CHAMPS WATCH - 400m record on Francis' mind

Audley Boyd, Assistant Editor - Sport

Javon Francis is targeting another memorable run.  The youngster incredibly catapulted Jamaica from fifth to a silver medal, with a hair-raising 44.00-split anchor leg in the men's 4x400 metres relay at the World Championships in Athletics in Moscow, Russia, last year.

For the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association GraceKennedy Boys and Girls' Athletics Champ-ionships, the Calabar High athlete has one major fixation: Usain Bolt's long-standing 400m Class One Boys' Champs record of 45.35 seconds.

At Wednesday's launch of the event at TVJ, the teenager was asked if getting the record - established in 2003 while the sport's megastar was at William Knibb Memorial High - was his main aim.

"Yes, sir," came Francis' reply, promptly.

However, there are conditions attached.

"I'm focused and if I don't get the record, although I'm running faster than the record, I want to stay injury-free," he admitted. "That is my main focus."

Francis won the event at Champs last year, in 45.94. And at the Youngster Goldsmith meet, he was marginally slower, clocking 45.95 for victory.

Also, he has also showed good relay form, anchoring Calabar to a come-from-behind win over at the Gibson Relays, where on anchor he overtook the athlete expected to be his main rival at Champs, St Jago's Martin Manley, to lead his team to a record win in 3:07-flat.

At Gibson, he also ran on his team's 4x100m winning team. For Champs, he is also expected to feature on this relay unit, as well as running the 200m, which stands out as one of the big races of the championships with Kingston College's Zharnell Hughes, Bog Walk's Javaughn Minzie, and his teammate, Michael O'Hara, adding depth and quality to the field.

Hughes is number one this season, clocking 20.80 at a development meet at the National Stadium. O'Hara follows with 21.29, Francis 21.31, while Minzie's best so far is 22.08.

While his expectations for the 400m are lofty, it isn't quite the same for the shorter sprint.

"In the 200, I'm going to try and do my best," Francis said.

In terms of an overall winner at Champs, Francis was very certain that his school would retain the boys' title.

"Yes, yes, we're going to win Champs for sure," he responded to a query about Calabar having the team to win. "I feel it already.

For the 400m, Francis is ready to test a new limit.

"I'm going to stay focused, stay humble, listen to what my guardian says and listen to what the coaches say and try to be at my best. I'm going to go into Champs and don't underestimate anyone as we're just going to go there to defend our title," he said.

"I want to stay injury-free and go for the record. But if I don't get the record, that's it."

Another memorable moment could be on the cards.