Odyssey to Oregon

2022 ODYSSEY TO OREGON

ONE MAN'S MEAT IS ANOTHER MAN'S FOOD POISONING Olympic champion Lamont Jacobs of Italy beat 2019 champion Christian Coleman to win the World Indoor 60 metres, but fell to food poisoning in Nairobi where Kenyan strong man Ferdinand Omanyala bulled his way to a national record 9.85 seconds. The Italian hasn't trained or raced effectively since and is behind the eight ball. That leaves Omanyala, Coleman, Seville and Olympic silver medallist Fred Kerley as the men chasing the medals. BRONZE IN THE SPRINT RELAY Jacobs' trouble will slow down Italy in the sprint relay, which the Azzurris stole from Great Britain on the line in Tokyo. In a parallel to the 1968 Olympics, when a makeshift Jamaica team set world records in the heats and semi‐final, a Seville‐anchored unit looked great in the first round in Tokyo, only to bungle its baton exchanges in the final. The criminal was COVID‐19, which eliminated practice time by making a pre‐Game camp impossible. Preparations this year are better and with Seville, Yohan Blake and new 9.93 man Ackeem Blake available, a medal is possible. The relay coaches could also call on Olympic 200‐metre finalist Rasheed Dwyer. He is a great curve runner and skilled with the baton. The USA with Coleman, Kerley, defending 200 champion Noah Lyles and perhaps 18 year‐old 19.49 man Erriyon Knighton and the slick passing British team were 1‐2 in Doha and could

Tokyo as he did in Doha. Showing his strong character, he reached the Olympic final despite the pain. In 2022, he has been subdued and he has struggled to pass the eight‐ metre mark. The man who did win in Tokyo, Greek star Miltiadis Tentoglu, took the World Indoor gold this March. Similarly, discus stalwart Fedrick Dacres isn't the same man who won the silver at the 2019 World Championships. With Dacres hurrying to be ready for Eugene, his training partner Traves Smikle is the top Jamaican at 66.60 metres. Smikle, second to Dacres at the Commonwealth and Pan‐Am Games, was in the World 2017 final. The medal favourites are super Swede Daniel Stahl, the Olympic and World Champ, Slovenian Kristjan Ceh, who has been beating Stahl this season for fun and Lithuanian Andrius Gudzius, the 2017 World Champion. However, the smooth, left‐ handed Smikle is a dark horse in an event known for surprises. HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL The rise of Seville and young Blake will lift the spirits of Jamaicans who remember all too well the Golden Era of Sprinting from 2008 to 2016. At 21 and 20, they represent the future and if Seville does win a medal in the 100, it will jumpstart the men to a good showing in Eugene. Otherwise, they will have to depend on Parchment to speed in the 110‐metre hurdles and on promising relay teams to finish with a flourish.

Young Oblique Seville has two chances at medals.

finish ahead of Jamaica in Eugene. Akeem Bloomfield, Nathon Allen, Terry Thomas and Demish Gaye ran the second fastest 4x400‐metre time ever ‐ 2.57.90 ‐ to secure the silver in Doha, but then got afflicted by injury. Even so, Gaye, Tokyo 400 finalist Christopher Taylor, 400‐metre hurdler Jaheel Hyde and Allen got sixth place in the Olympics. World Championship finalists Bloomfield and Allen are regaining fitness now and, though the USA is too good, Jamaica might mount a medal challenge once again. Relay hero Javon Francis is back in the picture as well. In Doha, he anchored Jamaica to the silver medal in the first ever mixed 4x400 relay. Impressive depth amongst our women and men suggests that a repeat medal is here for the taking. UNTIMELY INJURIES A knee injury derailed any hopes that Gayle would perform in