42 Jamaicans ready for U20 Worlds

FORTY-TWO Jamaicans will be among a record 1,800 athletes from 47 countries competing over five days at the World Athletics Under-20 Championships, which begins today at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

Jamaica will be aiming to better the five medals — four gold and one silver — won at the last championships in Lima, Peru, two years ago.

Despite arriving in Eugene only yesterday, the team is eager and prepared. Nine athletes will feature on today’s opening day, including 100m favourites and Shanoya Douglas and Gary Card, both ranked No. 1 in their events with times of 10.98 and 9.93 seconds, respectively.

Douglas, unbeaten all season, will be the first Jamaican in individual action when she lines up in lane seven in heat one of the women’s 100m at 12:54 p.m. Jamaica time. Teammate Theianna-Lee Terrelonge will contest heat four from lane four. The top three finishers in each heat, plus the two fastest losers, advance to the semi-finals at 8:05 p.m.

Card, sixth at the last championships, will run from lane seven in the opening heat of the men’s 100m. Jamaica’s other representative, Dontae Watson, will compete in lane two in heat five. The top three and two fastest losers will progress to the semi-finals at 8:30 p.m.

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

Four other Jamaicans will also compete in the first session. On the track, Joel Morgan runs in heat three of the men’s 800m at 2:35 p.m. from lane four, while Kevongaye Fowler contests heat two of the women’s 800m at 3:15 p.m. from lane two. Both events advance the top five finishers and two fastest losers to the semi-finals.

In the field, Kamari Kennedy and Nkosana Johnson will compete in men’s shot put qualification at 3:05 p.m., with the final set for 9:45 p.m. The last Jamaican in action today will be Able Mill in the women’s discus qualification at 9:15 p.m.