Yohan Blake (left) of Jamaica crosses the finish line ahead of Justyn Warner (right) of Canada and Wade Bennett-Jackson (centre) of Britain, during the semi-final of the Men's 100m event of the 11th IAAF World Junior Championships in Beijing, August 15. The three runners qualified for the final. - reuters

BEIJING, China, CMC

The Caribbean's best junior sprinters advertised their quality and desire for medals on day one of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Junior championships at the Chaoyang Sport Centre, yesterday.

As usual the regional powerhouse, Jamaica, with its large barn of sprint talent, led the Caribbean's charge at the meet's 11th edition.

In the men's 100 metres semi-finals, Jamaicans, Renaldo Rose and Yohan Blake, and Trinidad and Tobago's Keston Bledman booked their spots in Wednesday's final with solid performances.

Blake, the CAC juniors' 100 metres champion, last month in Port-of-Spain, captured the first semi-final in 10.43 seconds, with only Britain's World Youth sprinter champion Harry Aikines-Aryeetey going faster.

Aikines-Aryeetey was the winner in heat two, clocking 10.38 seconds to beat Rose (10.45) into second, while in heat three, Bledman had to settle for the runner up spot behind Chinese Jiahong Liang (10.48).

In the women's race Jamaican Carrie Russell will be the only Caribbean starter in the final after her semi-final victory in 11.59 seconds.

Double winner

Her teammate, Schillonie Calvert, the sprint double winner this year at both the CARIFTA Games Guadeloupe and CAC Junior Track championships in Port-of-Spain, missed a spot by two tenths of a second after her 11.74 seconds third place in the second semi-final.

Edging the Jamaican for the eighth and final spot was Brazilian Naimova Tezdzhan (11.72).

Trinidad and Tobago's CAC champion, Renny Quow, showed his quality in the men's 400 metres, qualifying for the semi-finals with the fastest time and a season's best 45.91 seconds.

Quow set the tone for the other seven heats in the one lap, with Jamaican Edino Steele winning heat two in 46.59 seconds, while his teammate, Allodin Fothergill finishing second in the seventh heat, clocking 47.15 seconds. Both quarter milers will join Quow in the next round.

Jamaicans, Kaliese Spencer and Sherene Pinnock both advanced to the 400 metres hurdles semi-finals with smart wins.

Spencer, who is second on the juniors performance list this season after her 55.61 seconds effort in London last month, was an easy winner of heat one in 57.49 seconds, while Pinnock clocked 57.39 in the second race.

Bahamian Bastian Rudon qualified fourth for the long jump final after a personal best 7.58 metres leap.