Games at the 42,700-capacity Roberto Melendez stadium in Baranquilla, Colombia.

Attention will return to the main stadium that hosted the opening ceremony, and where the closing ceremony will be held later this week when the festival of sports comes to an end.

Jamaica has named a 51-member team that is expected to add significantly to the medals already won in swimming and squash.

Five events are scheduled to be decided today, but the men’s discus throw will be the only final featuring Jamaicans on a day where 14 members of the team will start their trek to medals in seven events.

Smikle was eighth in the men’s discus at last year’s IAAF World Championships in London and took the silver in the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia in March.

In addition to the men’s discus throw, Jamaican athletes are down to take part in the men’s and women’s 100m, 400m hurdles and 800m events.

Olympic Games and World Championships medallist Nesta Carter, who will be representing the national team for the first time in years, will be lining up in the men’s 100m along with Javoy Tucker, and both will be seeking a place in the semi-finals set for later in the day.

Jonelle Smith, who just set a new personal best 11.07 seconds at a Diamond League meeting in London last week, and Jura Levy are the Jamaicans in the women’s 100m who will seek a place the semi-finals later.

Annsert White and Shawn Rowe will line up in the semi-finals of the men’s 400m hurdles, while Rushell Clayton and Rhonda Whyte will be seeking a place in the final of the women’s equivalent.

Jauavney James, fresh off his first senior appearance at the IAAF World Cup in London, and Eric McKenzie will represent Jamaica in the 800m. Simoya Campbell and Fellan Ferguson will line up in the women’s two-lap race.

Team:

Women — Saniel Atkinson-Grier (high jump), Isheka Binns (shot put, discus throw), Junelle Bromfield (4x400m), Simoya Campbell (800m) Rushell Clayton (400m hurdles), Fellan Ferguson (800m), Shashalee Forbes (200m), Gleneve Grange (shot put) Tissanna Hickling (long jump), Derriann Hill (400m), Tiffany James (400m, 4x100m), Tovea Jenkins (4x400m), Alesha Kelly (4x400m), Jura Levy (100m 4x100m), Shanice Love (discus throw), Natasha Morrison (4x100m), Kateema Rietie (javelin throw), Sherone Simpson (4x100m), Jonelle Smith (100m 4×100), Rhonda Whyte (400m hurdles), Jeanine Williams (100m hurdles), Jodean Williams (200m), Nickiesha Wilson (100mhurdles).

Men —Ramone Bailey (long jump), Devaughn Baker (4x400m), Basil Bingham (discus throw), Clayton Brown (high jump), Lafranz Campbell (110m hurdles), Nesta Carter (100m 4x100m), Rasheed Dwyer (200m 4x100m), Rusheen McDonald (400m), Steven Gayle (400m), Jermaine Gayle (200m), Jauavney James (800m), Eric McKenzie (800m) Phillip Lemonious (110m Hurdles), Shawn Rowe (400m hurdles), Odaine Lewis (triple jump), Cannigia Raynor (hammer throw), Odaine Richards (shot put), Ashinia Miller (shot put), Jordan Scott (triple jump) Traves Smikle (discus throw), Orlando Thomas (javelin throw), Jahnoy Thompson (200m), Javoy Tucker (100m), Annsert Whyte (400m hurdles), Romario Williams (4x100m)