Kyrah Scraders remains confident of competing at next month’s World Junior Championships in Oregan despite missing the qualifying mark at the National Track and Field Championships at the weekend.

Scraders was victorious in the 800 metres — her signature event — but failed to reach the standard required for the World Juniors by three seconds, finishing in 2min 12sec.

The 17-year-old, however, has taken comfort from the fact her personal best is a second faster than the qualifying standard and believes it is only a matter of matter before she meets the mark.

“I was trying to hit 2.09 because I want to go to the World Juniors Championships,” said Scraders, who set a national record in the 800 at last summer’s World Juniors in the Ukraine.

“I’m still confident because my personal best is 2.08, so I know I can get it.”

Scraders, the bright young thing of Bermudian athletics, has already qualified for the Youth Olympic Games, which will be held in Nanjing, China, in August.

The ambitious teenager said that she intends to use the Youth Olympics and a gauge of where she is at in her development, having set her sights on competing at the Summer Games in Rio in two years’ time.

“The Youth Olympics is the big one,” said Scraders, who also won the 400 at the Championships, held at the National Sports Centre, in a time of 56.23.

“I want to go to Rio and [the Youth Olympics] is a step closer, so I’m really excited,” said Scraders, who won gold in 800 and silver in the 1,500 at this year’s Carifta Games in Martinique.

Appearing almost impossibly relaxed at the start of every race, regardless of whether it’s a local meet or an international event, Scraders seems immune to the nerves that inflict most other athletes and said that she merely feels excited when she takes to the start line.

“I don’t really get nervous, I just excited before the bigger events because it’s something new to do rather than just run against the same people in Bermuda.”

Other notable athletes who competed at the Championships were Natasha Trott who won the women’s 100 in 12.42, Ashley Berry who claimed victory in the 3,000 in 9:59.71 and Shaquille Dill who claimed victory in the men’s 800 in 1:51.74 and the 400 in 47.55.