All seven individual medallists, including five who won gold medals from last year’s IAAF World Youth Championship in Donetsk, Ukraine, have been included in Jamaica’s 39-member team that was yesterday announced for the World Junior Championships to be held in Eugene, Oregon July 22-27.

Sprinter hurdlers Jaheel Hyde and Yanique Thompson, sprinter Michael O’Hara, quarter-miler Martin Manley and intermediate hurdler Marvin Williams, who won gold medals, as well as bronze medallists Christoff Bryan and Tiffany James were named in the team.

Bryan and Minzie are the only members of the team that won five medals at the 2012 renewal in Barcelona, Spain, who were also named in the team that will see Michael Carr of Wolmer’s Girls as head coach.

Carr told the Jamaica Observer yesterday that “the team was a talented one”.

Carr, who was also the head coach in the Ukraine last year, used the ISSA Boys’ and Gils’ Championships class system as an example. “This is like Class Two athletes stepping up to Class One where they will face tougher and more experienced competitors,” he said.

He likened going to Eugene as “going in to the lions’ den” to face the strong Americans on their own home turf.

“We have good athletes and once they set their minds to competing we will do well and the athletes will be competitive,” said Carr.

Asked whether there would be a camp before the team departs, Carr could not give an answer as some of the selected athletes were in Mexico taking part in the CAC Junior Championships.

Despite being the World Junior Leader in the 400m hurdles with a National Junior Record 49.49 seconds set in March, it appears that Hyde will run the sprint hurdles with the inclusion of Okeen Williams, a finalist in the 400m hurdles in the Ukraine last year.

Minzie, who was a mere spectator in Spain two years ago, will be the main medal hope in the men’s sprints where he is ranked in the top five in the world in both the 100m and 200m.

Bryan failed to get past the first round of the high jump in Barcelona, but has got over a series of injuries and is also a medal prospect.

Team: Females — Claudette Allen, Chanice Bonner, Saqukine Cameron, Kedisha Dallas, Sashalee Forbes, Annastacia Forrester, Rochelle Frazer, Deashon Gordon, Gleneve Grange, Asaine Hall, Tiffany James, Shadae Lawrence, Genekee Leith, Dawnlee Loney, Yanique McNeil, Monique McPherson, Tamara Moncrieffe, Jonielle Smith, Krista-Gay Taylor, Yanique Thompson, Natalliah Whyte, Shimayra Williams; males- — Nathon Allen, Clayton Brown, Christoff Bryan, Edward Clarke, Twayne Crooks, Ivan Henry, Fabian Hewitt, Jaheel Hyde, Martin Manley, Tyler Mason, Jevaughn Minzie, Michael O’Hara, Kevon Robinson, Glenford Watson, Marvin Williams, Okeen Williams, Waseem Williams.