PARIS, France — After months of hard work and preparation, the country’s track and field athletes will begin their quest for medals at the Olympic Games in Paris on Friday, Jamaica time.

Veteran and three-time gold medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce will lead the country’s charge for medals in the women’s 100m event, which is scheduled to get underway at 4:50 am Jamaica time.

She will be joined in the event by rising star Tia Clayton and Shashalee Forbes, who was called in to replace Shericka Jackson on Wednesday.

Jackson’s absence from the 100m will be a major blow to the country’s medal haul as she was a firm contender for a medal. She will now be focusing on the 200m event, which is set to get underway on Sunday.

Fraser-Pryce, who will be competing in her fifth-straight Olympic Games, will be hoping to add another medal to her collection, which includes three gold, four silver, and one bronze. The 37-year-old, who has a personal best time of 10.60 seconds, will head into the 100m with a season’s best 10.91.

“I am always excited to step on the track,” said Fraser-Pryce. “For me, it is getting to the line and that is most important for me. The start is paramount in anything that we do, so ultimately, once I am at the start, then I am aiming for the best. I don’t do time predictions at all; for me, it’s about getting to the line, executing, and just leaving the rest,” Fraser-Pryce said.

Her season’s best has made her the joint third-fastest Jamaican woman this year, along with Brianna Lyston, who has also run 10.91 seconds this year. Jackson is the fastest Jamaican in the women’s 100m with her time of 10.84.

Clayton has been having an excellent season, which saw her clocking a huge personal best time of 10.86 at the National Championships. Her time has made her the second-fastest Jamaican in the world this year behind Jackson. Clayton is also the fifth fastest globally. American reigning world 100m champion Sha’Carri Richardson is the fastest woman in the world in 2024 with her time of 10.71 seconds.

Jamaica won nine medals at the last Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021, consisting of four gold, one silver, and four bronze.

National high jump champion Lamara Distin is scheduled to compete in the qualifying round of the women’s high jump competition starting at 3:15 am Jamaica time. Distin, the 2022 Commonwealth Games champion and World Championships finalist, will enter the Olympic Games with a season’s best of 2.00 metres, ranking her third in the world behind global leader Yaroslava Mahuchikh from Ukraine, who holds a mark of 2.10 metres.

“I just need to surpass two metres because I know that two metres and above will be on that podium, and so that is the goal for me,” said Distin. “It is within reach, and so I just have to go out there and execute properly. Once I do this, then I know that it is very attainable. I know that if I go there and just have fun, because every time I have fun and there is no pressure, I have always done well, so that is what I am going to do,” she added.

National champion Shanieka Ricketts, along with Ackelia Smith and Kimberly Williams are to compete in the qualification round of the women’s triple jump competition starting at 11:15 am, Jamaica time.

Samantha Hall will open her campaign at the championships when she competes in the women’s discus event starting at 11:55 am. Rajindra Campbell will compete in the qualification round of the men’s shot put competition starting at 1:10 pm. Jamaica time.

The country’s mixed relay team is to go into battle when athletes take the track at 12:10 pm.

National champion Natoya Goule, who finished eighth in the final of the women’s 800m event in the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, will bow into action in the heats of the event at 12:45 pm. She will be joined in the event by Adelle Tracey.