Robinson predicts men's discus showdown at Trials

P Reid

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

CALABAR High School's throwing coach Julian Robinson is predicting that the men's discus event at this year's JAAA/ Supreme Ventures National Senior Championships could be the most competitive ever.

Robinson, who has had an unparalleled string of success for the past five seasons, conditioning throwers who have won two IAAF World Youth medals, several CARIFTA Games and Central American Junior and Pan-Am Junior Championships accolades, think Jamaica could send as many as three discus throwers to this summer's Olympic Games in London.

Fresh on the heels of National Junior and Senior Champion Traves Smikle's achievement of the B standard at Saturday's King of the Ring meet at St Hugh's High after setting a personal best 63.75m to join Jason Morgan, whose national record of 64.11 set last year also gives him a B qualifying mark, Robinson has set the bar high.

"I don't see why we can't have three men throwing in the Olympics," he told the Observer yesterday.

"There are a few guys who have been working hard," he told the Observer, listing the overseas-based Chad Wright, Shane Dodd of GC Foster, Shaun Haughton, Morgan, Smikle and O'Dayne Richards.

Robinson said reports from Wright's coach in the United States are that he is on course for throwing in the "mid-60ms range" come June.

Robinson said Morgan, a former Calabar standout who has competed at two IAAF World Championships, has the potential to be an Olympic medallist.

"I have said it before and I will say it again that Jason has the goods to medal at a world meet," Robinson said.

"He is strong and his strength is comparable to 'the big boys' in the event."

Morgan, an all-American athlete at Louisiana Tech, is self-coached and lives in the United States, but has won successive Central American Games and Championships (CAC) titles in 2010 an 2011.

He was selected to represent Jamaica at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in India, but had to withdraw as he would have had to take unpaid leave from his job as a hospital administrator.