HOPES will be high for Jamaica’s first gold medal of the 9th IAAF World Youth Championships when Christopher Taylor lines up in the final of the boys’ 400m at 8:25 pm today at the Pascual Guerrero Stadium in Cali, Colombia.

Yesterday, the 15-year-old shook off injury worries with a sublime World Youth leading 45.30 seconds, the sixth fastest ever to win his semi-final heat, blowing away American rival Josephus Lyle, who was second in 45.93 seconds and Botswana’s Sibanda Karabo in 46.53 seconds.

Taylor, who reportedly complained of hamstring pain on Wednesday, trails only American Obeah Moore with 45.14 seconds, South African Riaan Dempers with 45.15 at altitude, American Williams Reed with 45.17 seconds, Sudan’s Nagmeldin Ali Abubakr with 45.22 seconds and Grenada’s Kirani James with 45.22 on the all-time list as he moved past Usain Bolt’s 45.35 seconds as the fastest Jamaican youth.

Taylor will be trying to win back-to-back 400m gold medals for Jamaica after Martin Manley won the event two years ago in Donetsk, Ukraine.

He now has the three fastest times in the world this year after earlier running 45.55 seconds and 45.69 seconds.

Last night Kimone Shaw finished fifth in the girls’ 100m final in 11.65 seconds (0.0m/s), as American Candace Hill set a Championships record 11.08 seconds with Trinidad’s Khalifa St Fort taking the silver in a personal best 11.19 seconds, and another American Jayla Kirkland was third in 11.41 seconds, also a lifetime best.

Shaw had placed third in her semi-final heat in 11.68 seconds (-1.2m/s) but Venesha Pusey was sixth in her semi-final in 11.89 seconds (0.1m/s).

Earlier in the first round, Shaw won her heat in 11.58 (1.0m/s), while Pusey had run a personal best 11.83 seconds to take second (-0.6m/s).

Meanwhile, it was a slightly better performance by the Jamaicans yesterday after Wednesday’s poor opening day, with five other athletes making it to their finals. Devia Brown qualified for the shot put final that was held last night, Kimone Shaw qualified for the girls’ 100m final last night; Jauavney James and Junelle Bromfield will contest the boys’ and girls’ 400m hurdles finals, respectively; Lushane Wilson is in the boys’ high jump final, while Leon Clarke is into the boys’ 800m final, slated for tomorrow.

The first round of the boys’ and girls’ 200m will be contested today with 100m semi-finalists Xavior Angus and Michael Bentley flying the Jamaican flag in the boys’ event, while Shellece Clarke and Shaneil English will contest the girls’ event.

Yesterday, Brown threw a personal best 15.68m for sixth place in her preliminary group of the girls’ shot put to snatch the final place in the final just ahead of a Slovakian, who threw 15.61m.

Sah-Jay Stevens could only manage 14.68m for 11th in Group A and did not advance.

James stormed from fifth place over the last two hurdles to run a personal best 51.96 seconds to place second in his semi-final heat of the 400m hurdles and into the final tomorrow.

Bromfield ran 58.67 seconds for third in her semi-final heat of the 400m hurdles, slightly better than her 58.86 seconds in the first round on Wednesday.

Wilson cleared 2.08m to qualify for the high jump final and will hope to at least match Christoff Bryan’s bronze medal won two years ago, the only time a Jamaican man has ever won a medal in the high jump at the World Youth level.

Clarke, who survived a brave run in Wednesday’s first round of the 800m, ran a new personal best one minute, 50.70 seconds for third in yesterday’s semi-finals and booked a place in the final.

On Wednesday, Clarke took off on a fast pace, led the first lap in 51.90 seconds and led by almost 20 metres before he was eventually caught with about 100 metres to go, finishing fifth but just advancing as one of the fastest losers.

Alex Robinson is through to today’s semi-finals of the boys’ 110m hurdles after he placed fourth in his first-round heat running 13.95 seconds (0.4m/s), but Chadrick Brown was fifth in his heat in 14.19 seconds (1.0m/s).

There was disappointment in the girls’ 100m hurdles where either one or both Jamaicans were expected to make it to the final, but Janeek Brown finished fourth in her semi-final heat in 13.62 seconds (-0.6m/s) and Sydney Marshall was sixth in her heat in 13.64 seconds (-0.4m/s), thus failing to advance.

Chrisanni May ran two minutes, 12.48 seconds for sixth in her 800m first round and failed to move on.