The South American contingent shall present several prospects for finals and medals, and has finally arrived to Beijing for the 11th IAAF World Junior Championships, which begin this Tuesday 15 August.

Brazil will have the most numerous representation with 19 athletes. According to the World Junior lists and the performances achieved at past major events, its main hopes are sprinter Franciela Krasucki (11.39 at 100m, 4th at the 2005 World Youth Championships and "soul" of a 44.33 4x100m relay), Luiz Alberto de Araujo (7368 points in the Junior Decathlon), Hlton da Silva (16.01m in Triple), Sabine Heitling (10:04.71 ('05) in 3000m Steeplechase, and 10:08.68 in 2006), and Jucilene de Lima (53.24m in JT).

Chiaraviglio is looking for gold

Argentina will only present 4 athletes, but 3 of them have chances of making it to the final of their events. 2004 Silver medallist and 2003 World Youth gold medallist Germn Chiaraviglio leads the World lists with 5.70m and is the clear favourite in the Pole Vault. Juan Manuel Cano, 9th at the 10km of the 2006 Race Walk World Cup in La Corua, and South American Junior champion in Cochabamba, could reach top places after setting a national record of 42:08.7 on the track.

Meanwhile, thrower Roco Comba (Ro Tercero, Crdoba, 14 July 1987) is an enigma who posses great talent. She has had great throws in Shot (16.59m) and Discus (58.78m), both national records, but she will need to be consistent if she hopes to have a major breakthrough on the international scene. Currently she holds the second spot in the Discus World lists.

Paraguay has put big expectations on the shoulders of a thrower. 2005 World Youth bronze medallist in the Javelin, Vctor Fatecha, seems to be peaking when it counts, after throwing 74.81m (a new national junior record) last 5 August in So Paulo, Brazil, where he trains at the IAAF High Performance Center with Joo Paulo Alves da Cunha. Fatecha will be the sole representative of his country.

Chile will have 3 athletes, all throwers as well, who will be coached by the great Cuban Dulce Margarita Garca. The most promising of them seems to be putter Natalia Duc (17-year-old), who has set a national junior record with 15.21m.

Peru is sending 2 athletes, who will both have to deal with obstacles. Jorge McFarlane shall compete in 110m Hurdles, where he's run 13.87 in the new junior height of 99.0cm. The other one is Mario Alfonso Bazn, the 2005 South American Junior champion, who is set to compete in the 3000m Steeplechase where he holds the national record with 8:50.19. Bazn has run 8:50 twice this year and could be one of the first "non-Africans" in this event.

Ecuador will have 3 boys in China, headed by Hugo Chila, who holds the top spot in the World lists at Triple Jump with 16.55m. Chila has jumped 3 times over 16.35m and will try to follow the steps of the great Jefferson Prez, who is the only Ecuadorian to win a medal at any IAAF World Championship. His team-mates for Beijing are sprinter Franklin Nazareno and race walker Mauricio Arteaga, 5th at the 10km in the World Cup in La Corua with 42:42.

Keisa Monterola left out

Venezuela has not included 2005 World Youth silver medallist Keisa Monterola in its 3-athletes team. The vaulter had not shown good form this year, after jumping 4.30m in 2005. Her season's best is only 3.95m, and that's the reason why the Venezuelan Federation has decided to leave her in Caracas.

The athletes who made the journey to China are Jose Gregorio Pena, Marvin Blanco (both will compete in the Steeplechase) and Jonathan Davis. Davis has run 14.10 at 110m Hurdles with the 107cm hurdles to grab the bronze medal at the 2006 Ibero-American Championships, while Pe?a set a national junior record with 8:54.69 at the national junior championships in Valencia, last 15 July.

Colombia will present an "all-girls" team, lead by sprinter Yomara Hinestroza, an 18-year-old who has run in 11.50 in 2005. Also in the team are Mara Alejandra Idrovo (400m), Muriel Coneo (800m) and race walkers Anlly Pineda and Ingrid Hernndez, Coneo, who has set a national junior record with 2:05.83.

Panama, Bolivia and Uruguay will all have one athlete each in Beijing.

The only South American countries that have won medals at past IAAF World Junior Championships are Argentina (2 silver), Brazil (1 gold, 3 silver), Peru (1gold), Chile (1 silver), Colombia (1 bronze) and Ecuador (1 gold).

(CRI August 14, 2006)