World U20 Champs sprinters get into action today

Forty-two Jamaicans will be among a record 1,800 athletes from 47 countries competing over five days at the World Under-20 Championships, which get under way today at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

Jamaica will be hoping to improve on the five medals, including four gold and one silver, won at the previous championships two years ago in Lima, Peru.

Despite arriving in Eugene only yesterday, a day before the start of the championships, the Jamaicans are ready and eager to compete.

Nine athletes will be in action on today’s opening day, including 100-metre favourites and defending champions Shanoya Douglas and Gary Card, who are both ranked number one in the women’s and men’s events with times of 10.98 seconds and 9.93, respectively.

Both will contest the first round of the 100m during the opening session. Douglas, who has been unbeaten over the distance all season, will be the first Jamaican in individual action when she lines up in lane seven in the first heat of the women’s 100m at 12:54 p.m. Jamaica time.

Her teammate, Theianna-Lee Terrelonge, will compete in heat four from lane four. The top three finishers in each heat, along with the two fastest losers, will advance to the semi-finals scheduled for 8:05 p.m.

Card, who finished sixth in the men’s 100m at the last championships, will also run from lane seven in the opening heat. Jamaica’s other representative, Dontae Watson, will line up in lane two in heat five. The top three finishers in each heat, along with the two fastest losers, will progress to the semi-finals at 8:30 p.m.

Jamaica’s first event of the championships, however, will be the opening round of the mixed 4x400m relay at 12:22 p.m. The team has been drawn in heat two and will run from lane eight. The top three teams from each heat and the two fastest non-automatic qualifiers will advance to the final, scheduled for 10:50 p.m., the last event on the opening day.

Four other Jamaicans, two on the track and two in the field, will also compete during the first session. On the track, Joel Morgan will contest the opening round of the men’s 800m at 2:35 p.m. He has been drawn in heat three and will run from lane four, with the top five finishers in each heat and the two fastest losers advancing to the semi-finals.

Kevongaye Fowler will compete in heat two of the women’s 800m at 3:15 p.m. from lane two, where the top five finishers in each heat and the two fastest losers will move on to the semi-finals.

In the field, Kamari Kennedy and Nkosana Johnson will compete in the men’s shot put qualification at 3:05 p.m., with the final scheduled for 9:45 p.m.

The final Jamaican in action on the opening day will be Able Mill, who will contest the women’s discus qualification at approximately 9:15 p.m.