Rivals set for sizzling clashes at Gibson

Raymond Graham, Gleaner Writer

Track and field excitement is expected to reach fever-pitch as leading contenders battle for honours at the 35th staging of the Gibson Relays, one of the premier athletics events at the newly laid National Stadium track, beginning at 9:30 a.m.

With the meet being held at this time of the season, some top-class performances are expected as athletes should be in the later stages of their preparation, especially those among the high schools as they would have reached near peak level for the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) Boys and Girls' Championships, which will be run in almost two weeks.

There will be competition for all levels as outside of the popular high school events, there will be action among primary, prep, clubs and institutions in both relay and individual events. All finals are expected to begin at 4 p.m., with the final event, the high school boys' 4x400-metre final, set to close the programme at 8:48 p.m.

Besides locals, there will be overseas competition from the region and as far as Great Britain, as a contingent of over 32 students from Birmingham, England, are down to compete in both individual and relay events.

Birmingham will host the Jamaica team camp ahead of next year's Olympic Games in London, and Gibson Relays organiser and president of the North America, Central America and Caribbean (NACAC) region, Neville 'Teddy' McCook, believes the involvement of the Birmingham delegation underlines the strong relations between both countries.

The meet will include eight Championship events, for which the prizes will be commemorative Gibson Relay watches to members of the winning teams.

The Championship events are the high school boys and girls 4x100 metres, 4x100 metres institution men, 4x800 metres high school open male and female, along with the 4x400 metres institution men and high school male and female.

Top high school female teams Holmwood Technical and Edwin Allen, along Vere Technical, while Kingston College (KC), Calabar High, Jamaica College (JC), Munro College, St Jago and Wolmer's Boys are the leading boys teams.

Hotly contested

All Championship events are expected to be hotly contested, with the high school male and female 4x400 metres setting the stage in what is expected to be a thriller. Among the girls, the rejuvenated Vere Technical team will be hoping to get back to the top with their quartet of Shericka Jackson, Yanique McNeil, Olivia James and Chantal Duncan set to engage Holmwood and Edwin Allen in a fierce battle. All three have shown dominance in the event so far this season.

Among the boys, preseason favourites Munro College suffered a setback with injury to a key member of their team, now opening the way for a battle among themselves, St Jago High, St Elizabeth Technical and KC, who are the slight favourites.

St Elizabeth Technical and Munro are expected to continue their showdown in the boys' 4x100 metres Class One Championship event, as both had a close finish at the Western Relays, where the former prevailed by a whisker, winning in a record 40.12 seconds ahead of their rivals in 40. 14. Munro could turn the table this time around as their top man, Delano Williams, is bang in form following his record runs in the 100 and 200 metres a week ago at the Western Boys Championships in Montego Bay.

It is difficult to predict the winner of the girls' Class One 4x100 Championship event, but it will come down to Holmwood, Edwin Allen and Herbert Morrison High.

Edwin Allen look set to take the girls' 4x800, while JC are favourites for the boys' equivalent.

Both Racers Track Club and MVP with their array of national senior representatives are expected to fight out the finish in both the 4x100 metres institution and clubs male 4x100 and 4x400 metres events.

Both clubs are expected to field most of their top athletes, with Asafa Powell and Usain Bolt being the only absentees.

• Events schedule

9:30 a.m: 4x400 High School Boys Open

10:06 a.m: 4x400 Institution Men

10:30 a.m: 4x400 High School Girls Open

10:58 a.m: 4x400 Institution Women

11:12 a.m: 4x100 High School Boys Class 1V

11:18 a.m: 4x100 High School Boys Class 111

11:30 a.m: Long Jump Men

11:30 a.m: High Jump Women

11:36 a.m: 4x100 High School Boys Class 11

11:54 a.m: 4x100 High School Boys Class 1

12:18 p.m: 4x100 institution Men

12:30 p.m: 4x100 Institution Women

12:36 p.m: 4x100 All Age & Junior High Boys

12:45 p.m: 4x100 All Age & Junior High Girls

12:55 p.m: 4x100 High School Girls Under 19

1:00 p.m: 4x100 High School Girls Under 17

1:12 p.m: 4x100 High School Girls Under 15

1:20 p.m: Pole Vault

1:30 p.m: 4x100 High School Girls Under 13

1:45 p.m: 4x200 High School Boys Class 1V

1:53 p.m: 4x200 High School Boys Class 111

2:20 p.m: 4x200 High School Boys Class 11

2:30 p.m: 4x200 High School Boys Class 1

2:40 p.m: High Jump Men

2:50 p.m: 4x200 High School Girls Open

3:10p.m: 4x200 All Age & Junior High

3:24 p.m: 4x200 All Age & Junior High

3:40 p.m. NATIONAL ANTHEM

INVOCATION

PRESENTATIONS

FINALS

4:00 p.m: 100M Hurdles Women Open

4:10 p.m: 110 M Hurdles Men Open

4:15 p.m: Lucozade Sports One Mile Men Open

4:23 p.m: Lucozade Sports One Mile Women Open

4:31 p.m: 4x60 Prep School Boys Shuttle Under 10

4:40 p.m: 4x60 Primary School Boys Shuttle Under 10

4:45 p.m: 4x100 Primary School Boys Under 12

4:51 p.m: 4x100 Prep School Boys Under 12

4:59 p.m: 4x100 Prep School Girls Under 12

5:03 p.m: 4x100 Primary School GirlsUnder 12

5:09 p.m: 4x100 High School Boys Class Championship

5:15 p.m: 4x100 High School Boys Class 11

5:21 p.m: 4x100 High School Boys Class 111

5:27 p.m: 4x100 High School Boys Class 1V

5:33 p.m: 4x100 Institution Men Championship

5:39 p.m: 4x100 Institution Women

5:45 p.m: 4x100 High School Girls Under 19 Championship

5:51 p.m: 4x100 High School Girls Under 17

5:57 p.m: 4x100 High School Girls Under 15

6:03 p.m: 4x100 High School Girls Under 13

6:09 p.m: 4x100 All Age & Junior High Boys

6:15 p.m: 4x100 All Age & Junior High Girls

6:21 p.m: Sprint Medley Clubs & Institution Men

6:25 p.m: 4x100 Masters Men

6:31 p.m: 4x100 Special Olympics Men

6:40 p.m : 4x800 High School Boys Open Championships

6:57 p.m: 4x800 High School Girls Open Championships

7:10 p.m: 100M Women

7:15 p.m: 100M Men "A"

7:20 p.m: 100M Men "B"

7:25 p.m: 400M Women

7:30 p.m: 400M Women

7:36 p.m: 4x200 High School Girls Open

7:42 p.m: 4x200 High School Boys Class 1

7:48 p.m: 4x200 High School Boys Class 11

7:54 p.m: 4x200 High School Boys Class 111

8:00p.m: 4x200 High School Boys Class 1V

8:06 p.m: 4x200 All Age & Junior High Boys

8:12 p.m: 4x200 All Age & Junior High Girls

8:20 p.m: 4x400M Institution Men

8:28 p.m: 4x100M Institution Men Championships

8:38 pm: 4x400 High School Girls Open Championship

8:48 p.m: 4x400 High School Boys Open Championship