Left: Asafa Powell ... a near certainty in the men's 100m Right: Campbell - File Elton Tucker, Assistant Sport Editor
OSAKA, JAPAN and the 2007 IAAF World Championships will be on the minds of many senior athletes when the National Senior and Junior Championships begin today at the National Stadium.
More than US7 million will be available in prize money at the August 25 to September 2 World Championships. Individual champions will win US$60,000 each, with US$30,000 for second place and US$20,000 for third. The top eight finishers will, as usual, receive money.
Relay teams will get US$80,000 for gold, while athletes who set world records will receive a US$100,000 bonus.
The best of Jamaica's track and field talent will not only be seeking places on the team to Japan. There is also the Pan American Games, which is set for July 13-29 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Juniors under 18 will be hoping to make the trip to Ostrava in the Czech Republic for the fifth IAAF World Youth Championships set for July 11-15 while athletes 20 and under will be hunting places on the team to the Pan American Junior Championships from July 6-8 in Fortaleza, Brazil.
Feature events
The sprints will, as usual, be the feature events at the senior championships. The spotlight will be on the men's and women's 100m, 200m and 400m. Interesting battles are also expected in the women's sprint hurdles and men's 400m hurdles.
This week's withdrawal of last year's world number one, Sherone Simpson, from the women's 100m has taken much of the lustre from the event. It should, however, still be a very competitive event. Veronica Campbell has already clocked 10.91 seconds this season and at her best she will be too strong for the rest of the field. Auburn University student Kerron Stewart will want to confirm her college form and the 11.10 she clocked just under two months ago.
The third and final automatic qualifying spot is up for grabs among Aleen Bailey, Commonwealth Games champion Sheri-Ann Brooks, Simone Facey and Tracey Ann Rowe.
As Campbell in the women's 100m, Asafa Powell is untouchable among the men. His modest 9.94 in Oslo last weekend is already faster than the time any of the other leading athletes has done.
Michael Frater, the silver medallist of two years ago; Steve Mullings; Dwight Thomas; exciting young star, Yohan Blake; Lerone Clarke; Chris Williams; Nesta Carter; Marvin Anderson and Julien Dunkley will all make it very hot for the remaining two places. Dunkley is the second fastest Jamaican this year with a best of 10.10.
Yesterday, Mullings who returned to competition last year after serving a two-year ban for high levels of testosterone, said he was ready to compete.
"I have prepared myself to be in the top three of the 100m but with everybody running fast it's going to be hard," said the former Vere Technical Boys Champs star.
Mullings, who has a personal best of 10.04, said he was better now than when he was banned, but he recently suffered a back injury while competing at the adidas Classic in the United States.
"Hopefully my back does not go out on me again ... I am not saying I will run super fast here but I expect to run a personal best."
The men's and women's 200 metres will also be hot. If Powell competes in the men's event it should be close between himself and champion Usain Bolt and Chris Williams. Bolt clocked 19.89 in New York earlier this month, Williams has a season's best of 20.17 while Powell led for a long way at the Prefontaine Classic and ended up third in 20.55 behind American Xavier Carter.
In Simpson's absence, Campbell should be again be tested by Stewart over 200m. Stewart has been very busy over 200m this season and won the NCAA title in 22.42. Campbell clocked a wind-aided 22.39 on April 21. Bailey, Brooks and Facey will also make the race competitive.
