KINGSTON, July 4- Jamaican sprint stars Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce were included on Thursday in Jamaica’s 68-strong athletics squad for this year’s Commonwealth Games in Scotland.
Six-time Olympic gold medalist Bolt and two-time 100m Olympic champion Fraser-Pryce are both expected to compete only in the 4x100m relays. Both missed last weekend’s Jamaican championships, the selection meeting for the Commonwealth Games, after requesting medical exemptions.
Under the rules of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA), top ranked athletes who request medical exemption from the trials can be included in the squad, but must prove their fitness before the games start.
Fraser-Pryce had a string of poor results before submitting her medical certificate, but Bolt, who had earlier indicated along with training partner Yohan Blake that they were not interested, had a change of heart last week and signalled his readiness to compete in Glasgow.
However Bolt, the world record holder in the 100m and 200m, had said he didn’t want to take a spot in an individual race from an athlete who earned selection at the trials.
Blake, who didn’t race in the trials, is not in the squad.
Multiple World and Olympic champion Veronica Campbell Brown and World and Olympic 200m medalist Warren Weir are also on the team.
Campbell Brown, who pulled out of a Diamond League meeting in Lausanne on Thursday, won the Jamaican 100m title last weekend while Weir was second to up-and-coming sprinter Rasheed Dwyer in the 200m final.
World number one ranked 400m hurdler Kaliese Spencer is included, as are World Indoor triple jump bronze medalist Kimberly Williams and Olympic Games 110m hurdles bronze medalist Hansle Parchment.
In all, 114 competitors in 11 sports will represent Jamaica in Glasgow from July 23 through August 3.
Jamaica Commonwealth Games athletics squad
Women
Veronica Campbell Brown, Kerron Stewart, Schillonie Calvert, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Natasha Morrison, Elaine Thompson, Anneisha McLaughlin, Samantha Henry-Robinson, Novelene Williams-Mills, Christine Day, Stephenie McPherson, Anastacia Le-Roy, Shericka Williams, Shericka Jackson, Natoya Goule, Simoya Campbell, Kimara McDonald, Monique Morgan, Indira Spence, Danielle Williams, Kaliese Spencer, Janieve Russell, Nikita Tracey, Kimberly Williamson, Saniel Atkinson-Grier, Jovanne Jarrett, Chanice Porter, Kimberly Williams, Shanieka Thomas, Danniel Thomas, Kellion Knibb, Vanessa Levy, Natalie Grant and Salcia Slack.
Men
Nickel Ashmeade, Jason Livermore, Kemar Bailey-Cole, Julian Forte, Kimmari Roache, Usain Bolt, Rasheed Dwyer, Warren Weir, Akheem Gauntlett, Rusheen McDonald, Hugh Graham, Edino Steele, Chumaine Fitten, Omar Johnson, Jo-Wayne Hibbert, Ricardo Cunningham, Andrew Riley, Hansle Parchment, Richard Phillips, Roxroy Cato, Leford Green, Annsert Whyte, Darrell Garwood, Demar Forbes, Nicholas Forbes, Nicholas Gordon, Damon McLean, Daniel Lewis, Wayne Northover, O’Dayne Richards, Raymond Brown, Jason Morgan, Chad Wright and Orrin Powell.
