The Paris 2024 Olympics kicks into high gear today as track and field competition gets underway. Unfortunately for Jamaican fans, news broke on Wednesday that sprint queen Shericka Jackson has pulled out of the 100 meters and will concentrate on just the 200m, thus denying Jamaica a potential medal.

Event # 1 – Paris Olympics 2024

Jamaica’s 100m rising star Oblique Seville aims to deliver on the biggest stage – Paris Olympics 2024.

Oblique Seville – Seville is considered to be one of the brightest up-and-coming stars in the short sprints in the world and is a medal prospect for the Paris Olympics starting today.

Seville opened his season at the Racers Grand Prix in Jamaica and duly brushed aside none other than Noah Lyles in an impressive 9.82s, and even had time to glance over on Lyles at the finish line who finished second in 9.85s. That look from Seville, no doubt, renewed the USA/Jamaica rivalry.

Seville is aiming to make it on the medal podium following fourth-place finishes in his last two appearances at major championships. In 2022, competing at his first World Athletics in Eugene, Oregon, USA, he finished fourth in the final. Indeed, he again finished fourth in the 100m final at the 2023 World Championship but clocked his then personal best of 9.88s, the same time as third-placed finishers, Letsile Tebogo and Zharnel Hughes. Seville finally won international silverware at the same championships as part of Jamaica’s 4x100m relay team. If all the favoured players make it to the 100m men’s finals, it will be mouth-watering race as the USA’s star, Lyles, is confident he will win the title. But standing in his way is the quiet giant Oblique Seville and the fastest man over the distance this year, the fast giant – Kishane Thompson.

Jamaica’s 100m rising hurdles star Ackera Nugent aims to deliver on the biggest stage – Paris Olympics 2024.

Ackera Nugent – The new national 100m hurdles champion and record holder, with a time of 12.28s, done at the national trials in June, is aiming to improve on her fifth-place finish in the final of the World Championship in Budapest last year.

Nugent is the second fastest over the distance in the world this year, behind American Masai Russell’s time of 12.25s. Indeed, Megan Tapper is the only Jamaican woman to win a medal in the 100m hurdles at the Olympic games when she won Bronze in Tokyo in 2021. With that said, Nugent, who attended Excelsior High School, excelled in track and field during her high school years and set an U-18 world record in the 100 meters hurdles (12.95s). Indeed, Nugent has been a winner with some impressive performances, including winning the World Athletics U-20 title in her pet event (100m hurdles), and even setting a World U-20 record in the 60m hurdles indoors.

In 2023, Ackera clocked the fastest collegiate time ever in the 100m hurdles at the 2023 NCAA championships (12.25s).

Betting odds

100 meters men

Noah Lyles – $2.25

Kishane Thompson – $2.25

Oblique Seville – $10.00

Letsile Tebogo – $15.00

200 meters Women

Gabrielle Thomas – $2.15

Shericka Jackson – $2.90

Julien Alfred – $6.00

McKenzie Long – $8.20

400 meters Men

Matthew Hudson-Smith – $2.18

Quincy Hall – $3.90

Steven Gardner – $4.30

Sean Bailey – $70.00

400 meters hurdles men

Rai Benjamin – $2.09

Karsten Warholm – $2.29

Alison Dos Santos – $8.60

Roshawn Clarke – $50.00

Jaheel Hyde – $260.00

400 meters women

Marileidy Paulino – $2.09

Nickisha Pryce – $2.29

Natalia Kaczmarek – $8.60

Stacey-Ann Williams – $160.00

Junelle Bromfield – $200.00