Jamaican Track and Field Athletes

Jamaican juniors start well at World Champs

BARCELONA, Spain - Jamaica's head coach Michael Dyke was pleased with this morning’s start of the 14th IAAF World Junior Championships at the Montjuic Olympic Stadium here in Barcelona, Spain.

All but one of the six athletes who took part in the opening session automatically advanced to their second round of the women's 800m, men's 110m hurdles and men's 100m which Dyke said was "a good start for us."

Odean Skeen...won his heat to advance to 100m semi-finals at World Juniors.

"Based on tradition we are strong in the sprints and hurdles so it was not surprising to see our athletes advancing form the early rounds," Dyke told reporters minutes after the end of the first session.

He also reported that all was well with the athletes in the camp and the only health scare was a bout of diarrhea that high jumper Christoff Bryan had picked up as well as flu like symptoms suffered by some athletes.

"The medical staff has been working well with the athletes," Dyke reported, "And we have everything under control."

National Junior Trials champion Odean Skeen and two time CARIFTA Games Under 20 champion Jazeel Murphy both won their heats in the 100m to advance to tomorrow’s semis and hopefully finals.

Skeen clocked 10.45 seconds and Murphy 10.50 seconds both said they were doing just enough to move on.

Central American and Caribbean Junior silver medalist Stefan Fennel, was second in his heat of the boys’ 110m hurdles in 13.81 seconds while Yannick Hart who won the CAC bronze was also second in his heat here in 13.87 seconds.

Semoya Campbell who was one of the athletes who reported to be suffering from the flu, ran 2 minutes 06.18 seconds for third in her 800m heat, saying the 'rust' from not competing since the Junior Trials also affected her.

Desreen Montaque who was well poised after the first 400m of her heat, in second place in 1 minute 01.13 seconds, faded badly to fifth to finish in 2 minutes 10.22 seconds and failed to move on.

Later today when the second session gets underway at 6:00pm (1:00pm Jamaica time) Lennox Williams and Javon Francis will contest the 400m heats while Fedric Dacres will contest the discus throw preliminaries.