Local 400 metres sprint ace Stephan James will leave these shores today as a member of the Guyana team to the World Junior Track and Field championships which commences from July 10 and runs through to July 15 in Spain.
James, who clocked 47.33s to make the qualifying standard for the meet in Trinidad last month will join 400 metres sensation Kadecia Baird and another sprinter Sheniece Daphness, who will compete in the female 200 metres, to make up the Guyana three-member team.
Shaun Dietz, who coaches Baird, will be the team’s coach at the meet.
James, who is currently in Trinidad receiving his visa for the event has won a bronze medal at the South American Junirs. In Spain, he will be on a mission to lower his time in the 46s region, according to his co-coach Julian Edmonds.
“Well, basically I see him breaking the 47 barrier and running in the 46 region and this is since his splits he was clocking last year,” Edmonds told Stabroek Sport.
The 19-year-old James, who has been the most consistent junior sprinter for the past two years, is expected to match up well against his foreign opponents, especially if he gets past the first round of the 400 metres event.
“Well, we told him that we wanted him to lower his time somewhere in the 46 region and once he does that and gets past the first round of the competition and goes into the semifinal, then anything is possible,” Edmonds said.
James, who also happens to hold the title of being the first Guyanese to ever make it to a junior Pan American sprint final, has been well prepared and should be able to fire when the gun blasts off in Spain.
“We were preparing with one thing in mind since last year and that aim was getting to World Juniors, although he competed at the CARIFTA Games, he’ll be at his best at World Juniors.
“As proven by his runs last year he was better this time of the season and that’s how his programme is designed. We didn’t make much changes for CARIFTA but now he will be tapering down to more specific work,” Edmonds told Stabroek Sport.
James, who continues to be Guyana’s most dominant junior sprinter with his exploits in both the 200 and 400 metres and sometimes the 100 metres will definitely have to be at his best when he is on the track in Spain in order to fulfill expectations of being in the final.
