Athletics-Four at Southern Region Youth Championship |21 May 2010

Seychelles is represented by two high jumpers – Lissa Labiche and Leeroy Gamatis – and two sprinters – Yana Malbrook and Jean-Yves Esparon – who have exciting athletics careers ahead of them.

Labiche (female high jump and Seychelles record holder with 1.79m), Gamatis (male high jump and personal best of 1.80m), Esparon (male sprinter with personal best times of 11.53 seconds in the 100m and 22.91 seconds in the 200m) and Yana Malbrook (female sprinter with a personal best of 13.09 seconds in the 100m) are accompanied by coach Joseph Adam, holder of the Seychelles national 400m record of 47.08 seconds set on May 17, 1993, in Clemenson, USA.

Malbrook, who also plays basketball with the country’s junior side and the Anse Etoile Stars team, will compete for the first time over 200m.

The championship will take place this coming weekend at the University of Botswana Stadium, and the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) has given Botswana the chance to use the championship as a qualifier for the Youth Olympic Games to be held in Singapore in August.

Many coaches regard the Youth Championship as important in identifying and developing new talents in the southern region as some of Seychelles’ current senior athletes had their first shot at international competition at these championships.

G. G.