Michael Frater is eyeing a third successive gold medal when he teams up with Jamaica’s star-studded 4x100-metres relay quartet at this summer’s Olympic Games in Rio.

The 33-year-old is determined to finish his glorious Olympic career on a high, having helped Jamaica set a world and Olympic record at London 2012 and Beijing 2008.

Led by Usain Bolt, the sport’s global icon, Frater is among the “golden generation” of Jamaican sprinters, along with Yohann Blake, Asafa Powell and Nesta Cater, and believes they will again be unstoppable at the Olympics.

“We’re looking to do the same thing we did at the last Olympics and the one before that,” said Frater, who also competed at Athens 2004.

“We’ve been very dominant over the past ten years and I doubt we have lost a relay other than the World Relays last year [when Jamaica were beaten by the United States].

“A lot of the guys are getting closer to the end of their careers and Usain is saying he’s going to do this for about two more years.

“It’s the last go-around for most of us and we’re looking to continue our winning trend and end on a high.”

Jamaicans have long been known for their sprinting prowess, but it has been Bolt and his supporting cast who have set in motion a conveyor belt of talent that is showing no signs of slowing.

And when the time comes to pass the baton to the next generation, Frater is confident it will be a seamless transition after witnessing first hand the “world-beaters’ the Caribbean island is producing.

“Before us Jamaica was good but not that good, other than Herb McKenley in the Fifties and Don Quarrie in the Seventies.” Frater said.

“There is now a tradition of sprinting and the Boys’ Championships [an annual Jamaican multi-school athletics meet] is one of the biggest sporting events of the year.

“Track and field is our major sport, bigger than soccer, and that’s what most of us excel in.

“What my generation has accomplished has inspired the youth and they realise that Jamaica can be world-beaters.

“I’m seeing kids now running such fast times, times that I didn’t run when I was coming up.”

Frater will be in action in tonight’s Bermuda Invitational Permit Meet at the National Stadium, where he will compete in the 100 against a field that includes Mike Rogers of the United States and Tre Houston, Bermuda’s top sprinter.

“I started my season running 10.17 in Kingston and I’m just looking forward to building on what I did in that first meet,” Frater added.

“It’s April, it’s very early, and a lot of people have not even opened their seasons. I’m just looking to get the rust off and get the wheels moving.”

Since the previous Olympics in 2012 Frater has endured his fair share of injury misery, twice undergoing the surgeon’s knife and only returned to competing towards the end of last season.

“I’ve had to refocus and rejuvenate my body, all the time thinking about my ultimate goal of the Olympics” Frater said.

“I had to go back to day one to get that hunger and dedication, and it’s really paying off.

“I have accomplished all that I wanted, plus more. I’m still enjoying it, it’s still fun, and I’m satisfied that I’ve done what everyone else is trying to do.”

Houston admits it will be a thrill to join decorated sprinters such as Frater and Rogers at the start line in tonight’s race.

“It’s going to be really great,” said Houston, who will make his Olympic debut in Rio. “There are some world-class athletes here and I’m not trying to put too much pressure on myself.

“It will be an honour to run against some of these guys. It will let me know how it feels to be in a race against them before I go to the Olympics.”

Troy Douglas, the Bermuda National Athletics Association head coach, has urged the public to take advantage of an opportunity to witness world-class athletes perform live.

“If anybody has any plans to watch the Olympics this summer, well, this is as close as you will get to seeing them live,” said Douglas, a former sprinter and four-times Olympian.

“We have Olympic gold medal-winners, world-record holders and World Championships medallists competing.

“Bermuda will finally get to see what our top guys are up against.”