KINGSTON, Jamaica — Kingston College’s Akeem Bloomfield could make his seasonal debut at the 19th staging of the Puma Youngster Goldsmith Classic as the Digicel Grand Prix Athletics Championships series gets going at the National Stadium on Saturday.

The meet is scheduled to begin at 8:00 am.

Bloomfield created history by becoming the first Jamaican schoolboy to run the 400 metres under 45 seconds last year, where he clocked 44.93 seconds at the ISSA Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championship.

The 18-year-old continued his phenomenal rise in the 400m at the Carifta Games a week later where he clocked a record 45.85 seconds to win Under-20 gold, and has not been in action since.

Youngster Goldsmith Classic, staged by Kingston College (KC) in honour of William ‘Mr G’ Goldsmith, the former Jamaican featherweight weightlifting champion, who returned to his alma mater in 1961 as physical trainer. He is credited with revolutionizing track and field at KC and, by extension, Jamaica with his weights-training programme.

Meanwhile, the second staging of the lucrative Digicel Grand Prix series will see athletes from top high schools across Jamaica competing in seven track and field disciplines for sporting glory and over $16 million in cash and prizes.

The six-meet series is set to culminate with a grand finale on

February 20, where the boys’ and girls’ champion teams will win $1 million each in gym equipment.

The top male and female coaches will each walk away with $50,000. St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) and Edwin Allen are the defending boys and girls champions.

Sherdon Cowan