Jamaican athletes begin arriving in Moscow
MONTEGO BAY, St James — Jamaica’s athletes have started arriving at the Moscow training base in preparation for the 14th IAAF World Championships in track and field that starts on Saturday, August 10 in the Russian capital.
Team press liaison officer Dennis Gordon, who arrived in Moscow yesterday along with team leader Trevor ‘TC’ Campbell and managers Dave Myrie and Deon Hemmings-McCatty, told the Jamaica Observer the “camp is all systems go” and that “all the equipment requested is in place and the coaching staff is happy”.
He confirmed that the athletes will be based in the same hotel that will be used as the official accommodation during the nine-day championships, and the training facility was “10 minutes away from the hotel”.
Gordon did not identify the athletes who have already arrived, however, he described the weather in Moscow as “great”, with the temperatures “in the low 70s”.
All the athletes, he said, are expected to arrive at the camp by August 6, the latest.
The local-based athletes, coaches and support staff were scheduled to leave the island yesterday for the camp that is expected to start between today and tomorrow.
On Monday the JAAA named a 45-member team that will represent the island.
Usain Bolt, who won the gold in the 200m in Daegu, South Korea, two years ago after being disqualified for false-starting in the 100m, is the only individual medallist from Daegu who was named on the Jamaican team.
Injury has ruled out 100m champion Yohan Blake, while Veronica Campbell Brown, who won the gold medal in the women’s 200m, and silver in the 100m, has been suspended after returning a positive test at the Jamaica International Invitational meet in May, while Melanie Walker, who was second in the 400m hurdles, did not make the team, after failing to participate at the national trials in June.