Jamaica will send three relay squads to the Barbados Grand Prix this Saturday, July 5, as the country aims to secure qualification for the Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships—but notably, none of the nation’s top sprinters from the recent national trials will feature in the effort.
The women’s 4x400m, men’s 4x100m, and mixed 4x400m teams are all in pursuit of precious world-ranking times that could place them among the final two teams to qualify in each discipline. The competition will be held at the Usain Bolt Stadium in Bridgetown.
Following a disappointing showing at the World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou this past May—where only two of Jamaica’s relay squads (women’s 4x100m and men’s 4x400m) advanced—qualifying via world top list is now the remaining pathway. World Athletics will award the final two places in each relay event to the fastest teams globally between February 25, 2024, and August 24, 2025.
The Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) named the travelling team, which includes emerging and second-tier athletes rather than the top finishers from the 2025 Jamaica Trials. The absence of the national champions and runners-up from all three relay teams raises a clear question: did they choose not to participate, if so, why?
Representing the men’s 4x100m are Kadrian Goldson, Adrian Kerr, Bouwahgie Nkrumie, and Odain McPherson. The women’s 4x100m team features Jodean Williams, Krystal Sloley, Jonielle Smith, and Serena Cole. In the mixed 4x400m relay, Jamaica will field Roneisha McGregor, Shanakaye Anderson, Jeremy Bembridge, and Bovel McPherson.
Brian Smith will manage the team, with Paul Francis serving as head coach and Lamar Richards as assistant. Jowayne Johnson is assigned as the massage therapist.
Despite the lack of high-profile names, the Barbados Grand Prix presents a vital opportunity for these squads to improve their world rankings and keep Jamaica’s rich relay tradition alive. As the qualification window continues, every performance will count in determining whether Jamaica can increase its presence in Tokyo later this year.
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