Since the inaugural International Association of Athletics Federations' (IAAF) World Junior Championships in Athens, Greece in 1986, The Bahamas has captured four gold medals and five bronze medals, not bad for a small nation.
First world junior medal
The first medal, a bronze, was won by Eugene Greene in the triple jump, of course, in Sudbury, Canada in 1988, the second edition of the championships.
Shamar Sands, Kingston, 2002
We suffered a long drought and the next medal, a bronze also, was won by Shamar Sands in the 110 meters (m) hurdles in Kingston, Jamaica, in 2002.
Sheniqua Ferguson, Poland, 2008
It took another six years before we won another medal in the world juniors, this time a bronze in the 100m in Poland in 2008 by Sheniqua Ferguson, then a gold in that same competition in the 200m.
Shaunae Miller, Moncton, 2010
At the Moncton Championships in Canada in 2010, Shaunae Miller captured a gold medal in the 400m.
Barcelona, 2012
In Barcelona in 2012, The Bahamas had an explosion in the medals, winning four medals, two golds by sprinter Anthonique Strachan and two bronze medals in the boys' high jump and triple jump events. Strachan's performance was so outstanding that she defeated her competitor by the widest margin ever in the 200m in the history of the world junior championships. She clocked 22.53 seconds to the USA's Olivia Ekpone's 23.15 seconds. For her performances in Barcelona, in particular, Strachan was selected the IAAF's Female Rising Star of 2012.
Ryan Ingraham won a bronze medal in the high jump and Latario Collie-Minns captured a bronze medal in the triple jump. The Bahamas finished ninth on the medal table.
Today's reality
Much has happened since those athletes who were ranked high on the world junior lists participated in Barcelona. This year, The Bahamas has no athlete in the top 10 juniors list, although our athletes have rebounded after their performances at the CARIFTA Games in Martinique. They won seven gold medals at the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Junior Championships in Morelia, Mexico, two weeks ago.
Steven Gardiner
Steven Gardiner, of Moore's Island, ran 20.66 seconds for new national junior record in the 200m. For some reason, he or his new coach George Cleare opted out of the CAC Juniors where he would have had great preparation for Eugene. There he would have faced Anguillan Zharnel Hughes who captured the 100m at the 2013 CARIFTA Games in The Bahamas, and won in Morelia with a 20.33 seconds clocking. Gardiner sits in the 11th spot worldwide on the junior list. Hughes is in first, the odds on favorite to win in Eugene. Gardiner, the tall sprinter from Moore's Island, compete at this year's CARIFTA Games, but his slow start was clear for all to see. Morelia could have served him well as it did other athletes on the Bahamian team.
Devynne Charlton
Devynne Charlton won her specialty, the 100m hurdles, in Morelia with a 13.56 seconds clocking. For this, she is ranked 25th on the world junior list.
Kieanna Albury
Sprinter Kieanna Albury, the only other Bahamian on the junior list, won the 200m in 23.54 seconds, 30th on the list.
At the moment, although it will be very tough, some Bahamian athlete can rise to the occasion and capture a medal for Bahamaland.
Other regional hopes
Trinidad and Tobago's Machel Cedenio captured the 400m at the 2013 and 2014 CARIFTA Games, and two weeks ago, captured the CAC Juniors title in Morelia in his second best time of the year. Cedenio is ranked number one in the 400m on the world junior list, in 45.23 seconds. He will be tough to beat.
From Guadeloupe, Wilhem Belocian, the 110m hurdles bronze medalist in Barcelona, for France, is running extremely well this year. He won the event at CARIFTA in 2013, and this year has run 13.15 seconds, the best performance for a junior in the world. Guadeloupe is a Department of France, hence Belocian and many other athletes from Guadeloupe and Martinique participate at the world level for France.
Another world junior record in the 100m?
At the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championships in Eugene, Ore., in June, Baylor's Trayvon Bromell broke Trinidad and Tobago Darrel Brown's world junior record of 10.01 seconds. He became the first junior to run under 10 seconds when he cruised in 9.97 seconds for the win. The USA also has Trentavis Friday, who has a best of 10 seconds flat this season.
Japan's Yoshihide Kiryu had some runs close to Brown's world junior record last year, and his best this year is 10.05 seconds. This should make for a great race with the possibility of another world record run in the century.
An IAAF requirement
We believe the IAAF World Junior Championships, which begin in Eugene, 'Track Town USA' today, will be one of the very best. Unfortunately, the Cubans will not be there.
One of the requirements of the IAAF for cities bidding for their world events is that athletes from each of their member federations would be provided entry visas. This is certainly not the case with Cuba this year, and it saddens those in the world athletic community that the USA has taken this stand. Even Cuban athletics president, IAAF Council member and double Olympic champion Alberto Juantorena, has been denied a visa along with his son Alberto Jr. and other athletes on the Cuban team.
If this is allowed to happen for the world juniors, what will happen for the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Portland in 2016 or the IAAF World Outdoor Championships in 2019, if the USA is able to win the bid? It is the belief now that the 2016 world indoors should be taken from Portland. It is also the feeling that there is no way that the council should vote for Eugene for the 2019 World Championships for their behavior with the Cubans in 2014.

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