MORE than 2,000 athletes from 60 institutions are registered to compete at today’s 13th staging of the Youngster Goldsmith Hurdles and Field Events Classic at the National Stadium.

Chairman of the organising committee, Christopher Ferguson, told Sporting World that his team will be pulling out all the stops to ensure that the meet ends on schedule.

“We have restricted the number of entries for 1,500 and 400m to the first two from each team, thereby allowing us to have enough time to run three persons per team for the 100m, because we want to ensure that the meet finishes at eight o’clock,” Ferguson said.

Most of the 10 development meets staged this season have over-run their schedules due to schools entering more than one team in each event in a bid to by-pass established rules by organisers to limit entries.

Ferguson, who is aware of the problem, argued that his committee will be trying to strike a balance. “The long and short of it is that these athletes need the competition to ensure that they are in good shape for (Boys’ and Girls’) Championships, hence we think it’s important that we give them the requisite chance to do so,” he said.

“However, if the entries which we don’t see so far become overwhelming, we would just have to talk to the coaches and limit it to two per team,” Ferguson added, admitting that most of the top schools indulge in the practice.

That aside, Ferguson promised that fans will be treated to top-class performances in hurdles and field events.

“We will have heats for all the hurdle events with the finals to follow two or three hours later, and where the jumps are concerned, each competitor will have three jumps initially and the top-eight jump-off in the final,” he said.

The Swedish Relay consisting of 100m, 200m, 300m and 400m legs will be on display for the second consecutive year. Other events on the schedule are the triple jump, high jump, javelin, pole vault, shot put, discus and the hurdles.

Former Kingston College throws coach Michael Vassell, who now operates at St Hugh’s High, will be honoured by the meet organisers, while national shot put champion Nadia Alexander will be patron of the meet.

Meanwhile, the JAAA/PUMA Development meet will also be staged in Jamalco Clarendon today.