LILLE, France:

Already depleted after the withdrawal of world youth-leading 100m sprinter, Jazeel Murphy, Jamaica's team at the IAAF World Youth Championships here suffered another major blow yesterday after Youth Olympic 100m champion, Odean Skeen, was also pulled from the event - a day before the start of the championships - because of a recurring hamstring strain.

Skeen, the third-fastest youth in the world with a best of 10.41 seconds this year, has been dogged by the injury all season, but recovered in time for the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association/Supreme Ventures Limited National Junior Championships, where he finished second in both the 100m and 200m.

The Wolmer's standout, however, aggravated the injury at a recent training session, where he complained about the pain and has been pulled from the event as a precautionary measure.

It is hoped that he will feel better in time to compete in the 200m, which starts on Friday, two days after today's start to the 100m preliminary rounds.

withdrawal

Team manager Trevor Campbell confirmed the withdrawal.

"He is feeling something in his leg and we decided to rest him and give him time to recover for the 200m," said Campbell.

With the medley relay also on the plate, head coach Leacroft Bolt is hoping that one of his main aces will be able to play some part in the championships, and is expecting the extra days of rest to help the sprinter.

"The doctor (Winston Dawes) is treating it ... . He is down to run the 200m which, by that time, his injury should be significantly healed," said Bolt. "We'll just have to play a wait-and-see game, but we are hoping that by the time the relays come around, he will be able to take part.

"However, without him, we still have our preliminary squad, but we would love for him to be in the final, to make that change, but we'll just have to wait and see what happens."

Tyler Mason, Odail Todd, Omar McLeod and Lennox Williams are down to run the opening round of the medley relay.

With Skeen joining Murphy - who was left at home - on the 100m sidelines, all focus will now shift to the man from Green Island High, Todd, who is Jamaica's lone representative in the event.

"The team will definitely miss Murphy and Skeen in the 100m. However, Todd has shown that he is ready and willing to give his best, and I am expecting him to do really well," said Bolt.