Calabar’s Christopher Taylor turned in another superb display to break the first record of the 2016 ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships, clocking 46.33 seconds in the Class Two 400m at the National Stadium yesterday.

Taylor, the 2015 World Youth 400m champion, had missed the Carifta Games trial last week but showed he is in immaculate form and won by nearly 30 metres, running from lane four. He went out fast, and it was clear he wanted Devaughn Baker’s record of 46.64 seconds set in 2013. Taylor is also the holder of the of the Class Three record of 48.72 seconds, done in 2014.

“The plan going into the first round was just to break the record and take it out of the way and get the pressure out of the way, and that’s what I came out and did,” said Taylor.

Brandon Heath of Calabar captured heat three in 49.56 seconds, just ahead of the fast-finishing Amechie Allen of Greater Portmore High in 49.72 seconds.

Meanwhile, Class One 400m record holder Akeem Bloomfield gave Kingston College’s (KC) fans something to cheer about with a picnic-like victory in 48.36 seconds. He cruised the first 300m effortlessly, then in the hardest part of his race, was trying to shut down, and he basically stopped 15m from the line. He looked to be in awesome form.

“The race plan was to come out and qualify easily,” said Bloomfield, who barely burst a sweat.

St Jago’s Sean Bailey, the brother of the great Veronica Campbell Brown, took heat two in 48.64 seconds. Rogay Granston of Holmwood Technical stopped the clock at 47.51 seconds.

Jamaica College’s (JC)Devaughn Baker, who saw his Class Two record erased, struggled to 49.39 seconds and looked a shadow of himself in heat six, which was won by Glenville James of Maldon High in 48.33 seconds. Calabar’s Akeem Francis (47.91 secs) and Anthony Carpenter (48.69 secs) advanced to the semi-finals, as did Marco Doodnaughtsingh of KC with 49.16, who was second with 49.16 seconds. The race was won by Shemar Chambers in 48.67 seconds.

In the Class Three 400m, Antonio Watson of Petersfield High showed that he will be hard to beat, stopping the clock at 51.63 seconds in heat one. His main challenger Shanthamoi Brown of KC toyed with his opponents to win heat two in 52.52 seconds. Calabar’s Adam Whitelocke, who fell while in medal contention last year, is through to the semi-finals clocking 54.25 after returning from injury.

There were no mishaps for the top schools on the opening day as things went as expected.

Earlier, JC’s Obrien Waysome leapt to 7.74m with a tailwind of 3.2 mps which was the best advancing to the final of the Class One long jump from flight one. Calabar’s Leroy Page from flight two, with 7.17m, was the second best. His teammate Gabriel Allen with 6.91m also made it through as did the promising Paketo Dudley of JC (7.08) and the KC pair of Dameon Creary (7.11m) and Shammawi Wellington (6.92m). Shown-d Thompson of St Jago did 7.10m and is also safely through.

In the javelin Open, Delarno Beckford of Happy Grove was through to the final with a throw of 56.94m from flight two, and he pulled Peterfield High’s Kevin Nedrick with 53.68m. Calabar’s Adrian Mitchell threw 52.10m to top flight one and safely navigated through to the final along with KC’s Lashane Kettle with 51.81m.

Today there will be three finals in the Class One and Two long jump along with the 2000m steeple chase and five finals of the of the 10-event decathlon.

Eyes will also be on the top schools as they try to safely qualify their athletes in the 200m, 800m, 4x100m relays in all classes.