A 54-strong athletics squad has been unveiled in a largest-ever total delegation, consisting of 115 athletes plus 36 officials.

They will represent the island nation in 15 sports. 

Thompson, the 100 and 200 metres gold medal winner at Rio 2016, will compete alongside 2011 world 100m champion Yohan Blake.

The team will be lacking Olympic and world 110m hurdles champion Omar McLeod, who did not make himself available for selection.

McLeod also missed last week's World Indoor Championships in Birmingham due to visa issues.

Olympic bronze medallist Hansle Parchment will lead a high hurdles squad in McLeod's absence which also includes youth world champion Dejour Russell. 

Janieve Russell, winner of a Commonwealth Games 4x400m relay gold medal at Glasgow 2014 and a bronze in the 400m hurdles, is another member of the squad.

Other medal opportunities will come in netball and swimming, where two-time world shortcourse champion Alia Atkinson is the sole Jamaican entrant. 

"It will be an experience of national pride, pride in the success of our countrymen and countrywomen. Pride in Brand Jamaica," said JOA President Christopher Samuda.

Commonwealth Games director Garth Gayle also expressed hope that the Games, due to take place from April 4 to 15, will help Jamaica make partial amends for disappointing performances at last year's International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships.

Jamaica finished joint 15th with The Netherlands on the medals table in London with just one gold - for McLeod - and three bronze medals.

The team also disappointed at the IAAF World Indoor Championships, which finished in Birmingham on Sunday (March 4).

They won only two silver medals, Kimberly Williams in the triple jump and Danniel Thomas-Dodd in the shot put.  

Both have been included in the team for Gold Coast 2018. 

Jamaica matched their best-ever performance in the Commonwealth Games at Glasgow 2014.

They won a total of 22 medals, including 10 gold, the same as at Melbourne 2006. 

A total of 19 of these medals, including all the golds, came in athletics where they finished second overall behind Kenya. 

The gold medals included the men's 4x100m where Usain Bolt anchored the team. 

Bolt is now retired but expected to attend Gold Coast 2018 as an ambassador.

"I know you'll all be glued to your televisions and listening to daily reports coming out of Australia, because it's our intent that we will be coming back with a bountiful of medals," Gayle said.

"We're going to correct, especially in the case of track and field, some of the disappointments of London, as we look to come back with a harvest of medals."