OVER 2,000 athletes are expected to compete at today’s seventh staging of the S W Isaac-Henry Track and Field Invitational which is scheduled to be held at the National Stadium starting at 8:00 am.

The highly anticipated meet, which has attracted some of the island’s top junior athletes, will be making its return to the local track and field calendar after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The event, which is used as a qualifier for the Issa/gracekennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships, is also seen as a final warm-up for the Gibsonmccook Relays, which will be held on February 25 at the same venue.

Leroy Cooke, chairman of the organising committee, said they are expecting a very exciting championships.

“I am expecting some strong competitions mainly in the high school section, and also I am expecting from the seniors in terms of the field events a lot of great competition there,” he said.

“I am also expecting quite a few of the records to go this year because this is going to be probably the biggest meet that we have ever had in terms of participation from the athletes and schools and it should be extremely competitive.

“It should be very exciting because we are starting with the 1,500 metres and going into the 400m hurdles for both boys and girls and we are expecting some strong competition there,” Cooke added.

The other events down to be contested are 200m, 400m, 70m hurdles, 80m hurdles, 100m hurdles, and the 110m hurdles as well as 4x100m and 4x400m relay events, long jump, discus, and shot put events.

The meet will this year honour its past student, renowned local coach Michael Carr, who is currently the head coach of Wolmer’s Girls’ track team.