Orville Byfield has been appointed head coach and will have Dwayne Jarrett, Michael Vassell and Grace Bourah as his support staff that will marshal the squad that mainly features US-based collegiate field-event athletes.
The 13-member men’s team includes, hammer thrower Daniel Cope, long jumper Jordan Turner, triple jumpers O’Brien Wasome and Owayne Owens as well as high jumper Raymond Richards and javelin thrower Elvis Graham.
Giano Roberts and Odario Phillips will compete in the 110m Hurdles while Jevaughn White is the lone representative in the 100m. Rajay Hamilton and Tarees Rhoden are down to contest the 800m and Troy White is set to take on the 400m hurdles. Zidane Brown will participate in the 400m.
Among the women, Adrienne Adams and Marie Forbes will contest the discus throw while Danielle Sloley competes in the Shot Put.
Erica Belvit and Forbes will contest the Hammer Throw.
Lashanna Graham has double duty in the 400m and 400m hurdles while Yanique Dayle will challenge for medals in the 100m and 200m.
The delegation is also comprised of a support team that includes team manager Brian Smith, assistant manager Marva Samuels, physiotherapists Dionne Bennett, Kamla Forbes and Rockecia Wynter.
The mark, if ratified, will eclipse the record of 22.95m set by Kim Barnett in March 2004. Erica was a class above her competition that included her younger sister Hope, a senior at Northeastern, who was a distant second with her best throw of 17.92m.
Megan Wood, a junior of Rhode Island was third with 17.02m.
Erica, overwhelmed with emotion, shared her immediate reaction to the record-breaking moment, saying, "I was jumping and screaming! I didn’t expect it; I just knew something was going to happen for sure! I have so much in the tank ready to go."
The achievement comes after meticulous preparation, with Belvit and her coach, Wilfredo de Jesus Elias, dedicating their focus exclusively to the hammer throw and outdoor events in the lead-up to the 2024 track and field season. The URI Coaches Invitational served as a platform to fine-tune her competition mindset after a hiatus from competing.
Reflecting on her preparation for the season, Belvit mentioned, “This meet was just to ‘shake some dust off’ and practice getting into that competition mindset since I haven’t competed since July."
The disappointment of being overlooked for Jamaica's team at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest in 2023 fueled Belvit's determination to make her mark in Paris this summer. Addressing the setback, she expressed, "Yes, it changed my whole view of training and competing. I was heartbroken for some time. Now we move forward."
Despite a challenging off-season marked by illness, Belvit's mental fortitude and patience played a pivotal role in her development. She shared insights into her off-season journey, stating, "My off-season started pretty rocky. I had gotten sick, which delayed my start for several weeks. When I was able to start training again, we focused on recovery and gradually increasing my training. I grew so much mentally during that time because I had to be patient with my body."
Looking ahead, Belvit has set ambitious yet straightforward targets for the season. Her focus is on giving her all each day, without regrets or holding back, believing that this approach will propel her toward success.
The 23-metre throw represents a significant step forward for Belvit and her coach. She sees it as evidence that their hard work is paying off and that they are heading in the right direction. As she shifts her attention to outdoor competitions, Belvit is eager to continue her journey, armed with newfound confidence and the belief that she has more to offer in pursuit of Olympic glory in Paris.
However, Clunis, having thrown a season’s best of 71.83m that exceeded the World Athletics 'B' standard of 70.00m, and who is ranked 25th in the world, has been selected for the Olympic team. Belvit, on the other hand, did not meet the B standard and is ranked 57th, rendering her ineligible for selection.
Taking to Instagram, Belvit shared her emotional journey and the challenges she faced this season.
“I don’t really have many words to describe this season other than ‘I tried my best’. Because I did,” Belvit wrote. “I came out of this season a National Champion, but I unfortunately could not put it together to qualify for the Olympics this year.”
The distraught hammer thrower revealed that her season was marred by a car accident just before it began, which resulted in her wearing a neck brace for nearly a month due to nerve issues in her neck and shoulders. Despite these setbacks, she persevered, balancing rest and training in an effort to reach her peak performance. However, time was not on her side.
“I tried so hard to allow my body the rest I could afford while continuing my training to the best of my ability. But the clock was running out and it became clear that my ‘best’ just wasn’t going to be good enough,” she lamented.
Belvit’s emotional struggle was palpable as she described the toll it took on her mental health. “I’ve never really thought of myself as a crier; this season broke that (and me) down for sure. I cried for and grieved this season for weeks; every single day. Woke up, crying. Falling asleep, crying. Before, during, and after trainings, crying. In airports, on planes, crying. Because I love to throw, and I couldn’t fathom that the dream I had to make it to this Olympic Games was dying right in front of me.”
The heartbreak was compounded by her exclusion from Jamaica’s team for the World Championships in Budapest last year, making the missed Olympic opportunity even more painful. “I felt like I needed to get there, especially after not being selected to go to Worlds last year,” she added.
Despite the setback, Belvit expressed gratitude to those who supported her throughout her journey. “Thank you to everyone who has shown support and love throughout this season and my entire career. Thank you to @wilfredo_dejesus for sticking with me through this season. Thank you to @rskim7296 at @reformpt_natick for your amazing work - I couldn’t have gotten back into competition shape this quickly without you. To the special few who spoke life into me and picked me up when I didn’t have strength, I love you.”
Looking ahead, Belvit remains uncertain about her future but is determined to take time to recover mentally. “I’m not really sure where I go from here; I definitely need some time to get my mental together. Only God knows what’s next,” she concluded.
