PARIS, France — National champion Shanieka Ricketts and Ackelia Smith have glorious opportunities to make history by becoming the first Jamaican women to medal in the triple jump at the Olympic Games. This afternoon’s final is scheduled to begin at 1:20 pm Jamaica time.

Ricketts, 32, who finished fourth at the last Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan in 2021, noted that she is in the best shape of her life and is confident that with proper execution she will be on the podium in Paris.

“I am feeling great because that was the aim coming out — to get one jump so that I can go through to the final,” she said. “I think it just comes down to executing on the day, and that is what I am expected to do, and that is the only thing that is on my mind now. I am very confident; I trust the work that I have been putting in and I trust the process. I know that everything will come together,” Ricketts added.

Ricketts entered the final with the second-longest jump of 14.47m, only needing one attempt to achieve the qualifying mark. She has produced a season’s best jump of 14.68m this year. Cuba’s Hernandez Perez will enter the final with the longest jump of 14.68m.

Smith, who has been having an excellent season, secured her place in the final with a mark of 14.09m. Her effort is the tenth best going into the final but, despite this, she remains confident she can secure a medal today.

“I am feeling wonderful because the Olympics have been my dream, and to make it to the final is wonderful,” said Smith. “I was not having one of my good series today [Friday], however I will go out and try to be more hungry than I was, and I am going to put down the marks tomorrow [Saturday]. I am very confident that I can go out there and get a medal; I just have to put in the extra work and it will be fine,” Smith said.

Jamaica’s other competitor, Kimberly Williams, failed to advance, finishing 20th overall with a distance of 13.77m.

National shot put record holder Rajindra Campbell aims to win his first Olympic Games medal when he contests the final of the event starting at 12:35 pm. Campbell, a finalist at last year’s World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, threw 21.05m to finish 10th overall and book his spot in the top 12. Led by Italy’s Leonardo Fabbri with a mark of 21.76m, only six men were able to get over the qualifying mark of 21.35m in the preliminary round.

Jamaica will also contest the final of the 4x400m mixed relay on Saturday. The event is set to start at 1:55 pm Jamaica time. The team of Reheem Hayles, Junelle Bromfield, Zandrion Barnes, and Stephenie Ann McPherson clocked a national record time of 3:11.06 minutes to finish fourth in their heat, advancing to the final as one of the fastest losers. The heat was won by the United States who ran a world record time of 3:07.41. The Jamaicans have never won a medal in this event at the Olympic Games, finishing seventh in the final in Tokyo in 2021.