Barcelona 2012 logo (© IAAF)
Kingston, JamaicaDespite having the fastest times in both short sprints so far this season, Julian Forte is unsure if he wants to run both the 100m and 200m at the 14th IAAF World Junior Championships in Barcelona, Spain 10-15 July.
The former Wolmers Boys School teammate of Youth Olympics 100m champion Odean Skeen has shrugged off a series of injuries to run his personal bests in both events this season while under the guidance of sprint guru Stephen Francis at the University of Technology.
After running the third best 100m time by a Jamaican junior, 10.19 seconds on 26 May, behind Yohan Blake’s 10.11 seconds done in April 2007 and Dexter Lee’s 10.16 seconds done in 2010, Forte ran 20.38 seconds unchallenged to win the 200m at the Jamaican National Junior Championships the weekend before last.
He had however pulled out of the 100m on the first day of the Championships and explained that his handlers were taking all the precautions given his injuries always came while running the 100m.
Forte was well place din the finals of the 100m at the CARIFTA Games Trials in March before he crashed out with what turned out to be nothing but a cramp.
Forte’s form coupled with Skeen’s who won the 100m last week in a wind aided 10.24 seconds, Jazeel Murphy, Jevaughn Minzie who won the Under 18 double in 10.28 seconds and 21.37 seconds and Tyquendo Tracey has heighten hopes of a second 4x100m win by the Jamaicans and first since Beijing 2006.
The tall Forte was unassuming when asked about his prospects for the WJC, saying he would be taking each step one at a time leading up to the Championships.
Paul Reid for the IAAF
The former Wolmers Boys School teammate of Youth Olympics 100m champion Odean Skeen has shrugged off a series of injuries to run his personal bests in both events this season while under the guidance of sprint guru Stephen Francis at the University of Technology.
After running the third best 100m time by a Jamaican junior, 10.19 seconds on 26 May, behind Yohan Blake’s 10.11 seconds done in April 2007 and Dexter Lee’s 10.16 seconds done in 2010, Forte ran 20.38 seconds unchallenged to win the 200m at the Jamaican National Junior Championships the weekend before last.
He had however pulled out of the 100m on the first day of the Championships and explained that his handlers were taking all the precautions given his injuries always came while running the 100m.
Forte was well place din the finals of the 100m at the CARIFTA Games Trials in March before he crashed out with what turned out to be nothing but a cramp.
Forte’s form coupled with Skeen’s who won the 100m last week in a wind aided 10.24 seconds, Jazeel Murphy, Jevaughn Minzie who won the Under 18 double in 10.28 seconds and 21.37 seconds and Tyquendo Tracey has heighten hopes of a second 4x100m win by the Jamaicans and first since Beijing 2006.
The tall Forte was unassuming when asked about his prospects for the WJC, saying he would be taking each step one at a time leading up to the Championships.
Paul Reid for the IAAF
