AS the build-up to the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championship continues, the JAAA Carifta Trials held over the weekend gave track and field enthusiasts a glimpse of what is to come later this month.

The two-day event, highlighted with spills and thrills, was nothing short of impressive as Jamaica’s top young athletes produced some scintillating performances. It is often said that the best is saved for last, and so it was on Sunday’s final day which was graced with superb times, particularly those of Calabar’s Christopher Taylor and Akeem Bloomfield of Kingston College.

The two may have clocked different sub-46 second times in their respective age-group 400-metre event, but their performances were done in similar fashion. Both went out really hard and had their opponents lagging behind at the 200-metre mark, which then saw them running against the clock.

The 15-year-old Taylor, easing down in the end, achieved 45.69 seconds which is the fastest time by a youngster his age, while Bloomfield achieved a new world-leading time of 45.41 seconds. The 18-year-old Bloomfield, who is best known for his sprinting ability, credited the performance to his coach Neil Harris.

“I am not really surprised; I put in the work and my coach is a genius, so he had the plan [and] it was just for me to execute properly.

“At first when he brought the idea to me, I was a bit sceptical because I didn’t want to do the 400, because I don’t like the training and I don’t really like the event. But after a while when I started to believe in my coach… he told me that I could do it and I just put my mind to it, and here I am,” he told reporters.

With his teammate Twayne Crooks set to join him in the event at Champs, Bloomfield has sent out a warning.

“At this point I am not sure how fast I will go; right now I haven’t started any speed work as yet, I am mostly running with strength now. So I guess I have to sharpen up and at Champs you will see.

“Crooks is my training partner, I know what he has to offer and I know how good he is and I don’t really want to say that I can beat him, but I know that come Champs Crooks and I will give everyone a challenge and you will be surprised.” These were his parting words.

World Youth champion Jaheel Hyde of Wolmer’s was also among the highlights with his impressive 13.22 seconds clocking in the Under-20 110-metre hurdles event, thereby sealing the double after winning the 400-metre equivalent on Saturday in a fast 49.78 seconds.

Calabar’s Xavier Angus entered the reckoning with a stunning

21.08-second clocking in the Under-18 200-metre dash, while Chad Walker of St Jago announced his intent with a fast 20.97 seconds clocking in the Under-20 division.

Devaughn Smith of Spalding High topped the boys’ Under-20 800 metres with a clocking of 1:51.77 minutes, while Leon Clarke of St Jago High also went below two minutes in the Under-18 event, stopping the clock at 1:54.77 minutes. Shevan Parks of Bellefield High left it late to win the boys’ Under-20

1,500-metre run in 4:02.43 minutes, while St Elizabeth Technical’s Shemar Salmon (4:03.97) upset his more fancied teammate Jauavney James (4:05.63) in the Under-18 category.

St Jago’s Keenon Lawrence topped the boys’ Under-18

3,000-metre run in 8:57.90 minutes, while the Under-20 5,000-metre event was won by Daniel Glave of Holmwood Technical with a time of 15:38.44 minutes.

Lushane Wilson of St Jago High headlined the field events performances with a personal best leap of 2.15 metres to win the boys’ Under-18 high jump. Jamaica College’s Clayton Brown continued his fine form as he topped the Under-20 class with a similar leap of 2.15 metres, while another Jamaica College standout Obrien Wasome stamped his class in winning the Under-20 long jump and triple jump events with 7.45 and 15.91 metres, respectively.