JAGA ready to produce next Olympic gymnast

Toni-Ann Williams created history when she became the first Jamaican to qualify and compete in gymnastics at an Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro two years ago.

The accomplishment has injected an abundance of confidence into the Jamaica Amateur Gymnastics Association, who according to their president Nicole Grant- Brown, is on track to exponentially increase its participation in the next two summer games.

Grant-Brown made the prediction after several schools and clubs put on a scintillating display at the third staging of the Jamaica Classic for Gymnastics between November 24 and 26.

"We have a lot of people who we believe have the potential to make it to the 2020 Games, the 2024 Games and the one after that," Grant-Brown said. "From the Jamaica Classics we were able to choose 25 athletes who will be a part of our all star schools team who will be going to St Vincent next year to represent their schools."

ELITE GROUP

He continued: "We chose another 25 kids to be a part of the Junior development programme and they will represent Jamaica in a championships next year in Texas, USA. Our elite group will compete there as well."

The elite group, which Grant-Brown and her staff are preparing to qualify for the2020Tokyo Games, consists of Williams, Danusia Francis and McKenzie Robinson.

Grant-Brown says the Association will be doing everything it can to continue to develop the talents they have identified.

"We have a system in place to continue to provide them with the right competitions in order to refine their skills.

JAGA was formed three years ago before Williams qualified for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics and Grant-Brown believes with the right support Jamaica will churn out more gymnasts with Olympic potential.