Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer
Jamaica's Natasha Ruddock (left) and Latoya King, pictured at March's CARIFTA Games in Tobago, will run in today's 100m hurdles and 200m finals at the fourth IAAF World Youth Championships in Morocco in search of the country's first gold medal. Ruddock is Jamaica's best bet for a gold after posting a world youth leading 13.24 seconds in the semi-finals yesterday. - PHOTO BY ANTHONY FOSTER
AS JAMAICANS faced up to Hurricane Emily yesterday, Natasha Ruddock was blowing her own storm in Marrakesh, Morocco in the girls' 100m hurdles.
The 16-year-old Ruddock hurdled her way into today's final with two speedy runs in the preliminaries and semi-finals and now could snare Jamaica's first gold in this event.
Ruddock's fine performance capped a fine day of individual performances as Shermaine Williams (100mH), Romel Lewis (400mH), Latoya King and Cawayne Jervis (200m) also reached the finals of their respective events.
However, the medley relay teams proved to be major disappointments.
DISQUALIFIED
The girls' quartet of Ruddock, 100m bronze medallist Schillonie Calvert, Shakeeri Cole and Bobby-Gaye Wilkins was disqualified while the boys' team of Yohan Blake, Tristan Taylor, Teo Bennett and Theon O'Connor finished third in heat three in a personal best of 1:54.47 and failed to qualify for the final.
Ruddock now appears to be Jamaica's sole hope of claiming a second medal on today's final day.
Ruddock signalled her intentions early and hopes to go one better than Latoya Greaves' 13.22 silver-medal run in Sherbrooke, Canada two years ago, by opening the preliminary round of the 100m hurdles with a world youth leading time of 13.32.
French girl Manuela Galtier later beat Ruddock's mark with a time of 13.24 in the final preliminary round heat.
Ruddock, conditioned by head coach Raymond 'KC' Graham, answered back with a 2005 World Youth equalling 13.24 run, two hundredths of a second outside the national Under-18 record in the semi-finals to become the fastest 16-year-old girl over the sprint obstacles in the past three years.
While Ruddock was shining her teammate, Williams, held her own and also qualified for the final.
Williams produced a personal best 13.67 in the preliminary round then 13.81 for third in semi-final two, which was good enough for a place in the final.
Ruddock's gold hopes received a huge boost when Galtier finished a disappointing seventh in Williams' semi-final in 14.11.
Ruddock will run from lane four and Williams from eight while American April Williams (13.34), the second fastest qualifier will occupy lane three.
King, Ruddock's schoolmate at St. Jago, advanced with a 23.73 second effort in the second semi-final of the 200m. She finished behind American Khrystal Carter, who clocked a personal best 23.65.
TAYLOR ELIMINATED
In the 200m boys' section, Jervis advanced while Taylor was eliminated.
Jervis, bettered his personal best of 21.40 run in the preliminary round with a 21.28 effort in the semi-finals, which was good enough to win the race.
Taylor, who ran 21.90 in the preliminary round, returned with 21.92 in the semi-finals for fifth in heat two and did not make the final.
Lewis' personal best of 51.92 in 400m hurdles provided him with third in semi-final two of the event.
Sudan Abdulagadir Idriss (51.02) won that heat, but they will have to contend with world youth leader David Klech of US (50.96) in the final.
