Luciano, Skip Marley, Kevin Downswell, and Julian Marley are among the Jamaican ambassadors accompanying the Minister of Culture to the Paris Olympic Games for a series of events.
The Jamaican stars, along with a delegation from the Ministry of Culture, will take over the Espace de la Cokerie, a venue in Saint-Denis, France, from Saturday, August 3, for the viewing of the 100 m women’s final races, until Sunday, August 11, when there will be a grand gospel concert featuring Downswell and the Total Praise Mass Choir.
Downswell posted on Instagram, “What an honor and privilege to represent Jamaica in Paris this August during the Olympics, and even more so, represent the Kingdom of God. My performance/ministry in Paris will also be on the final day of the Paris Olympics.”
Friday August 10, is dubbed “Jamaica Day” in will culminate with a reggae concert at Club 24 Nanterre with headliners Luciano, Skip Marley, Grammy winner Julian Marley and David Carol.
Reggae is more popular than in France than any other European country, according to Luminate’s 2024 Midyear Music Industry Report.
More than 10,500 athletes, along with their coaches and team officials, are set to participate in the Paris Games. Athletes compete not as countries, but as members of their “National Olympic Committees,” with 206 committees represented this year. Russia and Belarus are banned from competing due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, but athletes from these countries will still participate as “Individual Neutral Athletes” under a neutral flag.
Thirty-seven athletes will compete as part of the Refugee Olympic Team. The United States will have the largest presence at the Olympics with 594 athletes, followed by France with 572 athletes, and future Games host Australia with 460 athletes. Jamaica has a total of 63 athlete in Paris and is expected to be the US’s biggest rivals in the 100m and 200m races. Heading the list is sprint legend Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, making her fifth Olympic appearance. Newcomer Kishane Thompson, the fastest man in the world this year, joins sprinters Oblique Seville and Ackeem Blake in the men’s 100m, aiming to reclaim Olympic glory. The women’s sprint squad features Tia Clayton, Lanae-Tava Thomas, and Niesha Burgher, all making their Olympic debuts, along with hurdlers Janeek Brown, Ackera Nugent, and two-time world champion Danielle Williams. Shericka Jackson seeks her first individual Olympic gold in the 200m, alongside Thomas and Burgher.
In the field events, NCAA high jump champion Romaine Beckford and Lamara Distin will represent Jamaica. The 400m events include Junelle Bromfield, Stacey Ann Williams, and national record holder Nickisha Pryce, with Stephenie Ann McPherson as a reserve. Middle-distance runners Natoya Goule-Toppin and Adelle Tracey (800m and 1500m), and Navasky Anderson (800m) will also compete. Hurdles events feature Janeek Brown, Ackera Nugent, and Danielle Williams in the women’s 100m hurdles, with Megan Tapper as a reserve, and Orlando Bennett, Rasheed Broadbell, and Hansle Parchment in the men’s 110m hurdles, with Tyler Mason as a reserve.
The 400m hurdles team includes Rushell Clayton, Shiann Salmon, and Janieve Russell for the women, and Roshawn Clarke, Jaheel Hyde, and Malik James-King for the men. Long jumpers Chanice Porter, Ackelia Smith, Tajay Gayle, Carey McLeod, and Wayne Pinnock, along with triple jumpers Shanieka Ricketts, Kimberly Williams, Jaydon Hibbert, and Jordan Scott, will also compete. In discus, Samantha Hall, Roje Stona, Ralford Mullings, and Traves Smikle (with Fedrick Dacres as a reserve) will represent Jamaica. Shot putters Lloydricia Cameron, Danniel Thomas-Dodd, and Rajindra Campbell, and hammer thrower Nayoka Clunis, round out the field events.
The relay teams include a mix of talent: the women’s 4x100m team (Tia Clayton, Shashalee Forbes, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Shericka Jackson, with Alana Reid as a reserve), the men’s 4x100m team (Ackeem Blake, Jehlani Gordon, Oblique Seville, Kishane Thompson, with Jelani Walker as a reserve), the women’s 4x400m team (Junelle Bromfield, Stephenie Ann McPherson, Nickisha Pryce, Stacey Ann Williams, with Ashley Williams as a reserve), and the mixed 4x400m team (Andrenette Knight, Charokee Young, Zandrian Barnes, Raheem Hayles, with Stephenie Ann McPherson and Kimar Farquharson as reserves).
The Technical Leader will finalize the relay team selections. With a robust mix of experienced athletes and emerging stars, Jamaica’s team is set to make a significant impact at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
On the opposite end of the scale, Belize, Liechtenstein, Nauru, and Somalia are each sending just one athlete to compete. Among countries with populations exceeding 1 million, Slovenia has the highest number of athletes per capita at the 2024 Olympics. For countries with populations below 1 million, the Cook Islands lead in athletes per capita.
