Jamaica's Yohan Blake (right) and Schillonie Calvert train at the Turks and Caicos National Stadium yesterday in preparation for the Carifta Games which starts today. - Photo by Anthony Foster

Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos:

After their team got a hero's welcome upon its arrival in Turks and Caicos Islands, World Junior bronze medal-lists Yohan Blake and Schillonie Calvert are set to lead Jamaica's charge on today's opening day of the XXXVI Carifta Games at the National Stadium.

When they touched down at the Provideciales Airport about 11:30 p.m. on Thursday, the Jamaican delegation was greeted by live music inside the terminal.

However, that was not all, on exiting the building, hundreds of flag-bearing Jamaicans welcomed the party with the singing of Jamaica's National Anthem.

The singing continued for about 30 minutes before they switched to chants 'A Come wi Just a Come', followed by many others.

They followed the team to the accreditation centre, at which time they started predicting the outcome of the Championships.

A Haitian, who accompanied the team as part of the volunteer group to the accreditation centre, said Jamaicans are nice people but she has never seen them so united and happy.

After all that, action moves into high gear on the track today with Blake and defending Under-20 female champion Calvert leading what is expected to be another powerful Jamaican showing.

BREAKING RECORD

The Danny Hawthrone-coached Blake is only thinking of breaking the Carifta Games 100m record of 10.22 seconds.

"My aim is to go out there, run fast and break the Carifta Games record from the heat and in the final," he said after a light workout at the stadium.

He, however, will have his eyes on Trinidad & Tobago's World Youth bronze medallist Keston Bledman, who he sees as his only challenger. Kemar Marsden will be Jamaica's other representative in the 100m for Under-20 boys.

The perspective is a bit different for World Youth bronze medallist Calvert, who says though she is not 100 per cent, "... I expect to bring back home a medal for my country."

Calvert, who will be joined in the final by Danielle Jeffery, also aims to better last year's winning time of 11.51.

Antonique Campbell, who won the Class Three sprint double at Champs for Herbert Morrison, and Velma Morant are entered for the girls' Under-17 100m.

Campbell, who will be running at the Carifta Games for the second time, said: " I want to work very hard tomorrow (today). I am going to try very hard because I really want the gold," added the 200m bronze medallist from last year.

Dexter Lee and Jermaine Brown will contest the boys' Under-17 100m.

SLACK FIRST

However, first up on the day for Jamaica will be Salcia Slack and Latanya Nation in the girls' 100m hurdles for pentathlon athletes, while Jovan Hardware and Machell Baker are set to start in the boys' Under-17 high jump, the second event of the morning session.

Kevin Williams and Oshane Berham (U-20), Dwayne Extol, Andre Pickersgill (U-17), Bobby-Gaye Wilkins and Kay-Ann Robinson (U-20), Jody-Ann Muir and Shavine Hodges (U-17) will be in the 400m.

Andre Thomas and Conroy Crossman (U-20), Kimberly Brown and Teneisha Davis (U-20), Natoya Goule and Mackola Joseph (U-17), along with Kemoy Campbell and Donahue Williams (U-17) are down for the 1500m.