National men’s discus throw record holder Fedrick Dacres has warned that he is in the best shape of his life, while women’s shot put record holder Danniel Thomas-Dodd is enjoying her best season ever as both go into this weekend’s Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) National Championships set to start on Thursday at the National Stadium.

Dacres and Thomas-Dodd are no strangers to success, both having won silver medals at the World Championships and Commonwealth Games levels, and they could each put themselves into medal contention at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, next month.

For the first time, there could be competition for places in the men’s discus throw, with three Jamaican men in the world’s top 10 and all already achieving the qualifying mark of 67.00m.

US-based college senior Roje Stona is the top-ranked Jamaican man with 68.64m, for sixth place on the World Championships ranking system, just ahead of the 68.57m for Dacres who is seventh, and Traves Smikle who is in ninth place with 68.14m.

Also lurking in the background are Brandon Lloyd who threw 65.32m this year, Olympic finalist Chad Wright, Kai Chang, as well as Ralford Mullings.

After injury setbacks the last few seasons, Dacres, the national record holder with 70.78m set in 2019, has been recovering well and has been able to compete regularly.

Thomas-Dodd has thrown five of her top 10 times ever this season, topped by a national record 19.77m in May in California, and also three 19.66m in Sweden in June.

Rajindra Campbell, who will be seeking to make his first national team, is ranked 19th in the world — and while his personal best 21.31m is just off the qualifying mark of 21.40m he is well inside the World Ranking quota list.