Seet ya now!! Real deal Oly prediction - overall

[Stonigut]

I won't go into any detail just a bottom line approach.


1. Best case scenario 8 Gold, 6 silver, 5 bronze, very little chance of bettering this or coming close to this level of performance.

2. Scenario with no luck, lots of nerves and poor performance, 1 gold, 4 silver, 5 bronze. Bolt or VC one of those two should make it happen.

3. My prediction 3 gold, 4 silver, 6 bronze.
Gold will be excavated and extracted in 200 men, 200 women and 4*100 women.

That's it if I was a betting man that is what I would go with, the camp already has too many fractures in it, leadership wise to perform at a higher level than this unless we have a bunch of overachievers.

I don't know whether is a lack of vision on the leadership of the JAAA to not make sure that Franno is treated well and brought into the fold long ago and ensure that he is a key part of the JAAA mix or whether it is Franno being arrogant and sees himself above the rest of these "high school coach types" thus setting himself on his own island of coaching supremacy and thus creating a rift in the team. Both parties need to meet in the middle, it looks like it may already be too late.

[Hortical]

I have a feeling Jamaica will exceed all our expectations. Gold & Silver in the 100M for men AND women. World record in the men's 200M, and gold in the 4x100M for women.

[Karl]

I won't go into any detail just a bottom line approach.


1. Best case scenario 8 Gold, 6 silver, 5 bronze, very little chance of bettering this or coming close to this level of performance.

2. Scenario with no luck, lots of nerves and poor performance, 1 gold, 4 silver, 5 bronze. Bolt or VC one of those two should make it happen.

3. My prediction 3 gold, 4 silver, 6 bronze.
Gold will be excavated and extracted in 200 men, 200 women and 4*100 women.

That's it if I was a betting man that is what I would go with, the camp already has too many fractures in it, leadership wise to perform at a higher level than this unless we have a bunch of overachievers.

I don't know whether is a lack of vision on the leadership of the JAAA to not make sure that Franno is treated well and brought into the fold long ago and ensure that he is a key part of the JAAA mix or whether it is Franno being arrogant and sees himself above the rest of these "high school coach types" thus setting himself on his own island of coaching supremacy and thus creating a rift in the team. Both parties need to meet in the middle, it looks like it may already be too late.

Nice!

[Historian]

I have a feeling Jamaica will exceed all our expectations. Gold & Silver in the 100M for men AND women. World record in the men's 200M, and gold in the 4x100M for women.

Sorry to burst your bubble, Hortical, but nobody is going to break any record in the men's 200-meter race, not during the Olympic Games, and not this year! Boss, do you think 19.32 is going to go so easily, particularly in the case of a young sprinter (Bolt) who will already have spent much energy on four rounds of 100-meter races?

Regarding the men's 100-meter dash, this is shaping up to be probably the fastest race of all times, and this is the one event that I refuse to make a prediction (LOL)!!! Do you realize that the three fastest men in history will most likely be lining up at the finals. Also, look at the large number of sub-10 men today who will be in Beijing!!

I always like to refer to the men's 100-meter at the Athens Olympics in 2004, as if I were a betting man, I would have lost big! Who could have seriously expected Justin Gatlin to have won the gold and Francis Obikwelu to have won the silver? Who could have predicted that Maurice Greene would only have gotten a bronze, and, even worse, that Asafa Powell would have placed outside of the medals?

Another recent reference point we can make is the men's 100-meter dash at the 2003 IAAF World Championships in Paris.

Having said that, as far as gold medals for Jamaica are concerned, I would go with Stonigut's prediction of gold in the men's 200-meter race (Bolt), quite possibly in the women's 200-meter race (Veronica Campbell, but only because I strongly suspect that Allyson Felix might be nursing an injury), and gold in the women's 4x100-meter relay to the defending champions (using a team in Beijing comprised of Shelly Ann Fraser, Sherone Simpson, Kerron Stewart and Veronica Campbell).

I am also fancying Melaine Walker for a gold medal in the women's 400-meter hurdles. She looks ready for the gold!

Making predictions is risky business, as so many factors -- aside from season best performances -- often come into play. This is why I normally hesitate to do the prediction thing.

By the way, having three women in the finals of the 100-meter race does not by itself guarantee a medal, and we have only to look at the Bahamas at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000 where, with three women (Chandra Sturrup, Debbie Ferguson and Sevatheda Fynes) in the finals of the 100-meter dash, the Bahamas women placed 6th, 7th and 8th in that finals!! Nevertheless, I expect Jamaica to have three women in the finals in Beijing, and certainly at least one should be able to medal.

In the case of the relays, with safe baton passes, Jamaica will surely medal in at least three relays (men and women's 400-meter relays and the women's 1600-meter relay). Danny McFarlane has guts and so should never be counted out in the 400-meter hurdles. Also, while I never ever use past seasons' performances to make predictions, I'm going to make an exception this time in the case of decathlete Maurice Smith, as he can medal if he's completely healthy.

[Karl]

Sorry to burst your bubble, Hortical, but nobody is going to break any record in the men's 200-meter race, not during the Olympic Games, and not this year! Boss, do you think 19.32 is going to go so easily, particularly in the case of a young sprinter (Bolt) who will already have spent much energy on four rounds of 100-meter races?

Regarding the men's 100-meter dash, this is shaping up to be probably the fastest race of all times, and this is the one event that I refuse to make a prediction (LOL)!!! Do you realize that the three fastest men in history will most likely be lining up at the finals. Also, look at the large number of sub-10 men today who will be in Beijing!!

I always like to refer to the men's 100-meter at the Athens Olympics in 2004, as if I were a betting man, I would have lost big! Who could have seriously expected Justin Gatlin to have won the gold and Francis Obikwelu to have won the silver? Who could have predicted that Maurice Greene would only have gotten a bronze, and, even worse, that Asafa Powell would have placed outside of the medals?

Another recent reference point we can make is the men's 100-meter dash at the 2003 IAAF World Championships in Paris.

Having said that, as far as gold medals for Jamaica are concerned, I would go with Stonigut's prediction of gold in the men's 200-meter race (Bolt), quite possibly in the women's 200-meter race (Veronica Campbell, but only because I strongly suspect that Allyson Felix might be nursing an injury), and gold in the women's 4x100-meter relay to the defending champions (using a team in Beijing comprised of Shelly Ann Fraser, Sherone Simpson, Kerron Stewart and Veronica Campbell).

I am also fancying Melaine Walker for a gold medal in the women's 400-meter hurdles. She looks ready for the gold!

Making predictions is risky business, as so many factors -- aside from season best performances -- often come into play. This is why I normally hesitate to do the prediction thing.

By the way, having three women in the finals of the 100-meter race does not by itself guarantee a medal, and we have only to look at the Bahamas at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000 where, with three women (Chandra Sturrup, Debbie Ferguson and Sevatheda Fynes) in the finals of the 100-meter dash, the Bahamas women placed 6th, 7th and 8th in that finals!! Nevertheless, I expect Jamaica to have three women in the finals in Beijing, and certainly at least one should be able to medal.

In the case of the relays, with safe baton passes, Jamaica will surely medal in at least three relays (men and women's 400-meter relays and the women's 1600-meter relay). Danny McFarlane has guts and so should never be counted out in the 400-meter hurdles. Also, while I never ever use past seasons' performances to make predictions, I'm going to make an exception this time in the case of decathlete Maurice Smith, as he can medal if he's completely healthy.

Even with a fit Felix Veronica shall come out of the bend 5 yards up...bit a fit Felix, based on the last 'Worlds' would eat Veronica in the straight. ...but as you said, is Felix fit?

If Felix is out Veronica takes it if her legs last!

Why do I say that about her legs?
Well...She has been putting tremendous pressure on them as she strains to be as fast and as fit as she can having been knocked out of the 100M. I got the feeling that Veronica rightly thought no one could defeat her in that Olympic 100M final. She was focused on that! Problem is she, as did almost all of us, thought qualifying at our local Champs would have been 'buttah'! That T&F Championship race...forget her PB/SB...did not have her feeling that edge at the start and even during the race that would have had extra flow of adrenaline...she was very composed even at 60M as she thought the field would come back to her. She had been looking ahead to the Olympics. There was no running scared. When in the race...during the race...she realised it was 'trouble...big trouble time'...too late...it was that sinking feeling, "I'm out!"

She has done some serious running since our Champs. ...both in the 100M building on her start and building leg speed...and in the 2...blazing that turn and then working on strength and form... Yup! She is right there! Top of her form! 21.80+ is in dem dere legs...and a 9+ relay leg...but will her legs hold out?

Wish her all the best. A nice young lady who is deserving of her
Gold(s)! ...Yup! The relay also!

[Stonigut]

Update, ah have to go with a little more positive vibe. Here is my wild card for another gold women 4*400, the quartet seems to be on the rise and with a little heart we could see something unusual with this set of girls, i am calling for a gold on this one.

Mek that 4 gold, 3 silver and 6 bronze.

[Baddaz]

I won't go into any detail just a bottom line approach.


1. Best case scenario 8 Gold, 6 silver, 5 bronze, very little chance of bettering this or coming close to this level of performance.

2. Scenario with no luck, lots of nerves and poor performance, 1 gold, 4 silver, 5 bronze. Bolt or VC one of those two should make it happen.

3. My prediction 3 gold, 4 silver, 6 bronze.
Gold will be excavated and extracted in 200 men, 200 women and 4*100 women.

That's it if I was a betting man that is what I would go with, the camp already has too many fractures in it, leadership wise to perform at a higher level than this unless we have a bunch of overachievers.

I don't know whether is a lack of vision on the leadership of the JAAA to not make sure that Franno is treated well and brought into the fold long ago and ensure that he is a key part of the JAAA mix or whether it is Franno being arrogant and sees himself above the rest of these "high school coach types" thus setting himself on his own island of coaching supremacy and thus creating a rift in the team. Both parties need to meet in the middle, it looks like it may already be too late.

stonigut... nice post... here is my prediction...

100m (men & women)... 2 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze
100mh (women)... 1 silver
4x100 (men & women)... 2 gold
200m (men & women)... 2 gold, 1 silver
400m (men & women)... 1 silver
400mh (men & women)... 1 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze
4x400m (men & women)... 1 silver (women)
decathlon... 1 silver

100m... 2 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze
asafa powell's redemption, winning gold, with bolt getting silver... powell has been steadily building up to world beater form... more experienced than bolt and has a more consistent 'fast start'... this trip, i dont see anyone catching powell if he gets away from them at the start...

i see kerron stewart winning gold... saf taking the silver or bronze... she could surprise, run the race of her life with a bullet start and take the gold...

i would not be surprised if the olympics order is the same as the ja campionships... if that was the case, sherone simpson gets a bronze...

100mh... 1 silver
i see deloreen-ennis taking the silver here... she has been fairly consistent this year and i see her putting it together in the final for a pb... i love her fighting spirit and as it is the hurdles, it will take a perfect race from lolo jones to beat deloreen in the finals... bfh, could be the one to get the silver but she is too inconsistent...

200m... 2 gold, 1 silver
bolt takes what appears to be the most certain gold in this olympics...
vcb taking the womens equivalent... not as certain as bolts but she is the most consistent this season... kerron stewart will not make it easy, especially if she is motivated to be a double gold medalist...

still vcb should prevail, defending her olympics title... ks takes the silver... ss will battle for the bronze... she could be successful...

400m (men & women)... 1 silver
novelene & rosemarie whyte should compete for the silver here... novelene has a good season but i believe she will finish behind rosemarie whyte in this olympics... i see rosemarie whyte introducing herself to the world with a silver...

400mh (men & women)... 1 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze
melanie walker should take the gold here... been great all season... her major known threats are out of the games... it is her gold to lose... shericka wilson could pull off an upset here... i see her in the top three...

on the mens side, danny mcfarlane could secure a medal... i see a bronze for mcfarlane... clement and jackson (usa) just seem too much for danny...

decathlon... 1 silver
maurice smith has been impressive this year... he will challenge for the gold... with a few pb and improvement in his javelin, he could pull a surprise and win the gold... he should secure a medal...

4x100 (men & women)... 2 gold
jamaica, with the abundance of talent in the sprints should win both races... of course this is contingent upon clean baton exchanges... nothing funky...

4x400 (men & women)... 1 silver
the women should get a silver here... the very least a bronze... the men will make the finals but i dont see them securing any medal...

i am under no delusion in thinking that my prediction will be accurate... however, i think this will be jamaica's most successful olympics medal haul... no prediction on that because i think it is evident to most who follow t&f...

[Gamma]

my prediction....mi just hope yuh right

[Stonigut]

Baddaz, 7 Gold, 7 Silver and two bronze, you nah romp! I see you think everybody have the steely nerves of Arthur Wint, the first Jakan to strike Gold. I would love to see that,experience tell me that a few will flame out when contacted by the fire of immersion in the Olympic cauldron. Let's see how that go.

100 M&W
In the 100's I just can't see gold on either side, Bolt will need to get up fast and run like hell to the finish as I believe Gay is going to be ready, Asafa I have no expectations at all, so any medal will be plenty.
Womens side again is a nerves thing, if Sherone really fit and ready physically, I think she is the real sleeper. No expectations here, a medal would be nice. 2B

100 WH
Again no expecation at all.If we get anything is just brawta! 1B

200 M M&W
This is the real deal, here is where there are expectation, the runners understand that and someone is going to have to drape them and tek it way fi dem nuh win it! Sherone with Silver. 2G 1S

4*100 M&W
Gold in womens, silver in men. 1G 1S

4*400 M&W
Gold in women, I am calling this we have a wicked set of girls and i think they will be the ones to really pop everybody's eyes this year. 1G
On the men's side they will medal if all the other teams outside the US are as equally inept as ours currently is, I cannot believe we have only one man who has broken 44.9 this year, look like we need fi get Michael Johnson to train them. Zero medal



400 W & M
I agree with you, we should take something out of this, I would personally love to see the wannbe yank, get a spanking. Realistically 1S would be amazing. I am going to dream a little here.

400 H M&W
She has run the best time of the year, she has shown she can handle the pressure, let's see what happens when the real thing come. At least bronze. Bwoy if Danny Mac do something it would be pure brawta, I really cannot expect more from this man who has already exceeded my expectation by running a low 48.3, I suspect the winning time will be mid 47 and a medal may have to be high 47, not sure if him can get much more than what he has already produced but he continues to surprise so let's see. 1S, 1B

Decathlon - Again, another man that has exceeded my wildest expectation, any medal would be phenomenal 1B

It look like seh mi come up wid almost the same thing again, 4G, 4S, 5B.

[Stonigut]

Fully agree with you post sah, potential is one thing, even performances on certain stages is another, but being on the Olympic stage and the mental games in ones heads and all the other things going on take it to another level. Let's see what happens, VC is mentally tough, BOLT has done it at each stage in his development, is this just another step in his development or is this the real deal and his performance here will tell us everything we need to know about now and what the future holds, kind of like Asafa (I have no expectations for him based on past performance on this stage and the number of issues that keep coming up with him)

[Baddaz]

yow stonigut... how mi prediction look so far... mi nuh 3bad...

[Karl]

Update, ah have to go with a little more positive vibe. Here is my wild card for another gold women 4*400, the quartet seems to be on the rise and with a little heart we could see something unusual with this set of girls, i am calling for a gold on this one.

Mek that 4 gold, 3 silver and 6 bronze.

You have gotten a break with that 4 x 400M ladies prediction. Novelette did not make the finals. She shall be determined to produce fireworks in the 4 x 400M. With 3 of the four women likely to run 49.00 change and the 4th round-about 50 secs...we should be in the money here.

Winning? ...not so sure the Russians will have something to say about that....and the US shall be, I think, as 'hungry' as our ladies. This race should have us on the edge of our seats all the way to the tape.

What a bam-bam...if the final leg has the US' Richards running down (attempting to run down ) the front runners?