Rough start for Jamaica at Youth Olympics

Jamaica's hope for a positive start at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore failed to materialise yesterday following below-par performances from swimmer Kendese Nangle and badminton player Dennis Coke.

Nangle, who was the country's flag-bearer at the Games' opening ceremony on Saturday, finished fifth in heat two of the youth women's 100m backstroke and failed to advance to the next round, while Coke lost in straight sets in the first two of three preliminary round Pool C matches.

Nangle, who is one of two simmers who made the trip along with 12 athletes and Coke, clocked 1:06.31 seconds to finish behind New Zealand's Renee Stothard, who won in a time of 1:04.94, and South Africa's Oneida Cooper, who finished second in 1:06.05.

Coke, in the meantime, who will play his final preliminary round match today, and barring some unforeseen results, seems destined to miss the quarter-final having lost to Laotian Phetphanom Keophiachan 21-16, 21-11.

He then fell to Indian Haseen Sunil Kumar Prannoy 21-9, 21-10 in his second game.

Fortunes however could start to change for the country come tomorrow when track- and-field action gets under way.

Track team

Jamaica's track and field contingent is made up of Odean Skeen (100m), Frederick Dacres (discus), Rochelle Farquharson (triple jump), Stefan Fennel (110m hurdles), Shanice Hall (high jump), Sherika Jackson (200m), Olivia James (400m), Sasha-Gaye Marston (discus), Ashinia Miller (shot put), Janieve Russell (long jump), Megan Simmonds (100m hurdles), Lennox Williams (400m).

The country's other representative at the Games, which is slated to end next week Thursday is swimmer Brian Forte, who will compete in the men's 50m and 100m freestyle.

- Jermaine Lannaman