Lee eases into 100m semis

Defending 100-metre champion, Dexter Lee, strolled through his opening heat yesterday to qualify for today's semi-finals at the 13th IAAF World Junior Championships in Moncton, Canada.

Lee, competing in heat two, took things very easy after coming out of his drive phase at 40 metres to win easily in 10.38 seconds. Despite a terrible start, Junior CAC 100-metre champion Bernado Brady found his best stride towards the end to finish strongly in third place in his heat in a personal best 10.52.

Lee was satisfied with his run.

"I'm here to do my best and qualify for the final," he said. "(My strategy) was just to qualify, just to get a good start in the first 40 metres."

France's Jimmy Vicaut, one of Lee's main rivals for gold and the joint world-leader in the event, also looked quite easy in winning his heat in 10.53. The final of this event which will be the last event today at 9:45 p.m (7:45) p.m Jamaica time, is expected to be a cracker, as both athletes should qualify easily from their semi-finals. The Jamaican will be hoping to create history by becoming the first male athlete to win back-to-back 100-metre title at these championships.

Later yesterday evening, both Jamaican girls also advanced to the semi-finals of the 100m. Deandre Whitehorne was third in heat one in 11.82 seconds while Junior CAC Under-20 champion Siedatha Palmer qualified as one of the fastest losers as she was fourth in her heat in 11.87.

Goule first on track

Middle-distance athlete Natoya Goule was the first Jamaican on the track yesterday morning, and the Manchester High School athlete, who failed to advance from the first round in the 800-metre event two years ago in Poland, did not make the same mistake, this time around as she finished second in the first heat of the event in 2:08.11.

Goule, who had the fastest 400 metres of all the athletes in the event, failed to hold on to first place after going out too fast and had to settle for the runner-up spot as she was passed near to the finish-line by Poland's Joanna Jozwik who won the heat in 2:07.44.

There was disappointment for Bellefield High schoolboy Kemoy Campbell, who has dominated middle distances locally and at the Junior Carifta and CAC levels. He failed to get past the first round in the 1500 metres as he finished tenth in his heat in 3:47.47.

Janieve Russell and Jodyann Muir qualified for today's semi-finals of the girls' 400 metres in contrasting styles. CAC Junior Under-20 silver medallist, Russell, competing in heat one, ended third in 54.47 seconds, while NCAA finalist Muir clocked 53.85 to win the fifth and final heat. Two athletes from the Caribbean, Bahamas' Shaunae Miller and Chantel Malone from the British Virgin Island, recorded impressive wins in their heats to be among the fastest qualifiers yesterday. Miller, the Junior CAC Under-17 cham-pion, recorded a personal best and a national junior record of 52.47 seconds to emerge the fastest overall qualifier. Malone, the Junior CAC Under-20 champion, won her heat in 52.97.

In the girls' 100 metres hurdles, only one athlete advanced. Danielle Williams was third in heat two in 13.78 seconds, while Tonique Sobah was fourth in heat four with 13. 96, and failed to advance.

Demar Murray was the sole qualifier in the boys' 400 metres, as he finished fifth in his heat in a personal best 47.42 seconds. His training partner at Vere Technical, Jermaine Gayle, was sixth in his heat in 48.10 seconds and failed to advance.

There was mixed fortune for two field-event athletes. Kamal Fuller registered a personal best 7.73m to advance to today's final of the boys' long jump but a throw of 46.26 metres was not enough to get Candicea Bernard into the final of the girls' discus.

Kamal Fuller ... in long jump final.