FRESH off of winning two medals at this month’s Carifta Games in the Turks and Caicos, middle-distance runner Matthew Spring now prepares for an even bigger competition — the IAAF World Youth Championships being staged in Ostrava, the Czech Republic from July 11-15.Spring will be one of four Bermudian athletes travelling to the championships — the others being Aaron Evans, Harold ‘Tre’ Houston and Eulannae Douglas.

Spring qualified for the Worlds in two events — the 1,500 and 800 metres. The teenager who was a recent recipient of a Bermuda Government Junior Sponsorship Award, was impressive at the recently held Carifta Games where he won the silver medal in the 3,000 metres.

However national track and field coach Gerry Swan said: “His 1,500 metres was the more impressive of the two highly competitive efforts. Spring raced to a bronze medal and personal best time of 4:01.04 for the 1,500 metres surpassing the Worold Youth Championships’ standard of 4:03.0.”

Swan added: “Matthew’s 1,500 metres time is also the fourth fastest time in the whole history of the Carifta Games for the under-17 boys and his 3,000 metres time of 9:10.62 has the same, pedigree ranking. They also represents significant improvements to the times of 4:26.09 and 9:49.38 that he marked at his first Carifta Games only two years ago in Tobago.”

Swan said Spring’s goal is to be in shape to run around 3:56.0 and 1:55.0 at the Worlds in the 1,500 and 800 metres.

But Swan warned that Spring will face a major decision. “He will have to decide in what event he will compete — the 800 or 1,500.” The IAAF have said that an athlete cannot compete in both of those races “given the schedule and demands of the events”.

However sprinter Harold ‘Tre’ Houston will not have to make his mind up on whether to compete in both the 100 and 200 metres. “He will be allowed to compete in both of those events,” said Swan.

While Spring still has time to decide on either the 800 or 1,500 metres, he may lean towards the longer distance. Before travelling to the Carifta Games this month he told The Mid-Ocean News that the 1,500 metres is his favourite distance.He said: “My favourite distance is the 1,500 because it is an intense race and more exciting. In the 800 if you make a mistake you do not have that much time to make it up but in the 1500 if you make a mistake you have time to recover.”

Aaron Evans has surpassed the IAAF 800 metres qualifying standard at least three times during the IAAF’s qualifying period that ends on June 25 this year just before championships start.

“On those occasions he has run times for the two-lap race of 1:57.58, 1:56.84 and 1:56.83,” said Swan added that Evans, who was disqualified in the heats at the 2005 championships because of a lane infraction, is hoping to make amends this year with better performances.

Two years ago Houston qualified for the Worlds but was forced to stay home because of an injury.

“Two years ago, at age 15, Tre had barely surpassed the qualifying standards of 11.55 seconds for the100 metres and 23.10 seconds for the 200 metres with times of 11.49 and 23.05 seconds,” said Swan.

Now however he has picked up the pace.

“For the 2007 World Youth Championships, Houston has run 100 metres times of 11.07, 11.19, 11.20, 10.84 and most recently at the Carifta Games a personal best time of 10.75 seconds. For the 200 metres, Houston has shown similar significant improvement with times of 22.05, 21.92, 21.5, 21.6, and at the recent Carifta Games he ran it in 21.92 seconds,” added Swan.

The 100 metres and 200 metres qualifying standards for the 2007 Worlds are 11.45 and 23.10 seconds.

Like Houston, Eulannae Douglas is a sprinter and has qualified for the 100 metres.

And Douglas is acutely aware of the quality of the competition at the Worlds based on her experiences in Marrakech in 2005.

She recently clocked 12.35 seconds (against the qualifying standard of 12.65 seconds) and coach Swan said: “She is aware that she will have to make improvements in a couple areas over the next 11 weeks to stay in the company of the elite sprinters.”

While the four have all qualified for the Worlds, Swan said he is hoping other athletes may make the grade before the summer.

“In addition those four athletes, there are a couple others — Darico Clarke and Alexis Bean — who have aspirations for the Worlds,” said Swan. “Clarke, who experienced his first Carifta Games this year, ran impressively in the under-17 boys 800 metres final. He lowered his best time by approximately four seconds with his fifth place position of 2:00.63, short of the Worlds standard by 1.63 seconds.

“Alexis placed fifth in the Carifta open females 3000 metres with a new Bermuda junior national record with a time of 10:53.17. That was the first time that a Bermudian junior female athlete has run under 11:00.0 for that event. Alexis complemented that effort with a sixth place and personal best time of 4:55.52 in the under-17 girls 1,500 metres final.

“However, it will be at the 800 metres that Alexis will make her bid for the Worlds. Both have ten weeks to make good their aspirations.”

The Czech Republic, a part of the former Czechoslovakia, gained its independence in 1993. With a population in excess of ten million people, the Czech Republic and specifically the city of Ostrava will host the World Youth Championships during the period July 11-15. Those championships, held biennially, will showcase the world’s best 15, 16 and 17 year old athletes. At the 2005 championships, hosted in Marrakech, Morocco, a record number 1400 athletes from approximately 180 countries participated in which Bermuda had five athletes compete. They were Eulannae Douglas, Arantxa King, La Troya Darrell, Taijaun Talbot and Aaron Evans.

Young track stars get ready for Youth Worlds