Hurdling gems Russell, Anderson make debuts today
SPRINT HURDLERS Brittany Anderson of Camperdown High and Calabar’s Dejour Russell will today make their first appearances on the track since their golden runs at last summer’s IAAF World Under 18 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya.
Anderson, the former Vere Technical standout, will debut at the Central Hurdles and Relays meet at G.C. Foster College of Physical Education and Sports, while Russell will be at home at the Wint/McKenley Classics.
Anderson, who will miss the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships in March and who will be concentrating on the IAAF World Under-20 Championships to be held in Tampere, Finland this year, will be hoping to start her season on a successful note. Since losing her first race in 2017 when she competed at the Wint\McKenley Classics a year ago, it has been smooth sailing for the 17 year-old, who has not tasted defeat since.
Besides running a fast wind-aided 12.72 seconds to win in Nairobi, which is the fastest time ever recorded in her age group, Anderson also won at Champs in her first year in Class Two and also at the Carifta Games in the Under 18 category with record runs.
She will for the first time attempt the higher height obstacles and it will be interested to see what she does here.
It was also an extraordinary 2017 for 17-year-old Russell, who posted championships records twice in Nairobi, where he won the 110m hurdles gold medal in 13.04 seconds. Before that, he went on to capturing gold at Champs in a record run in Class One before winning the Under-18 title at the Carifta Games in Curaçao in a wind-aided 13.19 seconds.
However, his best run came at the National Senior Championships in June, when he attempted the Olympic height obstacles for the first time. Russell barely missed out on making the team to the Word Championships in London after finishing a close fourth in 13.32 seconds.