Jamaica’s 49-member delegation of 39 athletes and 10 officials arrived in Bydgoszcz, Poland, yesterday after more than 24 hours of travelling ahead of Tuesday’s start of the IAAF World Under-20 Championships at the Zawiszaw Stadium.

The Jamaicans, who travelled in five separate groups, met up in Berlin, Germany, before taking a seven-hour bus trip to Poland where they will settle into the team hotel.

One group that included coaches Michael Vassell and Michael Dyke, left Norman Manley International Airport early on Thursday morning, flew to Miami, then to Philadelphia and London then on to Berlin.

Another group flew through Miami then on to Chicago, London then Berlin.

Pre-championships predictions on the IAAF website have tabbed defending champion Jaheel Hyde as the overwhelming favourite to retain the 400m hurdles title he won in Eugene, Oregon, two years ago.

Hyde, who has won at every level with the 110m gold at the World Youth level in 2013, has the World Junior leading time of 48.81 seconds, the 11th best ever and a new Jamaican Junior National Record set when he placed second at the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) National Senior Championships at the National Stadium two weeks ago.

The Jamaican team will be hoping to snap a run of poor results at global age group championships, having won just six medals at the most recent Under-20 Championships, two years ago in Eugene, Oregon, and managed one gold medal at last year’s World Youth Championships (Under-18) in Cali, Colombia.

Eight years ago when Bydgoszcz first hosted the event, Jamaica also won six medals, including a gold for Dexter Lee in the men’s 100m, and four silver medals, and a bronze medal.