EUGENE, USA—There’s an air of optimism and high expectations going into today’s afternoon session at the 15th IAAF world Junior Championships here at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon as Jamaica seeks to increase its medal haul.

Jamaicans will be in four finals this afternoon, three for men and one for women and the hope is that the first gold will be landed to add to the silver medal won by Tyler Mason in the men’s 110m hurdles on Thursday evening.

Jaheel Hyde is expected to win the men’s 400m hurdles while medals are expected from Michael O’Hara in the 200m and Christoff Bryan in the high jump. Natalliah Whyte will also contest the women’s 200m final today.

Meanwhile earlier today, sprint hurdlers Yanique Thompson and Daeshon Gordon both qualified for Saturday’s semi-finals of the 100m hurdles after both finished fourth in their respective first round heats.

Thompson the World Youth Championships gold medal winner last year, ran 13.70 seconds (1.6m/s) and Gordon fourth clocked 13.76 seconds (1.7m/s) to advance.

Krista Gay Taylor advanced to Sunday’s final of the high jump competition after clearing a personal best 1.82m and was one of five jumpers who made it through despite not attaining the automatic height of 1,85m.

Kevon Robinson was sixth in his 800m first round in 1 minute 51.89 seconds and also failed to make progress.

The news was also not so good in the men’s discus throw, men’s triple jump or women’s shot put.

Despite a personal best 56.30m on his first throw in the first evening of the day, Glenford Watson failed to advance past the first round.

Clayton Brown and Odaine Lewis appeared to be favouring their ankles and did not make progress in the triple jump. Brown who is in the high jump finals later today, jumped 15.37m on his first round, fouled the next jump then passed in the third round.

Lewis appeared to hurt his ankle in the first round and could only muster a paltry 15.01m.

Gleneve Grange had a best throw of 13.95m in the shot put while Richelle Frazer threw 13.78m.