Jura Levy (left) races into the semi-finals of the girls 100m at the World Youth Championships in Ostrava yesterday. - Photos by Anthony Foster

Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer

OSTRAVA, Czech Republic:

JAMAICAN ATHLETES enjoyed a good opening day at the fifth IAAF World Youth Athletics Championships at the capital's City Stadium yesterday.

All but three of the nation's athletes in action made it through to the semi-finals.

Sprinters Dexter Lee, Nickel Ashmeade and Jura Levy, along with quarter milers Latoya McDermott and Rolando Berch, and high jumper Misha-Gaye DaCosta have booked their places in the semi-finals.

In the boys 100m quarter-finals, Ashmeade and Lee won heats four and five in 10.62 and 10.65 seconds respectively, while Levy took fourth in quarter-final two of the girls event in 11.98.

Lee, who got out of the blocks last in his quarter-final, ran 10.55 in the first round. He was easy in both rounds but said he was not satisfied with the day's work.

"I just went out there to make the semi-finals but I will have to work on my start," he said.

Semi-finals

In looking forward to the semi-finals, Lee said: "It looks like I will have to go out there and do my best to qualify for the final," he said while hinting that American Kenneth Gilstrap will be the one to beat.

Levy, who finished fourth in quarter-final two, expressed mixed feelings about her performance. "I did not run as fast as I wanted, but right now I am feeling pretty comfortable," Levy said after realising she was into the semi-finals."I'm a little bit disappointed with where I placed but I just have to work on my start a little more, try to finish as fast as I can," she added.

Regarding the semi-finals set for today, Levy said: "I have to go out and do my best because right now I am going to have to run 11.5, which is better than my PR (11.62)."

Meanwhile, McDermott and Berch advanced to the second round of their respective 400m events.

McDermott took heat four of the girls event in a comfortable 55.93 seconds, while Berch, who ran in heat two, finished second in 48.69 seconds behind Great Britain's Jordan McGarth (48.25).

Both quarter milers will be in today's semi-finals.

Misha-Gaye DaCosta advanced to the final of the girls high jump with a leap of 1.74m.

On today's second day, long jumper Tarik Batchelor, who has the second best jump this season, and Shana-Gaye Tracey, who will enter the 400m hurdles with the second fastest time 57.90, only behind the United State's Ryann Krais (57.20), are the Jamaicans down to compete. Donohue Williams in the 800m (1:58.08), Gayon Evans, who made it into the 100m quarter-final with 12.17, and Hansle Parchment, who fell out in the quarter-finals of the 110m hurdles (14.13) after recording a personal best of 13.95 in the preliminaries, were the Jamaicans who failed to advance yesterday.

anthony.foster@gleanerjm.com