U.S.-BASED Guyanese Brenessa Thompson opened Guyana’s participation at the fifteenth edition of the International Association of Athletic Federation (IAAF) World Junior Championships with her run in the women’s 100m dash yesterday, when the competition began at Hayward Field, Oregon, in the United States of America. 

Thompson was expected to be out on the track late last evening at 21:30hrs, local time. Thompson, who earlier this year represented Guyana at the CARIFTA Games, ran out of lane one in heat four of seven, entering with a personal-best time of 11.60 seconds which she recorded earlier last month.
Thompson’s performance in the women’s 200m race tomorrow will end her participation at the event, where Guyana is also represented by U.S.-based Guyanese Kadecia Baird. Thompson’s performance yesterday will be followed today by Baird’s participation in the women’s 400m later this afternoon.
Coming off a season-best time of 53.34, the world junior silver medallist will be running out of lane seven in heat two of five heats.
The CARIFTA Games gold medallist enters with the third fastest time in her heats and the 11th fastest timing in the event where she is vying against 35 other athletes for the ultimate victory.
Her heat is headed by Russia’s Yana Glotova, who comes in with a season-best time of 52.79 seconds which she clocked last month at the Russia Junior Championships.
It was in the women’s 400m back in 2012 that Baird won Guyana’s first IAAF Junior Championship medal when she came second off a personal-best time of 51.04 seconds. Baird did not participate in the event last year, but now she is back and no doubt gunning after another medal.
The first four athletes and the next four fastest timings will be moving into the semi-final round of the women’s 400m. This will be Baird’s only race at the Championships.