Local journalists headed to London to cover the Olympic Games are confident that Jamaica will reap at least 11 medals but they are coy about the colours.
At a Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) arranged send off on Tuesday July 17, for journalists covering the Games, the predictions ranged from a high of 14 medals to a low of 10.
Veteran journalist Clare Forrester who will be covering her fourth Olympic Games was most gung-ho as she predicted that, barring injuries, the Jamaicans should return with 14 medals.
CVM's Wayne Walker, whose post cards from Beijing were a huge hit during the 2008 Olympic Games, was confident that Jamaica will, at least, repeat its 11-medal haul and he would not be surprised if there was another medal added to the list.
The Gleaner's Andre Lowe, who is quickly developing a reputation as one of the region's top track and field reporters agreed that 11 medals should be in the bag when the Games are completed but he also played it safe as to the colour.
Kayon Raynor, who was outstanding writing for the Jamaica Observer from Beijing, will be doing the job for the RJR Communication Group this time around and he expects that there will be one more medal to report on.
Based on Raynor's projection it should be a ten medal haul but the man who will be shooting the videos for him, veteran videographer Oral Napier is confident that it will be 13.
While members of the Jamaica Observer's team, Paul Reid and Bryan Cummings, missed the send-off because they are already in Britain, their editor Ian Burnett expressed confidence that the team will garner 11 medals.
Burnett is more respected for his knowledge of football, cricket and horse racing so his predictions were greeted with some skepticism but his general sporting back-ground meant that he was taken more seriously than the Gleaner's Darraine Luton who projected 10 medals.
Others journalists not known for any connection with sports such as Radio Jamaica's Rohan Powell and Karen Madden-James, probably emboldened by the presence of the outstanding sports reporters, added their projections to the list.
Madden-James declared that the athletes will come home with 12 medals while Powell argued that a repeat of the Beijing 11-medal haul is on the cards.
Most of the journalists headed to London will jet off by the end of this week and the PAJ is confident that the public will be well served over the radio, television, print and Internet as Jamaican athletes go for glory in the Olympic Games.
Arthur Hall
Public Relations Director
Press Association of Jamaica
Sent from my BlackBerry® device from Digicel
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