OA steps up pace for LA 2028 Grants Olympic Solidarity Scholarships to eight athletes

KINGSTON:

In its drive for excellence and greater diversification of the country’s representation at LA 2028, the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) stepped up the pace by granting eight athletes Olympic Solidarity Scholarships. The grants are allotted under the auspices of sports’ world governing body, the International Olympic Committee.

World Championship 100 metres gold medallist Oblique Seville and Bryan Levell, the World Championship 200m bronze medal winner, headline the awardees announced during a presentation ceremony at the Courtleigh Hotel in New Kingston on Tuesday.

“There's no two ways about it, track and field is the most successful Olympic sport that Jamaica has on the map. We're here to support track and field, and any other sporting discipline that has shown or demonstrated that they have the capacity or the capability to represent Jamaica on the Olympic stage,” said Ryan Foster, secretary general/CEO of the JOA.

The other Olympic Solidarity Scholarship recipients are 100m sprinter Ackeem Blake, high jumper Lamara Distin, surfer Elishima Beckford and swimmers Sabrina Lyn, Colin McKenzie and Kaheem Lozer.

“For LA 2028, one of the things we want to do is to get as much representation in the Olympic Games. In Tokyo, we had six disciplines represented; we want to have about 10 in LA 2028. And, of course, surfing would be a new entrance,” Foster explained.

He added: “Since 2017, we’ve invested over half-billion dollars on our athletes.”

Lyn, who attends Louisiana State University, specialises in the 50- and 100-metre breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle events.

Commenting on her initial reaction to the scholarship, she said: “I was actually still at school, I think I was in my dorm, and I got the call, and I was like, ‘Oh, yay … thank you so much’. It was really just an inward expression of gratitude and joy, a lot of joy. I’m just really honoured, really grateful to receive this scholarship.”

Seville expressed gratitude at being prioritised.

“I am very happy to see that they have recognised my talent and chosen me, because they could have chosen someone else. This is something good for athletes to have, this support from the JOA, because there are a lot of athletes out there who don’t have this support,” he said.

The scholarship grant aids access to appropriate training facilities, a coach specialised in the relevant sporting discipline, regular medical and scientific assistance, accident and illness insurance, board and lodging costs, and travel costs for athletes to participate in competitions and the LA 2028 Olympics.

“One of the mandates of the Jamaica Olympic Association is building a strategic plan that is centred around athlete development,” said Foster. “Sports is now more diverse and we have more Olympic-type sport. I am the president of skateboarding and we hope to have a skateboarder in the Olympic Games in LA 2028.

“We announced surfing, swimming/aquatics and track and field, but we have further support outside of just the Olympic Solidarity Scholarship. We have extended support to taekwondo, karate, skateboarding, and many other sporting disciplines. Judo, gymnastics, all of these are benefiting from what is called the JOA Scholarship, which is separate from the Olympic Solidarity Scholarship.”

National sporting bodies played a role in the selection of scholarship recipients, guided by the criteria that the athlete must be:

- Practising an individual sport included on the programme of the LA 2028 Games at an international level;

- At the technical level to be able to qualify for LA 2028;

- Athletes for whom a scholarship would make a difference in their training, and who have limited or no access to alternative means of paying for their preparation;

- And athletes who have never been convicted of a doping offence or sanctioned for actions contrary to the standards of sporting ethics as established by the Olympic Charter, IOC or the National Olympic Committee (NOC).

“Once the eligibility criteria are set, the NOC, with recommendations from the national federations, makes a submission. Olympic Solidarity will analyse the application in collaboration with the relevant international federations, if necessary, and then makes the final approval of the application,” shared Novelette Harris, member relations manager, JOA.

Levell received the scholarship for the second time. He pointed out that it enabled his Olympic participation.

“The JOA has been supporting me from a long time. My first time was 2024 when I went to the Olympics for the first time. So, a second time around, I'm even more grateful for once again receiving the scholarship,” he said.

“It's really important,” Levell continued. “As athletes, we have a lot of expenses and a lot of expenditures. So, having a scholarship and receiving funding, it's (playing) a major role in helping us in those areas.”