By Elton Tucker, Assistant Sport Editor
Sheryl Morgan leaving the blocks in heat two of the women's 400m first round at the National Stadium yesterday. She went won on to win the heat in 54.14 seconds. - Norman Grindley /Staff Photographer
THREE JAMAICANS advanced to today's semi-finals of the men's and women's 100 metres after yesterday's exciting day one of the IAAF/Coca-Cola World Junior Championships at the National Stadium.
Winston Hutton clocked a wind-aided 10.30 seconds in heat two of the 100 metres quarter-finals to grab a qualifying spot behind American sprinter Willie Horge who took the heat in 10.25.
Simone Facey and Kerron Stewart will also run in today's women's semi-finals. Facey had to dig deep to get third in quarter-final heat three. The heat was won in the fastest time of the round by Russia's Olga Fyodorova in 11.51. Canada's Krysia Bayley just got second in 11.67 ahead of Facey who was third in 11.68.
Stewart powered through in lane two to finish second to American Lauryn Williams. The winner crossed the line in 11.69 with Stewart, who was gaining at the end, clocking 11.81.
The men's 100m quarter-finals were highlighted by a sensational world leading 10.17 by Trinidad and Tobago's Darrel Brown.
Brown was silky smooth throughout and given the right conditions the 18-year-old Trinidadian should smash the world junior record of 10.06 set by Britain's Dwain Chambers five years ago.
The Caribbean is well represented in the 100m semi-finals as Antigua and Barbuda's Brendan Christian goes in with the second fastest time of 10.23 after winning quarter-final heat one. Trinidad's Marc Burns, looking equally as easy as Brown, won heat three in 10.32.
Also advancing to the semi-finals of their respective events were Jamaica's 400 metres runners Jermaine Gonzales, Yhann Plummer, Sheryl Morgan and Davita Prendergast and 400 metres hurdler Gregory Little.
Gonzales, one of Jamaica's main medal hopes, did not disappoint a packed grandstand and a few supporters in the bleachers.
He was pushed all the way in heat three by France's Brice Panel but prevailed in 46.86. Panel took second in 47.03. Plummer advanced as one of the four fastest losers after placing sixth in 47.47 in heat five.
The fastest qualifier was Barbadian Wilan Louis who won heat one in 46.46. American Darold Richardson, the favourite for the event, won heat two in 47.72.
Morgan was the more impressive of Jamaica's two qualifiers for the 400m taking heat two in 54.14. Prendergast, 54.65, was fourth in heat one after a very slow start but still qualified as one of the fastest losers.
Jamaican-born Sanya Richards was just as good as the hype as she won her 400m heat four in an effortless 53.14, a time beaten by her teammate Monique Henderson who clocked 52.81 in taking heat three.
Jamaica's two 400m hurdlers had error-filled rounds but Little did enough for second in heat three as American Kenneth Ferguson won in a personal best 50.38, the fastest time of the round. Little was below his best back in second with 51.74. Patrick Lee hit several hurdles and the last mishap was enough to leave him at the back of the field in heat four won in 50.60 by South Africa's Louis van Zyl. Lee's time was 54.48 for sixth.
