Ja raring to go By Raymond Graham,
Freelance Writer
DEBRECEN, Hungary: IT WILL be a busy day for Jamaican athletes when the second staging of the World Youth athletics Championships gets under way in Debrecen, Hungary today. After a hectic trip which saw 18 athletes and six officials travelling for 21 hours on Sunday, the athletes will get down to business today as they try to emulate the performance of two years ago. Then, Jamaica grabbed eight medals which included three gold, three silver and two bronze as the team ended in seventh position. Since arriving in Debrecen early Tuesday morning, the young athletes have adjusted well to their new environs and after two training sessions are ready for battle. The competition which starts at 10:00 a.m (3:00 a.m Jamaica time) will be much tougher for the Jamaicans as this time around there are 20 more countries involved. In this year's competition there are 166 countries with 1,270 athletes taking part. Seven hundred and sixty males and 610 females will be on show. Of the 18 athletes representing Jamaica, 13 will compete today. Kayon Thompson of Edwin Allen Comprehensive and Camille Robinson from Christiana will be the first Jamaicans to grace the track as they compete at 10.25 a.m (3:25 a.m Jamaica time) in the first round of the Girls 800 metres. Just over an hour later, Jamaica's best gold medal hope, Aneisha McLaughlin of Holmwood Technical, lines up for the first round of the Girls' 400 metres at 11:50 a.m, which will also have St. Jago's Kashain Page competing. With a world leading junior time of 52.31 seconds this year, McLaughlin is favoured to take this event. Other athletes in action today are Kimani Williams and Michael Gonzales at 12:20 p.m. in the Boys' 400 metres . At 4:00 p.m Simone Facey will try to emulate her schoolmate, Veronica Campbell when she faces the starter in the first round of the Girls' 100 metres along with St. Jago's Kerron Stewart. Two years ago, Campbell struck gold for Jamaica. At 4:40 p.m, St. George's College's Tesfa Latty and Ardenne's Andre Maxwell line up for the Boys' 100 metres while Asa Phillips of St. Andrew Technical will compete at 6:00 p.m. in the 400 metre Hurdles for Boys. Jamaica's final athletes in competition for the day will be Shaunette Davidson and Keisha Brown competing in the 100 metres Hurdles for Girls. Except for the 100 metres which will have its semi-finals today, it is only one round for the others on the opening day. Earlier at a team meeting yesterday, the management staff named Shaunette Davidson and Kimani Kirton, Girls' and Boys' team captain.
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