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Brazil and the USA will start as the strongest favorites to dominate the 12th Pan American Junior Championships in Athletics, to be held this weekend in Barbados’ National Stadium in Waterford, St. Michael.
Following the September 11 terrorist attacks, the USA sent a small team to the last continental junior meet in Santa Fe, Argentina (2001), and Brazil, took the chance and topped the medal table for the first time in the 23-year old history of the event.
The South American Giant, with 23 athletes, will try to maintain its supremacy, but the USA has prepared 44 women and 43 men to recover its supremacy.
Javelin thrower Júlio César Miranda de Oliveira, recently crowned World Youth champion in Sherbrooke, and long jumper Thiago Jacinto Carahyba Dias, who won the same title two years ago in Debrecen, head the Brazilian squad.
Jorge Célio da Rocha Sena, 18, has posted 20.63 in 200 metres this year and will aim for the first non-USA sprint double in the history of the event.
The nine-member female team includes sprinter Franciela das Graças Krasucki, fourth in 100 metres in Sherbrooke, and pole vaulter Karla Rosa da Silva (4.02).
On the US squad, Natasha Hastings looks fresh off her gold medal performances in 400 metres and the 4x400m relay in Sherbrooke. With a personal best of 52.09, the 16-year old is expected to face a great duel with her countrywoman Angel Parkins (52.06) in the flat one-lap race.
South Carolina's Kenneth Ferguson is aiming for three titles in 110 and 400-hurdles, as well as the 4x400 relay, following on his superb 13.53 and 48.79 times over the barriers. Ferguson is currently the sixth fastest junior ever in the longer race.
New Orleans twin brothers Aaron and Ashton will contest over 200 and 400 meters, respectively, and will anchor in the 4x100 relay. Aaron has clocked 20.69 and Ashton 45.64. The latter's main rival is in his own team: Jeremy Mariner, with personal bests of 20.78 and 45.13 for both distances.
Carlos Moore, a 10.29 performer in 100 metres, Pole vaulters Tony Skipper (5.56) and Julene Bailey (4.13) are other strongest contenders for a position on the podium.
Cuba is present in Bridgetown with only seven athletes, led by 2002 Triple Jump World Junior champion David Giralt, who has leapt 17.06 this season, moving up to the eighth place in the all-time junior list.
Giralt, the son of the first Cuban to ever jump over eight metres in the long jump, is also expected to compete in his father's event and hopes to add some centimetres to his Triple Jump personal best in order to make the Cuban team for the World senior Championships in Paris.
The 18-year old Yudelkis Fernandez, who improved the Long Jump national junior record to 6.69 metres three weeks ago, will follow her teammate gold medal quest in both horizontal jumps. She made her debut this season in the triple with 14,03.
Yuneisy Santiusty (2:02.8-4:15.69 in 800/1500), Maury Castillo (3:43.6-14:11.7 in 1500/5000) are also opting for two gold medals. Long jumper Wilfredo Martinez (7.90) and Hammer thrower Indira Salinas (63.49) are two other strong medal candidates.
The host country's best hopes are focused on high jumper Desiree Crichlow (1.88), who won the Central American and Caribbean senior title in Grenada two weeks ago.
As usual, good performances are expected from the Caribbean athletes, in a championship where the region's best talents have traditionally begun to pave their way to a successful career, such as Trinidad & Tobago's Darrel Brown, gold medallist last year in the Kingston Junior Worlds and a 10.08 performer this season, his last year as a junior.
Other athletes have posted promising results so far this year, led by the 16-year old Jamaican sensation Usain Bolt (20.25-45.35 in 200/400).
His compatriots should also highlight: Latty Tesfa (100-10.24), Kerron Stewart (100-11.34), Sherone Simpson (100-11.37), Anneisha McLaughlin (23.19-52.57 in 200/400) and Camille Robinson (400H-56.61).
Of the other teams - The Netherland Antilles features Martina Churandy (100-10.33), Saint Kitts and Nevis -Tiandra Ponteen (400-52.76), Saint Lucia - Levern Spencer (HJ-1.86), Trinidad and Tobago - Kelly-Ann Baptiste (11.48-23.22 in 100/200), Venezuela - Wilmary Álvarez (200-23.40), Colombia - Milena Agudelo (PV-4.00) and Argentina - pole vaulter Germán Chiaraviglio (5.15), who claimed the World Youth gold in Sherbrooke.
Notable absentees will be US Allyson Felix, Sanya Richards (400-50.58) and Cuba's triple jumper Arianna Martinez, second last year in the World Junior Champs.
The Pan American Junior Championships started in Sudbury, Canada (1980) and are held every two years. Several of the region's great have left their names in the event's history books, such as USA's Carl Lewis, Angelo Taylor, Joe Deloach and Jackie Joyner, Brazil's Robson Caetano da Silva and Joaquim Cruz, Cuba's Javier Sotomayor, Anier Garcia, Martiza Marten and Ivan Pedroso, Bahamas' Debbie Ferguson and Jamaica's Merlene Frazer, all Olympic medallists.
Pan American Junior Championships records:
Event-Name-Country-Mark-Venue-Year
Men
100m Stanley Kerr USA 10.20 Winter Park 1986
200m Clinton Davis USA 20.39 Barquisimeto 1982
400m Obea Moore USA 45.14 Santiago de Chile 1995
800m Joaquim Cruz BRA 1:47.85 Sudbury 1980
1500m Márcio da Silva BRA 3:45.80 Santiago de Chile 1995
5000m Greg Anderson CAN 14:12.54 Winter Park 1986
10000m Alejandro Villanueva MEX 29:28.6 Santa Fe 1989
3000 St José Morães BRA 8:57.63 Santa Fe 1989
110H Rodney Wilson USA 13.71 Sudbury 1980
400H Angelo Taylor USA 50.03 Havana 1997
HJ Javier Sotomayor CUB 2.27 Winter Park 1986
PV Lawrence Johnson 5.50 1993 Winnipeg 1993
LJ Dion Bentley USA 8.16 Santa Fe 1989
TJ Yoelbi Quesada CUB 16.81 Kingston 1991
SP Jeff Chakouian USA 19.92 Santa Fe 2001
DT Pedro Acosta 60.00 Santa Fe 1989
HT Dylan Armstrong CAN 65.63 Tampa 1999
JT Trevor Snyder CAN 74.06 Santa Fe 2001
Dec. Raúl Duany CUB 7482 Winnipeg 1993
10km Walk Jefferson Pérez ECU 39:50.73 Winnipeg 1993
4x100 USA 39.42 Barquisimeto 1982
4x400 USA 3:03.53 Kingston 1991
Women:
100m Angela Williams USA 11.34 Havana 1997
200m Liliana Allen CUB 23.29 Winnipeg 1989
400m Claudine Williams JAM 52.01 Winnipeg 1993
800m Mairelín Fuentes CUB 2:03.70 Havana 1997
1500m Fabiana da Silva BRA 4:16.07 Havana 1997
3000m Lisa Harvey CAN 9:16.05 Santa Fe 1989
5000m Yaremis Torres CUB 16:34.59 Havana 1997
100H Yolanda Johnson USA 13.38 Winter Park 1986
400H Perla dos Santos BRA 56.52 Santa Fe 2001
HJ Ioamnet Quintero CUB 1.90 Kingston 1991
PV Tracy O’Hara USA 3.93 Tampa 1999
LJ Carlette Guidry USA 6.42 Winter Park 1986
TJ Mabel Gay CUB 13.63 Santa Fe 2001
SP Yumileidi Cumbá CUB 17.55 Winnipeg 1993
DT Seilala Sua 57.88 Havana 1997
HT Yunaika Crawford CUB 63.20 Santa Fe 2001
JT Ana Gutiérrez MEX 49.23 Santa Fe 2001
Hep. Regla Cárdenas CUB 5600 Winnipeg 1993
10km Walk Cristina López ESA 51:41.9 Santa Fe 2001
4x100 USA 43.38 Tampa 1999
4x400 Jamaica 3:32.70 Winnipeg 1993
