Elton Tucker, Assistant Editor - Sport

( L - R ) Ennis-London ... joined team, Sinclair ... hurt,Brooks ... joined team

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil:

Several top Jamaican track athletes arrived in Rio de Janiero yesterday on the eve of the start of competition at the Joao Havelange Stadium.

National 100 metres hurdles champion Delloreen Ennis-London, one of the favourites for the event, and Vonette Dixon arrived from Miami. They were delayed in Florida after their flight was cancelled.

Commonwealth 100 metres champion Sheri-Ann Brooks is also here to run the 200m, while Peta-Gaye Dowdie, who has replaced Shelly-Ann Fraser in the 100 metres, also flew into Brazil yesterday.

Track and field manager Lincoln Eatmon reported that national 800 metres champion and record holder Kenia Sinclair is hurt and will not make the trip, while 110m hurdler Maurice Wignall is still not here. The first round of the 100m and 800m will be contested today.

( Left ) Thomas ... withdrew (Right)Brown ... withdrew

Eight members of the original 48-member track and field squad have withdrawn from the Games. Frazer, long jumper Chelsea Hammond and javelin thrower Kateema Riettie are out of the women's squad. The men out are sprinters Clement Campbell, Steve Mullings, Omar Brown and Dwight Thomas and 400m hurdler Isa Phillips.

Manager Eatmon still expects those here to do fairly well.

"With the team we have we should do fairly well," Eatmon said at the Games Village on Saturday.

"The men's sprint relay has been weakened by the withdrawal of several of the top sprinters but the guys here are determined that they will give a good account of themselves," he added.

Marvin Anderson and Xavier Brown are the only two genuine short sprinters here. Anderson will run in the 200m and Brown, who was originally named as a reserve for the 4x100m, has been entered in the 100m.

The female sprint hurdlers, the female relay teams and sprinter Aleen Bailey are, according to Eatmon, expected to do very well.

Hammer thrower Nicky Grant will be seeking to give Jamaica its first medal in track and field when she goes in the hammer throw final at 3:25 p.m. her (Ja time 1:25).

The first to hit the track today will be decathlete Maurice Smith followed by Edino Steele and Leford Green in the heats of the men's 400m, Dowdie and Tracy-Ann Rowe in the women's 100m, and Xavier Brown and Jason Livermore in the men's 100m.