KINGSTON — Several of Jamaica’s top junior athletes will be on show again this weekend at the 2016 Carifta Games Trials at the National Stadium in Kingston. Follow live updated coverage and result updates from the meeting on Saturday and Sunday.
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With the Boys and Girls’ High School Championships two weeks out, several of these athletes will already be on the road to fine tuning for Champs 2016 and will be looking to cautiously test their fitness level before the major event.
The Carifta Games over the years, have served as the foundation for several of the Caribbean islands’ young athletes who went on to win Olympic or World Championships titles, including Usain Bolt, the Olympic and world champion and World record holder over the 100m and 200m, as well as Veronica Campbell-Brown, the most decorated female sprinter’s of all-time.
A number highlighting matchups are expected to take place over the two-day trials as the race for spots to wear the national colours gets underway on Saturday morning.
The action will start at 11:00 a.m. local time with the under-18 girls 400m Hurdles heats and girls under-18 Triple Jump final.
Among the top athletes set to be on shown this weekend is sprinter Jhevaughn Matherson, who is fit again following his injury setback a season ago.
The Kingston College star was in good form at the recent Gibson Relays at the National Stadium and he has revealed that he will compete in both the 100m and 200m at the Carifta Games Trials.
“I will be competing in the Under-18 100m and 200m,” Matherson told TrackAlerts in an interview.
Matherson was struck down by two hamstring injuries around this stage of the season last year, but the 17-year-old who just celebrated his birthday last weekend, says he’s fully fit and is on course to improve his personal bests of 10.37 and 20.97.
Will the improvements come at the Carifta Games Trials?
We will just have to wait and see.
His fellow Kingston College teammate and quarter miler, Akeem Bloomfield, is also hoping to book a place on the national squad, but will be cautious in what will be his first outing this season.
Bloomfield, who became the first Jamaican schooler break the 45 seconds barrier in the 400m when he posted a national junior record time of 44.93 secs at the Boys and Girls’ Champs last year, will contest the full lap event at the trials and maybe the half lap race as well.
“Caution is my main concern when I compete as I just want to finish my event healthy,” said Bloomfield in Jamaica-Gleaner.
“The only thing I am worried about now is getting through the trials injury free and just to give a good performance.”
Also scheduled to take part at the meet is Commonwealth Youth Games champion Junelle Bromfield.
Bromfield is a regular over the 400m and 800m events, but hinted that 400m hurdles could be the event she contests this weekend.
Other names to look out for at the Carifta Games Trials are Christopher Taylor, Nigel Ellis and Kimone Shaw, among others.
