Hemmings, left, while members of the international media are caught outside the National Stadium yesterday.
Tony Becca, Senior Sport Editor
THE NINTH IAAF/Coca Cola World Junior Champion-ships get under way at the National Stadium on Tuesday. Jamaicans are looking forward to great performances from their young athletes, and based on the talent of Jamaicans and their record at these championships, they should not be disappointed.
Looking back over the 16 years of the championships, Jamaicans have done remarkably well. Led by the likes of hurdler Gillian Russell and sprinters Veronica Campbell and Nikole Mitchell, Jamaica boasts a glittering record of 12 gold medals, 12 silver medals, and 11 bronze medals, and with a host of gifted athletes in action this year and performing before their home crowd, they should add substantially to that count.
The envy of many countries as far as brilliance on the track is concerned, Jamaica has produced a number of the world's best athletes, and out of the class of 2002 may come many more - boys and girls who could well go on to emulate the deeds of world beaters like Arthur Wint, Herb McKenley, George Rhoden, Les Laing, Don Quarrie, Lennox Miller, Bertland Cameron, Winthrop Graham, Merlene Ottey, Grace Jackson, Juliet Cuthbert and Deon Hemmings.
Up against the Jamaicans, however, will be the best from over 170 countries, like the Jamaicans, each and every one of the athletes will be dreaming of glory, and the hunt for medals - for gold medals especially - should guarantee six days of excitement.
Among the overseas teams are Jamaica's northern neighbours Cuba who are expected to do very well especially in triple jump where they are world leaders among both males and females.
The Cubans also have a potential world beater in the female 100 metres hurdles where Ana Tejeda has gone under 13 seconds twice in recent weeks.
Coming from further up north are the Americans who are sending one of their strongest-ever teams to the championships. Their team comes with a Jamaican flavour as 17-year-old Sanya Richards, a past student of Vaz Preparatory and Immaculate Conception High, is a warm favourite for the girls 400 metres.
From the eastern Caribbean will come Trinidad and Tobago whose Darrel Brown is seeking a rare World Youth, World Junior 100m double.
As usual the Chinese will be very strong in the field events and their clashes with the Cubans in the jumps should be interesting. Long jumper Xiaohui Bia is the world leader with 6.58 metres, team-mate Xiang Liu tops the triple jump with 13.36 metres. Both should ensure that their country's flag flies high in Kingston.
Get set also for a real treat in middle and long distances. The fleet-footed Kenyans who dominated the last Championships will once again be strongly represented.
Among the females they have the likes of World Youth champion Cherotich Ruto in the 800 metres and Cosmos Rona in the 3000 metres while the males will be led by 1500m sensation and World Youth champion Isaac Songok, a talented athlete who could well lower the championship record in the event.
Whatever the fortunes of the Jamaicans, however, Jamaica cannot lose.
By winning the honour to host a world championship, Jamaica, this little country that hosted the Central America and Caribbean Games in 1962, the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1966 and the Sunshine Showdown heavyweight title fight in 1972, has already won and every Jamaican should be proud.
In staging a championship of this magnitude in Jamaica, the IAAF has not only recognised the strength of Jamaica's athletics. It has also demonstrated its respect for the ability of Jamaica's sports administrators and has handed the country a glorious opportunity to sell itself to the whole wide world.
Gathered in Jamaica are hundreds of journalists throughout the championships Jamaica will be exposed to millions of television viewers around the world, and as a tourist resort that kind of exposure is fantastic. It is more, much more than a country like this could pay for.
What is important, however, is that Jamaica makes use of this wonderful opportunity. Right now, the country is hurting from negative publicity, positive publicity is needed, and apart from turning out in their thousands to cheer the athletes, Jamaicans should ensure that what goes out is positive.
When the championships are over the image of Jamaica should be such that people will come in their thousands to have a look and to spend some money.
Apart from providing Jamaica's athletes with the home-town advantage and a golden opportunity to parade their class, the World Junior Championships in Kingston is a glorious opportunity for Jamaica's tourism.
It would be nice, therefore, if at the end of it all, someone from the IAAF will echo the words of Sir Arthur Potritt during the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1966.
Speaking at a luncheon at the Myrtle Bank Hotel, the then chairman of the Commonwealth Games Federation praised Jamaica with these words:
"These games have been superb. They have been genuinely staged by a genuinely small country, and they have been magnificently staged. There has been wonderful organisation. They have not only been so splendidly and so successfully staged by a small country, but they have also been staged by a multi-racial country. I hope you will accept our gratitude."
