McFarlane - File
SEIDO Karate star, Bruce McFarlane, made an explosive return in a bid for selection to Jamaica's combined martial arts team, when he won gold at the Philadelphia Taekwondo Championships in the United States.
McFarlane, along with combined team captain Jason McKay and Sidekick Taekwondo's Kevin McDowell, all racked up crucial points in Philly to all but ensure spots on the combined team for the 2010 season.
Selection to Jamaica's combined martial arts team, three-time defending US Open world continental team-fighting champions, is based on a non-discretionary points system.
Top 10 fighters
The team is open to any member of the local martial arts community who finish among the top 10 fighters on points allocated for local and international individual bouts.
For local tournaments, the points allocation, gold to bronze, is 5-3-1, whereas international bouts get 7-5-3 and world championships 9-7-5.
The weekend saw the return of McFarlane, who had missed the entire local season and was competing in his first international of the year.
2010 selection secure
The former Seido world champion was none the worse and grabbed gold to secure seven points, enough at this point to guarantee selection for the 2010 season.
McKay, a long-standing combined team veteran, was also in a pickle after missing the entire local season and only had five points from the US Open for a bronze in the two-man team contest.
The team captain's five points would have still put him in contention to make the top 10, but he was not out of the woods with a month and a half left in the 2009 season. However, he managed to pull off what was arguably his best performance in years to easily take bronze in the heavyweight division.
The three points gained by McKay moved him to seventh spot in the team standings.
Meanwhile, McDowell, who is on an all-out mission this year to make the combined team after years of inactivity, rose to the occasion in Philadelphia, taking silver in his second international attempt in the last 14 days.
McDowell's five points have, at least, so far guaranteed him an invitee spot for the 2010 season.