JAMAICA Olympic Association (JOA) President Christopher Samuda said the qualification of the country’s judo competitor Ashley McKenzie for the Olympic Games this summer is a reflection of the body’s commitment to the development of niche sports in Jamaica.

McKenzie, 34, will be competing in the 60kg category. He will be participating in his fourth Olympic Games, having previously represented Great Britain.

He began competing for Jamaica in 2023 and won the country’s first silver medal in the sport at the Central America and Caribbean (CAC) Games in El Salvador that year. In addition to track and field, in which the country usually excels at the Olympics, Jamaica will also be represented in swimming by Joshua Kirlew and Sabrina Lyn, and in diving by Yona Knight-Wisdom.

“The JOA’s culture is embodied in our policy statement: ‘All for sport, sport for all’,” Samuda said. “This has driven and continues to drive the JOA to support the aspirations of our sportsmen and sportswomen and sports which some describe as smaller or minor sports — terms that are not in JOA’s vocabulary. The associations for these sports are sharing the vision of the JOA and responding positively to the call to action.

Samuda said these athletes have made significant sacrifices and have pushed their bodies to the limit to reach this point, and the JOA will continue to support them on their journey.

“Ashley’s commitment to achieve Olympic glory for his country and excellence for himself on the mat mirrors that of his colleagues Yona, Sabrina, and Josh; and they, along with others, deserve applause,” he said.

“He and his colleagues risk permanent injury in physical combat, which is demanding of the human body. But a spirit of resilience and a will to overcome the fear of injury to become a champion — which our sportsmen and sportswomen possess — deserves credit. JOA’s policy of building and empowering the so-called minor sports has inspired and emboldened the aspirations of those sportsmen and sportswomen to be the greatest versions of themselves in sport, and role models in life. Our Olympians are journeying to Paris with an innate sense that history can be created, and the JOA is a fellow pilgrim.”

Kirlew and Lyn, who will be competing in their first Olympic Games, secured their spots for this month’s event through the universality clause as the fastest female and male swimmer, respectively, in Jamaica. Kirlew, based in the United Kingdom, has a personal best time of 54.24 seconds and will compete in the men’s 100m butterfly event.

Lyn, a student at Louisiana State University in the United States, will represent Jamaica in the women’s 50m freestyle and has a personal best of 25.83 seconds. Knight-Wisdom will be competing in his third Olympic Games for Jamaica. The Olympic Games are scheduled to run from July 26 to August 11.