Festival of speed

The 100m semi-finals and finals will take the spotlight tonight as the nation stops to witness another extraordinary display of speed at the Inter Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls' Athletics Championships inside the National Stadium.

In the Class One Boys 100m, all the major names are in the hat for the semi-finals, which get underway at 3:30pm this afternoon, with Michael O'Hara (Calabar), who false started in the semi-finals last year, Raheem Chambers (St Jago), 11.15; Edward Clarke Jr. (Calabar), 11.47; and Waseem Williams (JC), 11.12 all advancing after winning their respective heats.

O'Hara clocked an easy 11.15 to get his campaign started. The 10.19 seconds sprinter will most likely need to lower that time and perhaps put a target on Charnel Hughes' 10.12 seconds record (2014) if he is to take the marquee event with Chambers and Clarke Jr. expected to be breathing down his backs.

In Class Two, KC will be pinning their hopes on the super talented Jhevaughn Matherson, who had tonnes in reserve as he stopped the clock in 11.55 seconds to win his heat. Tyreke Wilson (Calabar), 11.23 seems up for the challenge, especially with questions lingering about Matherson's fitness and with his teammate Dejour Russell, 11.15 in the mix, this one will shake the very foundations of the National Stadium.

Gold medal favourite Saqukine Cameron (Edwin Allen) was disqualified in the heats of the Class One girls 100m leaving St Jago's Natalliah Whyte with an easier route to the top of the podium.

Edwin Allen's Shellece Clarke, 12.20, is the pick of the lot in the Class Two girls 100m and she booked her spot with minimal effort along with Hydel's Yanique Dayle, 12.30 and Green Island's Kimone Hines, 12.14.

The semi-finals of the 100m get underway at 2:40pm with the first final scheduled for 7:45pm.