Paul Francis, head coach of the Jamaican team to the World Athletics Indoor Championships to be held in Belgrade, Serbia, next week, thinks the 16-member team will do well at the three-day championship.

The team that is made up of 13 females and three males was announced on Monday by the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) and Francis told the Jamaica Observer Tuesday that while he was not into making predictions, he thought the team should perform well.

The most recent World Indoor was held in Birmingham, England, in 2018 where Jamaica won two silver medals from triple jumper Kimberly Williams and shot putter Danniel Thomas-Dodd.

Elaine Thompson-Herah was also fourth and Remona Burchell eighth in the women 60m; Tovea Jenkins was fifth in the women’s 400m and Aisha Praught-Leer finished eighth in the 1500m,

World 60m hurdles leader Danielle Williams and number four ranked Britany Anderson, along with number two ranked Natoya Goule-Toppin, Williams, Thomas-Dodd and 4x400m relay medallist Stephenie Ann McPherson, were all named on the team.

“Yes, I would say I am satisfied with the team that has been selected…the selection process always is to put the very best that we have available at a given time which is the situation at this time,” the experienced Francis said .

Asked about his expectations, Francis said: “Usually, I don’t not have expectation, of course there are statistics which usually make some athletes favourites while others not so much based on what they have done lately.”

“However, when the athletes go out on the track, they leave everything there, so while we do have some pretty good chances, based on what has been happening this season in some event. I am just pleased that we are there to provide the support, the coaches, management, the entire staff are there to provide the best possible environmnet so the athletes can be the best they can be at the time and I think with that each of the athltes will do the best they can and I think our results should be quite rewarding,” he added.

Williams, who has lowered her personal best in the 60m hurdles three times so far this year and has the world-leading 7.75 seconds, will be seeking her first World Indoor medal to go with a gold and bronze from outdoors.

Anderson is ranked number four with her personal best 7.82 seconds.

Goule-Toppin set a new national record 1:58.46 seconds, second best in the world and after making it to the finals at the Olympics last year, will have her eyes on a medal.

Briana Williams, who has been named for the 60m, is ranked number six in the world with 7.09 seconds and will be joined by Olympic bronze medallist Shericka Jackson.

Meanwhile, 400m runner Christopher Taylor, Olympics medallist Ronald Levy and Nigel Ellis are the three men named by the JAAA.

Team: Men — Nigel Ellis, Christopher Taylor and Ronald Levy; Women — Shericka Jackson, Briana Williams, Roneisha McGregor, Stephenie Ann McPherson, Junelle Bromfield (alt), Natoya Goule-Toppin, Britany Anderson, Danielle Williams, Kimberly Williams, Danniel Thomas-Dodd, Tiffany James-Rose, Janieve Russell.

— Paul Reid