Under-20s go for glory in Cali

CALI, Colombia:

Jamaica’s young track and field stars will be among more than 1,500 athletes from 145 countries who will go for glory over the next six days at the World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Cali, Colombia.

Tina Clayton, the 2021 women’s 100 metres winner, will be one of eight defending champions who will be hoping to retain their titles. In Nairobi, Kenya, last year, Clayton breezed to a then personal best (PB) 11.09 seconds. She will go into the championships as the overwhelming favourite, having lowered her PB to 10.96 in winning the event at the recent National Junior Championships. She is the only sub-11 seconds athlete in the event.

Ten Jamaicans will be in action on today’s opening day with thrower Britannia Johnson the first to see action. She will compete in Group A of the women’s shot put qualifiers at 9:40 a.m. The top 12 from groups A and B will advance to the final.

World number two discus thrower Cedricka Williams, with a season’s and personal best 56.21 metres, and Abigail Martin, with a season’s best 51.13m, will also be in action in the field as they will contest the first round of the women’s discus. Martin will compete in Group A at 3 p.m. and Williams will be in action in Group B at 4:27 p.m.

Rushana Dwyer will be the sole female competitor in an individual event on the track. She will contest the preliminary round of the women’s 800 metres at 11 a m. With a season’s best 2:00.87, she will run out of Lane Two in Heat Five, where the first four and four fastest losers will advance to the semi-finals.

National champion Sandrey Davison and Bouwahjgie Nkrumie will be involved in preliminary-round action of the men’s 100 metres in the first session, where the top two from each heat plus the eight fastest losers will advance to tomorrow’s semi-finals. Davison will run out of Lane Four in Heat Four at 12:16 p.m. while Nkrumie will do so out of Lane Six in Heat Seven at 12:37 p.m.

Dishaun Lamb, who is ranked fifth in the men’s 110m hurdles with a season’s best 13.42 seconds, and Damar Prince, with a season’s best 13.80, will contest the preliminary round of the event. Prince will run out of Lane Six in Heat Two at 3:22 p. m. while Lamb face the starter in Lane Eight, Heat Seven at 3:57 p.m.

Jamaicans will close out action on today’s opening day, with Kobe Lawrence and Christopher Young contesting the qualification round of the men’s shot put at 5:38 p.m. Young, with a season’s best 20.20m, will be in Group A while Lawrence, with a best 20.02m, will see action in Group B.

Today will also see preliminary-round action in the very exciting mixed relay. The final will be contested tomorrow. This event will get under way at 4:20 p.m. Jamaica will run out of Lane Seven in Heat Two. The United States are also in this heat, and they will be in Lane Three.