Sheri-Ann Brooks ... will run in the 200m final. - Ian Allen/StaffPhotographer

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil:

Jamaica will be looking to mine more gold when the Pan American Games track and field competition resumes today at the Joao Havelange Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

Going into the rest day Jamaica had a tally of five medals - two gold, two silver and one bronze. Today they have a strong chance to get gold in the men's 200 metres where Marvin Anderson, the former St. Jago High star, has the second fastest time going into the 7:40 p.m. final.

Anderson, who now attends the University of Southern California, won his semi-final in a near personal best 20.35. His time was only beaten by Antigua and Barbuda's 100m bronze medallist, Brendan Christian, who took the first semi-final in 20.33.

The Jamaican sprinter who has a personal best of 20.30 said on Wednesday that he will be gunning for the gold.

"In the heats I felt a bit sluggish. I don't know if it's because I was just sitting around here for a few days. However, I am in good shape and I want to try and win this gold and let them know that Jamaica can still dominate the sprint our top guys are not here," Anderson said.

The women's 200m duo of Sheri-Ann Brooks and Aleen Bailey will be hard-pressed to get medals. Brooks has the best chance. She appeared to have something in hand when placing third in her semi-final and has the quality to surprise the favourite, Grenada's Sherry Fletcher, who enters the final with the best time of 22.86.

Dean Griffiths will also be trying to repeat his bronze medal of four years ago when he runs in the men's 400m hurdles final. Like Brooks in the 200m, Griffiths looks to be waiting for the medal round and could be among the top two.

Maurice Wignall has not arrived in Rio de Janeiro to run the men's 110m hurdles and Jamaica will be represented by Eric Keddo.

The semi-finals of three relays will also be run today. With sprinters Clement Campbell, Steve Mullings and Omar Brown making late withdrawals from the Games the track and field management here will be hard-pressed to field a men's team.

Jamaica are the men's 4x400m defending champions, but with none of their 400m men getting past the semi-finals they will be difficult to repeat the gold won in 3:01.81 in Santo Domingo four years ago.

There are no semi-finals for the women's 4x400m, but the 4x100m has attracted eleven countries.

- E.T.

IN ACTION TODAY

ATHLETICS

Women

Shot put final: Zara Northover, Nadia Alexander

1500m final: Tanice Barnett

200m final: Aleen Bailey, Sheri-Ann Brooks

Women's 4x100m semi-finals

Men

800m semi-finals: Andrae Drummond, Aldwyn Sappleton

110m hurdles semis: Eric Keddo

Men's 4x100m semi-finals

Men's 4x400m semi-finals

200m final: Marvin Anderson

Note: Track and field starts at 1:00 p.m.

FOOTBALL

1:00 p.m: Jamaica vs Ecuador final.