Veronica Campbell-Brown, Asafa Powell - file photos

Three of the country's elite athletes Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce will be absent from this weekend's JAAA Supreme Ventures National Championships, which will get under way with the preliminary round of the men's 100 metres at the National Stadium, at 10:00 a.m. today.

Athletes will be seeking places on three teams, the Commonwealth Games to be held in Glasgow, Scotland, and the Pan American Senior Championships, in Canada next month, along with the Under-23 North America and Central America Championships (NACAC) in Mexico, in early August.

top three absent

Connections of the athletes had earlier in the week gave reasons why their charges will not compete at the Championships. With the top three absent, there will be some consolation, as three former national champions in Veronica Campbell-Brown, Sherone Simpson and Asafa Powell, who were all suspended a year ago, will make a return. It will be interesting to see how they perform, especially Simpson and Powell who will both be making their first appearance on the track. Campbell-Brown has competed since, and with a season best of 10.86 seconds is the number one seed in the female 100 metres. All three will be in action today as Powell will compete in the quarterfinal of the men's 100 metres, which will get under way at 7:15 p.m, while both Simpson and Campbell-Brown will compete 25 minutes earlier in the heats of the Women's 100 metres.

Also on track today will be the preliminary round of the Women's and Men's 400 metres Hurdles, where athletes will be hoping to advance to tomorrow's finals. Competition in the Women's event will get under way at 6:05 p.m. Some 15 athletes have entered the hurdles event, with world and Diamond League leader Kaliese Spencer, the only female so far this season under 54 seconds, with a best of 53.97 seconds, spearheading the charge.

defending champion

The likes of defending champion Ristananna Tracey, Nickeisha Wilson, Shevon Stoddart, Janieve Russell and Nikita Tracey are some of the others who are expected to make their presence felt.

All eyes will be on schoolboy Jaheel Hyde when the Men's 400 metres Hurdles heats gets under way at 6:20 p.m. Hyde the national junior record holder in the event is the second seed following his impressive 49.49 seconds winning time, done at the ISSA Boys and Girls' Championships this year. Olympian Roxroy Cato with a season best of 48.67 seconds is the top seed.