President of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) Garth Gayle is expressing optimism about the upcoming World Indoor Championships, even though the country’s team may not be the strongest on paper. The championships are scheduled to take place in Glasgow, Scotland, March 1-3.

Gayle told the Jamaica Observer that the association has made every effort to gather the country’s top athletes for the event. However, they were informed by the management teams of several of their key targets that they were unavailable for the championships.

“Based on the availability of athletes at this particular juncture, we believe that this is the best that we could have put into competition,” said Gayle. “We would have loved it to have been stronger, but as you can recognise, the world would be looking to Paris in early August for the Olympic Games,” he said.

“I think that some of our athletes, based on their number of years being involved and how they have been performing, would now make a determination along with their management team and coaches that they would be going for the Outdoors instead of the Indoors, and so we have to work within the confines of what is available to us,” Gayle added.

Rusheen McDonald, the national 400m record holder, is the only male athlete named for the one-lap event. Gayle noted that another 400m runner was initially selected but declined the invitation due to travel concerns.

Gaye explained, “We had initially chosen two athletes for the 400m, but one withdrew due to travel issues.”

In the previous championships in Belgrade, Serbia, Jamaica secured three medals, one gold and two bronze to finish 12th on the medals table. Leading the team this time around will be Danniel Thomas-Dodd, the national shot put record holder for both indoor and outdoor events. The team also includes quarter-miler Stephenie-Ann McPherson, who won a bronze medal in Belgrade, and triple jumper Kimberly Williams, who also secured a bronze at the last championships.

The JAAA boss asserted that all the athletes are looking forward to the championships and therefore he is quite upbeat that they will put in an excellent showing for the country at the event.

“Whenever Jamaicans put on the national colours and go into competition they are always seeking to do well, and so I believe in them and their coaches, as well as the coaches that we will be taking and who will be working with them at this championships, and so we are looking forward to the best possible results,” he said.

WOMEN

Shashalee Forbes, Briana Williams (Women’s 60m)

Stacey Ann Williams, Charokee Young (Women’s 400m)

Natoya Goule-Toppin (Women’s 800m)

Megan Tapper (Women’s 60m hurdles)

Kimberly Williams (Women’s triple jump)

Danniel Thomas-Dodd (Women’s shot put)

Junelle Bromfield, Stephenie-Ann McPherson, Stacey-Ann Williams, Andrenette Knight, Leah Anderson, Lanae-Tava Thomas and Charokee Young (Women’s 4x400m)

MEN

Ackeem Blake (Men’s 60m)

Rusheen McDonald (Men’s 400m)

Tyler Mason, Damion Thomas (Men’s 60mH)

Carey McLeod, Tajay Gayle (Men’s long jump)

Rajindra Campbell (Men’s shot put)