Expect another big Jamaica medal haul at Carifta

Jamaica's athletes have dominated the Carifta Games for a long time and local athletes are again expected to win many medals at this weekend's renewal at the Montego Bay Sports Complex in Catherine Hall, St James.

With the Penn Relays to be contested three days after the Carifta Games, the local athletes are all in top form and a number of records could tumble in both the Under-17 and Under-20 categories.

At last year's meet in the Cayman Islands, Jamaica ended with a medal haul of 67, including 35 gold, 19 silver and 13 bronze. They were well ahead of second-place Trinidad and Tobago, who took home 38 medals - 11 gold, 16 silver and 11 bronze.

The Bahamas were third with 29 - six gold, 10 silver and 13 bronze, while Barbados were fourth with 18 - three gold, seven silver and 18 bronze.

A lot of fireworks are expected in the finals of the 100 and 400 metres in both categories. Jamaica should be well represented in both as the country's female athletes are set to get back on track in the short sprints following average performances last year.

Williams set to make her mark

One of the hottest female junior sprinters locally, Edwin Allen High's Christania Williams, is set to make her mark in her first appearance for the country as she will line up in the Under-20 100 metres where she will be joined by Vere Technical's Deandra Whitehorne, the Boys and Girls' Championships Class-One 100 metres champion.

Williams has been in top form this season and is well rested, as she did not compete at Champs. Whitehorne, who is gradually coming back to her best after injuries over the last couple of years, could make it one-two for Jamaica in the 100m.

The boy's Under-20 100 metres should be more competitive as the Jamaican duo of Kemar Bailey-Cole and Jazeel Murphy will be strongly challenged by the improved Delano Williams of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Bailey-Cole, who now trains with top sprint guru coach Glen Mills at Racers Club, has improved tremendously and at the Carifta Trials a few weeks ago, easily dismissed Champs Class-One winner Murphy in the 100 metres.

Williams, who attends Munro College, defeated Murphy in the 200 metres at Champs but was third in the 100 metres, but will be hoping to turn the tables this time around.

The event of the meet could be tonight as The Bahamas will be hoping to quiet the local crowd as their darling of the track, Shaunae Miller, the surprise World Junior champion in the 400 metres in 52.52 seconds, will be hoping to get the better of world junior leader Chris Ann Gordon. Gordon was awesome at Champs where she produced a record run of 51.62 to win the Class-Two one-lap event. She has a score to settle with Miller who defeated her at the Central America and Caribbean Junior Championships last year in Santo Domingo.