ALL roads will lead to the National Stadium this weekend as the JAAA Supreme Ventures National Senior Championships gets underway starting this Thursday morning with the preliminary rounds of the Men's 400 metres hurdles and the Men's 100 metres.  In what is expected to be the most competitive National Championships ever, the main objectives for the athletes will be a place on the National team to the Daegu World Championships. 

There should be fireworks over the four day championships and despite having only a few events on the opening day, it should be all business on Thursday as one of the most anticipated events of the championship, the Men's 100 metres, will have two rounds. Athletes with best times of 10.30 seconds and slower will take the track at 10:00 a.m. hoping to qualify for the quarterfinal later that evening at 7:15 p.m. when the “big guns" will take the track.

Although there will be several competitive male and female events, undoubtedly it is the men's 100 metres, where the final is slated for Friday night at 9:25 p.m., which has track and field fans in a frenzy. The country has a world record of seven men under 10 seconds this season and with Usain Bolt, the defending World champion, being the only absentee, what a cracker this is going to be. Local fans are fortunate, as not even at the Olympic Games or any World Championships will one see a lineup of so many sub 10 seconds men in action.  A bumper crowd is expected.

Many times national champion Asafa Powell, the man with the most sub 10 seconds ever, will have a host of up-coming stars gunning for his head.  Powell is the fifth ranked Jamaican so far this season with a 9.93 seconds done at the Rome meet, but in various interviews leading up to the championships, the former world record holder in the event is very confident that he will not lose.

Former double national sprint champion, Steve Mullings is the form athlete here, as so far this year he is the top Jamaican and number two in the world in the event, following his 9.80 seconds win in Eugene, Oregon where he got the better of countrymen, Nesta Carter and Michael Frater. He showed his top form several days later when he went to New York and scored a big win over world number one, Tyson Gay, his training partner. The other sub 10 seconds competitors in the field will be Carter (9.92), Frater (9.94) and former St. Jago High teammates, Yohan Blake (9.94) and Nickel Ashmeade (9.96).

While Mullings is the man on form, many are predicting Blake to pull off a win but Powell will not go down that easy and will be coming to prove that he is the best man in the field. There are several others who will be hoping to make their presence felt and these include defending champion, Oshane Bailey, Commonwealth Games champion Lerone Clarke, Mario Forsythe, Jacques Harvey, Kenroy Anderson and world junior champion Dexter Lee.

This year’s National Senior Championships will be worth going miles to see and come Friday night we could see a new star coming out of the event.  It is quite possible that one or two athletes could go under 10 seconds and not be in the final.

In the women's 100 metres the expected showdown between world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce  and  many times national champion, Veronica Campbell-Brown will not materialize.  Fraser-Pryce, who previously stated that despite getting a bye for Daegu was going to compete in the event, has changed her mind. With a season best of 10.76 seconds putting her at number two on the world list this season, Campbell-Brown is well set to win another title here. However it will be very competitive for the other spots with Beijing Olympics 100 metres joint silver-medalists, Kerron Stewart and Sherone Simpson, with season bests of 10.87 and 11.00 seconds respectively, are once again expected to have another epic battle. Here we could see a few new stars coming into the spotlight as the likes of Schillonie Calvert, Jura Levy and Carrie Russell will be coming to force their way into contention. Veterans Aileen Bailey and Simone Facey will have their hands full.

Over the years, the women's 400 metres has been one of the most competitive events among the females.  Once again it should be no different, despite our females failing to hit top form so far. Injury has hampered defending champion, Novlene Williams Mills this season, but with a best of 50.71 seconds she is still number one going into the Championships. Former national champion, Rosemarie Whyte with a season best of 50.79 seconds is running into form and could be the one to beat as Olympic and World Championships silver medalist, Shericka Williams, is yet to show her best.  With a season best 51.53 seconds Williams could be waiting for the National Championships to strike, likewise Natoya Goule, who has improved drastically in the event with a best if 51.52 seconds, along with Patricia Hall, Christine Day, Shereefa Lloyd and Davita Prendagast  could all make this an exciting finish.

Except for Jermaine Gonzales, whose season best is 45.07 seconds, it has been a struggle for our men in the 400 metres and a battle royal is expected for the slots on the team. Only three others, Leford Green (45.75), Riker Hylton (45.83) and Michael Mason (45.91), have gone under 46 seconds while a host of them led by DeWayne Barrett, young rising star Akino Ming, Edino Steele, and former national champions Sanjaye Ayre and Ricardo Chambers along with Allodin Fotthergill will be hoping to bring out their best at the Championships.

Veterans Brigitte Foster-Hylton, Delloreen Ennis-London and Vonette Dixon are all set to dominate the women’s 100 metres hurdles and occupy the top three places in the event. Over the years Jamaica has done well in this event and the country is expected to benefit with four athletes qualifying, as Foster-Hylton has a bye as the defending world champion.  Several of our young sprint hurdlers such as Natasha Ruddock, Latoya Greaves, Indira Spence, Kimberly Laing and Shermaine Williams stand a good chance of qualifying for the Jamaican Team to Daegu, but must first make the required “A” standard of 12.96 seconds.

Unlike the women, the men’s sprint hurdlers seem to be ready for the party as with many time national champion Maurice Wignall, who seems to taking things cool.  National record holder Dwight Thomas is a favourite for a national title but cannot be complacent as rising stars Andrew Riley and Keiron Stewart, with season bests of 13.32 and 13.44 seconds, along with Richard Phillips (13.44) have all attained the "A" standard in the event.  Places on the Daegu team should be very competitive.

Kaliese Spencer is set to dominate the Women's 400m hurdles as defending world champion Melaine Walker will not be competing.  In this event another rising star, in former Edwin Allen High’s Ristananna Tracy, will get her chance to prove how good she is, as she could upstage the likes of Nickeisha Wilson and Shevon Stoddart.

In the Men's 400m hurdles, veteran Danny McFarlane will be hoping to qualify for another World Championships Team but youngsters like Leford Green, Josef Robertson and Markino Buckley will be hoping to put an end to his local dominance.

Contributed by Raymond Graham

CLICK HERE FOR THE PERFORMANCE LIST

CLICK HERE FOR THE ORDER OF EVENTS

CLICK TO SEE RANKINGS TO JUNE 15, 2011