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Jamaica launch quest at Tokyo World Championships
September 12, 2025
TOKYO, Japan:
Sprinters will claim the spotlight as Day One action of the 2025 World Athletics Championships begin today, with several Jamaicans competing in track and field events at the Japan National Stadium in Tokyo.
Among them, the men's 100m runners carry the best medal prospects and the trio of Kishane Thompson, Oblique Seville and Akeem Blake will face the starter in the heats, which begin at 6:35 a.m. on Saturday.
At press time, the official start list had not yet been announced.
Thompson (9.75 seconds) is the world leader, while Seville (9.83) is also highly favoured. Both are expected to medal.
At 4:55 a.m., the heats of the women's 100m will get under way, with Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Shericka Jackson and Tina Clayton all set to compete.
Clayton, the reigning National champion, will be the first to race as she lines up in heat two, alongside Dina Asher-Smith of Great Britain, Nigeria's Rosemary Chukwuma and Ewa Swoboda of Poland.
Jackson will be the next on the start list as she is set to contest a competitive heat three which has the US' Sha'Carri Richardson, alongside Anthaya Charlton of the Bahamas and Germany's Gina Luckenkemper.
Fraser-Pryce will close out the round in heat seven, where is will be joined by veteran Cote d'Ivoire sprinter Marie Josee Ta Lou-Smith.
The top three from each heat, plus the next three fastest times, will advance to the semi-finals.
The first Jamaican on schedule will be four-time women's discus throw national champion and reigning North American, Central American and Caribbean Championships (NACAC) winner Samantha Hall, who will line up in the group B of the women's discus heat, set to begin at 8:40 p.m. on Friday (Jamaica time).
She enters the championships ranked 18th in the world in the best form of her life, having thrown a new personal best of 64.97 metres earlier this year.
Jamaica will close out the morning session with the heats of the mixed 4x400m relay. Lined up in heat one, Jamaica face a mammoth task, as they will need to place among the top two to advance to the final, with next two fastest times in the heats also advancing to the final as non-automatic qualifiers.
Day one's evening session will continue on Saturday, due to the 14-hour time difference between Jamaica and Tokyo.
Ackelia Smith take to the sand pit on Saturday at 4:30 a.m. as she is set to contest the women's long jump from Group A. Smith will be Jamaica's lone competitor in the competition.
Adelle Tracey will also get her campaign started in heat three of the women's 1500m. The race is set to begin at 6:10 a.m. With a season's best of 4:06.23, Tracey will need a massive improvement if she is to make it within the top six of her heat to advance.
Jamaica could also potentially claim their first medal of the competition as the final of the mixed relays is set for 8:20 a.m.
