Fast track to glory: 49th Gibson Relays ready to ignite National Stadium

The premier local relay carnival, the Gibson McCook Relays, will stage its 49th renewal today inside the National Stadium starting at 4 p.m.

In what will be a truncated format this year, fans are in store for an action-packed event lasting just over four hours, and Ryan Peralto, a member of the organising committee, is upbeat about today’s staging.

“Everything is in place for the over four hours spectacle as the organising committee has put everything in place for a successful staging, and the fans will see some special performances from both high school and senior athletes who are preparing for the World Indoor Championships,” said Peralto, who is in charge of registration.

It is expected to be close going among the contenders for top honours at the upcoming ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships and this should spark extra interest, as these relays usually give an indication of where the championships will go.

Edwin Allen High’s girls should set the tone for the evening’s proceedings when they contest the first high school final of the meet, the Under-19 4x100m Championship. Last year they were involved in a close finish with Hydel High with both teams clocking an identical time of 44.81 seconds with Edwin Allen getting the nod. At the recent Central Athletics Championships, Edwin Allen, led by Trinidadian Alexxe Henry, threw down the gauntlet with a record 44.73 run and could go even faster today.

St Jago High’s Class Two team, led by Adora Campbell and Malayia Duncan, will be hoping to continue their winning form, having gone sub-46 seconds twice this season, with their best of 45.81 coming at the Central Athletics Championships.

With their powerful Class Three and Four athletes, led by Daniela Clarke and Monique Bogle respectively, Edwin Allen look well set to dominate the sprint relay in both classes.

STRONG CADRE

Former top school Holmwood Technical High School look well set to get back to winning ways in the 4x400m. With their strong cadre of Class One and Class Two quarter-milers, led by Abrina Wright and Anastacia Hall, they are expected to dominate, Their strongest challenge is expected to come from Team Bickle out of the United States, who have gone sub-3:39 this season.

An exciting duel is expected in the 4x800m Open between a very strong Alphansus Davis team, led by Alikay Reynolds and Tabbrell Williams, and the Edwin Allen team led by Kevongaye Fowler and Sushana Johnson.

It should be even more intense among the boys, where the likes of Jamaica College, Kingston College, Calabar High School and Excelsior High School look set for some titanic clashes across the board.

Jamaica College, led by Makeelan Woods and Omary Robinson, threw down the gauntlet in the Class One 4x100m at the Corporate Area Championships, stopping the clock in 39.78 seconds. Last year’s winners Calabar, who took the title in 39.60 seconds, have three members of that team back, including Jamal Stephenson, Khamani Gordon and Dijon Swaine, and will be hoping to retain their crown.

Excelsior and Kingston College are serious contenders, and like last year when three teams went sub-40 seconds, we could see a repeat today.

An intriguing contest is expected in Class Two following the Corporate Area Championships, where Jamaica College and Kingston College hit the line together in 40.97, with JC getting the verdict.

Fans should tighten their seat belts for the 4x400m Open as it will be four the hard way between defending champions Kingston College, Jamaica College, Excelsior and Calabar.

Kingston College have ruled the event locally for the past three seasons, but Jamaica College held them off at the Corporate Area Championships, winning in 3:10.50 to KC’s 3:10.60. Calabar led for the majority of that race while Excelsior, with their strong cadre of 400m hurdlers, cannot be ruled out in an event which should see a blanket finish, with a likely sub-3:10 on the cards.

An exciting battle is also expected in the men’s clubs and institutions 4x100m, which will parade some of the country’s top senior athletes. Racers will be led by world 100m champion Oblique Seville and Zharnel Hughes. SprinTec will feature Odaine McPherson and Kadrian Goldson; Dynamic Speed will include Ackeem Blake and Adrian Kerr; while Swept will line up with Roshawn Clarke and Emmanuel Archibald.