Technical Leader Maurice Wilson thinks the Jamaica team to the recent World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, could have won as many as 16 medals, more than the country has ever won in the 40-year history of the event.

Jamaica won 12 medals — three gold, five silver, and four bronze — at the nine-day extravaganza, the second most of the 39 nations that won at least one medal. The Jamaicans were fourth on the medal table.

It was the third time Jamaica was winning at least 12 medals at the World Championships. They won 12 medals in 2015 and 2019 and the 2023 tally was just one short of the best-ever haul of 13, which came in 2009 in Berlin, Germany.

Going into the championships, a buoyant Wilson had predicted “double-digit medals” but told the Jamaica Observer on Thursday he was not surprised by the haul despite the slow start and early setbacks.

“We won 12 medals and I was not surprised,” he said. “Sixteen was what I wanted to say but I would never have said that out aloud,” he confessed.

Wilson reasoned that but for the misfortune suffered by world leaders Jaydon Hibbert in the men’s triple jump and Rasheed Broadbell in the 110m hurdles, in addition to women’s triple jumper Shanieka Ricketts and the men’s 4x400m team coming up short, Jamaica would have won their most medals ever.

“The team did very well despite the distractions. From day one the team did not get a break and was under pressure with all the distractions, but the athletes were resolute and came out with flying colours.”

Wilson said he had noted the mix of younger athletes and the more senior ones and said he was impressed with how the youngsters were able to keep their composure even at the most difficult times.

If there were any surprise medals, he said Danielle Williams in the 100m hurdles and Antonio Watson in the men’s 400m provided them, in his opinion.

“Danielle is a champion in more ways than one, and being a former winner she knows what it takes, and she has one of the best hurdles coaches [Lennox Graham] in the world,” he told the Jamaica Observer. “But she had not shown that form prior to the championships.” Wilson said he saw something in the semi-finals which told him she would be “dangerous in the final”.

Williams had a “mishap” at the sixth hurdle but was able to maintain her composure and qualify for the final.

“Coach Graham was going to fix it before the final,” he said, noting that both he and Graham had the same reaction when they saw the race live.

Williams won in a season’s best 12.43 seconds (-0.2m/s), her second World Championships title after winning in 2015 in China.

He said 21-year-old Watson showed a maturity way beyond his years.

“For him to put together his best race of the season in the final against a very good field was nothing short of amazing.”

Like Williams, he said Watson had shown glimpses of what was to come in earlier rounds.

“He showed consistency throughout and he was going to win a medal.”

He also lauded the veteran Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, calling her “a super woman” after she ignored an injury early in her leg of the women’s 4x100m final to get the baton to third-leg runner Shashalee Forbes as the team battled to a second-place finish behind the United States.

Wilson said if it was not for this setback, Jamaica could have broken the then championships record 41.07 set by Jamaica in Daegu, South Korea, in 2011 or the World record 40.82.

The USA, who are the World record holders after setting it at the London Olympics in 2012, broke the championships record, running 41.03.

“Not many runners would have done what Shelly-Ann did,” the team technical leader said, adding that had Forbes got the baton just a little earlier, the result could have been different.

Wilson is optimistic about the Olympic Games that will be held in Paris, France, in 11 months.

“All things considered, we should do far better than Budapest. [But] we can’t take things for granted, we can’t just show up and expect to dominate as other countries are watching what countries like us and the USA do and are improving on their own preparations,” he explained.

“Things must change. We must pay attention to the basic things and make sure we get them right and we will reap the benefits,” he said, adding that he has consistently made recommendations in his official reports after each major championships.