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THREE JAMAICANS, Jevaughn Powell, Deandre Watkin and Sean Bailey, will make their Olympic Games debut in the 400 metres when the track and field events begin on August 1.

Jamaica had a rich early history in this event at the Games. Jamaica's Arthur Wint won gold at the 1948 Olympic Games in London and four years later in Helsinki, George Rhoden gave the island back-to-back champions. On both occasions, Herb McKenley, another famous Jamaican track and field star, pocketed silver. In 1952, Jamaica also won the 4x400 metres gold medal. The members of the golden quartet were Wint, Les Laing, McKenley and Rhoden.

The three Jamaicans at this year's Games will be hard-pressed to repeat the heroics of Wint and company. In fact, getting to the final will be difficult, as none of them is ranked in the top 20 in the event this season. Watkin, with a personal best of 44.48 seconds in winning at the national championships, is the highest ranked among the Jamaicans, where Powell has a season's best of 44.54 and Bailey, a best of 44.60.

At the Tokyo Olympics, Jamaica's best performance came from Christopher Taylor, who was a finalist in the event. He clocked a personal best of 44.79 to finish sixth in the final, which was won by Steven Gardiner of The Bahamas.

Great Britain's Matthew Hudson-Smith, with a best of 43.74, and Quincy Hall of the United States, with 43.80, are the only athletes to have gone sub-44 seconds in the event ahead of the Olympics, and both look well set to fight out the finish. However, they should be wary of the likes of Vernon Norwood of the United States and Botswana's Bayopo Ndori, who both have season's best of 44.10.

The Jamaicans will be hoping to at least get to the semifinals but they will each have to produce something extraordinary to get to the top eight. With no 4x400m duty to think about, they can put all their effort in the individual event.

Hudson-Smith, who finished second to surprise winner Antonio Watson of Jamaica at last year's Budapest World Championships, should now go all the way and mine gold in this event.

TOP THREE.

1. Matthew Hudson-Smith (Great Britain)

2. Quincy Hall (USA)

3. Vernon Norwood (USA)