SEVEN of Jamaica’s 11-member track and field team will be in action on Wednesday’s (late this evening local time) first day of the athletics programme at the World University Games being held in Gwanju, South Korea.

Sprinters Kemarley Brown, Shimayra Williams and Kedisha Dallas, 400m runners Tovea Jankins and Fitzroy Dunkley, 400m hurdler Rhonda Whyte and 800m runner Simoya Campbell will all be in action.

One athlete who will not be in action, however, is 400m hurdler Andre Clarke who broke his collarbone when he fell in training last week and will be out of action.

The other members of the team are heptathlete Salcia Slack, sprint hurdler Danielle Williams and discus thrower Chad Wright.

Campbell will be confident after coming off a big lifetime best 1 minute 59.92 seconds in the 800m final at the recent JAAA National Senior Trials, qualifying her for the IAAF World Championships.

There will be two rounds of the men’s 100m, and Brown, who ran 9.93 seconds last year but struggled with injuries this year, should be able to get through the rounds.

In the women’s 100m that will have just one round on Wednesday, Williams, who ran 11.61 seconds and just missed qualifying for the women’s 100m final at the Senior Trials, and World Junior Championships semi-finalist Dallas should advance as well.

Tovea Jenkins, the former Mt Alvernia High and Herbert Morrison athlete who now attends Johnson C Smith University in North Carolina, could be a dark horse for the final of the 400m.

Dunkley, a member of the Louisiana State NCAA champion 4x400m relay team, will carry the flag in the men’s 400m, while Whyte, who has had a good season until she fell in the semi-finals of the 400m hurdles at the JAAA Senior Trials, will seek to atone.

— Paul A Reid