EUGENE, USA — It was a tough wait for Jamaica’s Yanique McNeil after a disappointing sixth place in her first round heat of the women’s 400 metres on this morning’s third session of the IAAF World Junior Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

The ISSA Girls Champs Class 1 gold medallist was inconsolable after running 55.01 seconds in wet, cold conditions as she thought there was no way she could advance to Thursday’s semi-finals.

However as fate would gave it she advanced as the fourth and last of the fastest losers but might have to wait some more as a number of athletes who were disqualified have filed protests.

Among those who were disqualified for running on the line or in another lane is Guyana’s highly-rated Kadeicia Baird.

McNeil and World Youth Championships bronze medallist Tiffany James and men’s 400m hurdlers Jaheel Hyde and Okeen Williams both of whom were second in their respective heats also advanced to the next round.

James, who told OBSERVER ONLINE that she had a touch of the flu, was second in her heat in 54.58 seconds to World Leader Kendell Baisden of the USA (53.28 seconds).

Hyde, the World Junior leader, cruised for most of his race, shuffling just slightly at the final hurdle to clock 51.60 seconds, behind overall leader Ali Khamis Khamis of Bahrain who ran a National Junior Record 51.10 seconds.

Meanwhile Williams, a finalist at the World Youth Championships last year, ran 52.88 seconds behind Japan’s Yusuke Sakanashi (52.46 seconds).

In the second session today, Marvin Williams and Tyler Mason will line up in the semi-finals of the men’s 110m hurdles; Kedisha Dallas will be the lone Jamaican in the women’s 100m semi-final while Jevaughn Minzie and Michael O’Hara will contest the men’s semis with Nathan Allen and Martin Manley taking part in the semi-finals of the men’s’ 400m.