According to today’s weather forecast, the Japan National Stadium will be spared the scorching temperatures that have parched the city over the past few weeks, but Jamaica’s athletes are set to bring the heat in what Head Coach Maurice Wilson believes will be a strong showing from a young but talented group of athletes.

For Jamaica’s finest, the Tokyo stage presents a mix of celebration for one of the sport’s greatest ambassadors and the unavoidable challenge bred from a tradition of sprinting supremacy and the heavy weight of expectation.

One of the most emotional storylines here will be the witnessing of the last few strides in the glittering and unmatched career of sprint icon Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who at 38 years old, has announced that this will be her last championship.

However, Jamaica’s campaign will not just be about celebrating a legacy, it represents an opportunity for others to prove their strength and begin their own paths to greatness.

Confident but guarded, Wilson is looking forward to a strong showing from a team that he considers one of the most talented and close-knit in his decades-long experience.

WILSON… I think things will fall into place

“It has been a very good start but there are a couple of issues to iron out, but as we continue to smooth out the process, I think things will fall into place,” Wilson told the Jamaica Observer.

“I think we had a great training camp, so it’s really now to find a way to facilitate the athletes so that they can give their best in the competition itself,” he added.

Saturday’s morning session inside the National Stadium will see very few Jamaicans in action as Samantha Hall will feature in Group B of the women’s discus qualification round at 10:40 am (Friday 8:40 pm, Jamaica time), while Jamaica will line up in lane 3 in the opening heat of the mixed 4x400m relay at 11:40 am (9:40 pm, Friday).

Things will pick up a gear during the evening session (Saturday morning, Jamaica time) with the heats of the men’s and women’s 100m, women’s long jump qualification, women’s 1500m heats and a potential final in the mixed 4x400m relay.

Ackelia Smith, a multiple-time finalist at major championships, will take the runway in Group A of women’s long jump qualifying at 6:30 pm (4:30am Jamaica time), while Tina Clayton (heat 2); Shericka Jackson (heat 3); and Fraser-Pryce (heat 7) will all feature in the women’s 100m heats which face the starter at 6:55 pm (4:55 am).

In the men’s equivalent, medal favourites Kishane Thompson, Oblique Seville as well as Ackeem Blake will contest the heats starting at 8:35 pm (6:35 am), while Adelle Tracey will line up in the women’s 1,500m heats at 8:10 pm (6:10 am), running out of heat 3.

Undeterred by less-than-impressive showings in the past, Wilson agrees that the Tokyo 2025 instalment will present an opportunity for the country to build on the successes of the last World Championships in Budapest, where 12 medals (3 gold, 5 silver, 4 bronze) were won and for the island’s up-and-coming stars to establish themselves on the world stage.

“The talent pool has always been there, but what has happened is that the other countries have copied from us, and countries like the United States have continued to improve, so we have to try to do the same,” Wilson said.

“Jamaica’s track and field is alive and well. I don’t know what the supporters are thinking or expecting, but they are some of the most dedicated and knowledgeable in the world, but I think we are going to see positive performances and we are headed back to the path that we had been used to since 2008,” said Wilson.

Jamaica’s discus thrower Samantha Hall (Photo: Observer file)

Kishane Thompson of Jamaica stretches during training in Tokyo, Japan, on Friday. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

Adelle Tracey of Jamaica (Photo: Observer file)