BEIJING, China – Caribbean athletes signed up for XV IAAF World Championships in Athletics action here in Beijing with Cleopatra Borel (TTO) and Danniel Thomas (JAM) featuring in women’s Shot Putt action, and Salcia Slack (JAM) and Akela Jones (BAR) in the grueling seven event Heptathlon, which had its first day of two on the opening day.

Before a gun was fired, supporters of the Jamaica team, on spot or back home, were greeted with some unfortunate news. Due to some athlete entry mishap, defending bronze medalist, Nesta Carter would be denied a lane in the 100 metres. There were pleas for a re-visit by the officials, coming from Jamaica’s newly elected IAAF Technical Committee member and home federation General Secretary, Garth Gayle. However the ultimate decision-makers were adamant that failure to enter the athlete provisionally, could not be overlooked.

In the 100mh the first discipline in the Heptathlon, 20 year old, Akela Jones performed quite creditably, to place 5th both in her heat and the overall standings and her time of 13.17 was good for 1099 points. Her personal best coming in stood at 13.10.

Slack, after her later expressed grave disappointment in clipping hurdle number 1 and really being put off her game technically, could only manage a summarized 26th position of the 32 who scored. In the event, she hit the line in 13.98, well shy of a 13.68 PB. It earned her 981 points.

Next on show, was the High Jump, the final event for the early sector. The Barbadian young miss, Jones cleared 1.80m to earn her 978 points and to be 14th in the rankings of the 33 still in the competition. Salcia Slack found herself on the last rung, despite a 1.62m personal best height.

The overall placements had Jones in 8th place with 2077 points – a more than pleasing effort for a young lady who has been doing her thing since the CAC Age Group aged 12-13 level, while Slack was at 31st in the field of 33 registering scores.

In the women’s Shot Put qualifiers, in order to advance to the final, performers have to register 18.30m or be the 12 best on the preliminary effort. Three time Olympian, Cleopatra Borel, competing in her 6th Championships,  advanced to the final in position 6, with a 18.55m effort against her PB of 19.48m. The 22 year old Thomas (17.76mPB) was not so lucky, posting a non-qualifying 16.62m to be in 22nd place of those who had their marks measured.

So the morning session of Day I ended, late night at home in the Island territories.
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