Despite the absence of a number of top athletes, the 2026 Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) National Junior and Senior Championships, which starts today at the National Stadium, is still promising quality competition, the organisers are saying.

The women’s 100m with 10 athletes who have run under 11 seconds this year, including Commonwealth Games sprint double champion Elaine Thompson-Herah, promises to be one of, if not the most anticipated event over the four days.

An 11th athlete, who has run sub-11 seconds, Shanoya Douglas – the world leader in both the 100m and 200m for Under-20 girls — has opted to compete in her age group.

However, because of limited entries, the women will not start competition until Friday’s second day.

Additionally, following Tuesday’s technical meeting, five events were cancelled because of lack of entries — both heptathlon events, the Under-18 boys octathlon, girls Under-20 3,000m, and the men’s 3,000m steeplechase.

Another 11 events were declared ‘straight to finals’ due to insufficient entries.

Trevor “TC” Campbell, one of the senior meet officials, said at Monday’s media launch of the event that they had received over 1,000 entries in the three age groups, Under-18, Under-20, and senior.

Athletes will seek to qualify for five separate championships between next weekend, June 26, and August 9; the Pan-American senior championships will be held between June 26 and 28 in Colombia; the NACAC Under 18/23 Championships will be in Mexico July 10-12; the XXIII Commonwealth Games will be in Glasgow, Scotland, July 23-August 2; the CAC Games in the Dominican Republic, August 2-8; and the World Athletics Under-20 Championships will be held at Hayward Field, Eugene, Oregon, August 5-9.

Oblique Seville (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

Among the notable absentees from this weekend’s championships are World Championships medallists Bryan Levell and Kishane Thompson, both of who are reported to be injured; newly crowned NCAA women’s 100m champion Shenese Walker; 400m hurdles champion Roshawn Clarke; sprinters Briana Lyston and Briana Williams; national women’s 400m champion Nickesha Pryce; national women’s shot put record holder Danniel Thomas-Dodd; many times national women’s 800m champion Natoya Goule; World championship 110m hurdles silver medallist Orlando Bennett; Commonwealth Games triple jump champion Shanieka Ricketts as well as sprint hurdlers Ackera Nugent and Danielle Williams.

In addition to the qualifying round and the first rounds of the men’s 100m, the first round of the men’s 400m, the women’s 800m prelims, the men’s 400m hurdles prelims, three senior events will be decided today – the women’s high and long jumps as well as the men’s 5,000m, while two junior events, girls triple jump, the girls Under-18 discus, and the girls javelin will also be decided.

World Championships finalist Lamara Distin is expected to win the women’s high jump while the long jump could be a three-way battle between Ackelia Smith, who has a season’s best 6.81m; Nia Robinson, who just recorded her outdoors personal best, 6.78m, in Sweden last week; and Shantae Foreman, who achieved a lifetime best and Clemson University record 6.57m at last weekend’s NCAA Championships.

World Championships gold medallist Oblique Seville is the clear favourite for the men’s 100m, while Ackeem Blake, teenager Gary Card, and former champion Rohan Watson are the men who are expected to challenge him.

Forty-five men are down to contest the qualifying round set to start at 9:00am on the ‘back stretch’ of the track, from which the six fastest will qualify for the first round that is set to start at 6:10pm.

Former World Champion Antonio Watson enters the men’s 400m with the best time of the season, while 800m runner Kimar Farquharson, former champion Sean Bailey, Zandrion Barnes, Delano Kennedy, and Deandre Watkin are also down to compete.

Assinie Wilson, who has been busy on the circuit, is the top entrant on time for the men’s 400m hurdles, where he will go up against Malik James-King, Dennick Luke, Demar Murray, and Tyrece Hyman.

Women’s 800m national champion Kelly Ann Beckford and the only Jamaican under 2:00.00 minutes so far this season, Adelle Tracey, are expected to dominate the event and should qualify easily for the final set to be contested on Saturday.