LONDON, England — There could be a changing of the guards in Jamaica's men's 400m running today, the second day of track and field competition at the 27th Olympics at Olympic Stadium in Stratford, London.

National champion Dane Hyatt will lead a trio of Jamaican male quarter-milers who will be seeking to end a long period of futility in what was once a fruitful event for Jamaica.

Hyatt, national record holder Jermaine Gonzales and teenager Rushane McDonald, one of the brightest prospects in the event, will seek to book a place in Sunday's semi-finals.

McDonald, the former Garvey Maceo High runner who lowered his personal best three times at the National Trials in late June will be first up when he runs in heat one out of lane eight and will face off with the South African ' Blade runner' Oscar Pistorius and Trinidad's Renny Quow.

Hyatt, who is a late comer to track and field after favouring football while at William Knibb Memorial, is drawn in heat three where he is expected to advance along with Belgium's Jonathon Borlee, while Gonzales runs in the next heat against American Bryshon Nellums and The Bahamas' Demetrius Pinder.

The first three from each heat along with the next three fastest will advance to the semi-finals.