Having recovered from an injury that kept him out of action for almost seven weeks, national senior sprinter Julian Forte has expressed satisfaction with his preparations ahead of the National Senior Athletics Championships next month and he is confident he will do well.

Forte, 31, is coached by Reynaldo Walcott at Elite Performance Track Club, and aims to represent Jamaica at his third Olympic Games in Paris. However, he did not disclose the nature of the injury that sidelined him. The National Championships, which will be held from June 27-30 at the National Stadium, will be used to select Jamaica’s team for this year’s Olympic Games.

Despite his early injury setbacks, Forte is off to a good start this season. He recorded a 10.07 clocking in his season opener at the JAAA All Comers meet two weeks ago. He then lowered that mark to 10.02 to win the Men’s A race in a driving finish ahead of his compatriot Ackeem Blake at the Jamaica Athletics Invitational meet last Saturday. Blake was given second place with the same time.

Forte, who has a personal best time of 9.91 in the 100m, said that he is happy with how his season has been progressing despite earlier hiccups, and he is now focused on improving with each race.

“I think with all things considered, this season has been going well,” Forte told the Jamaica Observer. “I am pleased with where I am now, but I think I could have been a little better off if I had more luck in terms of staying healthy. I was out for seven or so weeks from about January until March, but I am healthy now, so I am pleased with where I am.”

Forte has a personal best time of 19.97 in the 200m event. However, he said that he has yet to decide whether he will contest the sprint double at the National Championships next month.

“I still haven’t decided with coach which event I will be running, but I figure that I will be running both of them at the National Championships, so I don’t think there is any major focus on one or the other,” he said. “But really and truly, it is what my body is able to hold up to that will determine where my focus lies this season.”

Forte’s time of 10.02 ranks him as the joint fastest Jamaican in the world this year along with Blake. Led by Kishane Thompson’s 9.85, Jamaica had eight men running sub-10 times in 2023. The others were Oblique Seville (9.86), Blake (9.89), Rohan Watson (9.91), Kadrian Goldson (9.94), Ryiem Forde (9.95), Bouwahjgie Nkrumie, and Forte (9.99). Forte said that as in previous years, it will be tough for anyone to secure one of the top three spots on the team this year but he is confident in his abilities to do so.

“I think the team will be difficult to make this year as it was last year and maybe in the previous years like in the [Usain] Bolt era, but I think it is possible,” he said. “I think that you had eight Jamaicans under 10 seconds last year, so it is not going to be easy. But once you are able to make the Jamaican team, then you will have good standings at the major championships.”

Forte is set to compete in the men’s 100m at Sunday’s Diamond League event in Rabat, Morocco. He will be joined in the event by former 100m world champion Yohan Blake and Rohan Watson.