Clearing hurdles to success

Raymond Graham, Gleaner Writer

THE WOMEN'S sprint hurdles is one event in which Jamaica has achieved great success at world level.

Led by Brigitte Foster-Hylton and Delloreen Ennis-London, the country has pocketed six medals at the World Championships, with both athletes getting three each. Foster-Hylton bagged gold at the last World Championships in Berlin to go with her silver in Paris in 2003, and bronze in Helsinki in 2005.

Ennis-London's three medals include bronze in Osaka in 2007 and Berlin 2009, with her silver medal coming at the Helsinki Championships in 2005.

The country is guaranteed four spots at the Daegu World Championships. International Association of Athletics Federations rules give defending champion Foster-Hylton an automatic entry.

When the athletes start the first round at 5:00 p.m tomorrow at the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association-Supreme Ventures Limited National Senior Championships, a great deal of attention will be focused on the event.

Three athletes will be hoping to gain the qualifying 'A' standard of 12.95 seconds to secure their spots at the championships as no Jamaican has attained this standard for the championships. (They had to make the qualifying mark October 1, 2010, or afterwards).

If no athlete makes the standard at the National Championships, they will have until midnight August 15 to do so.