12 Jamaicans in action at World Indoors

Twelve Jamaicans will be in action today when the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships gets under way in Doha, Qatar.

The Jamaicans are headed by two-time Olympic 200 metres champion Veronica Campbell-Brown, who is competing at the World Indoors for the first time. Campbell-Brown and Sheri-Ann Brooks are down for the women's 60 metres heats scheduled for 10:25 a.m. (Ja time. Add eight hours for Doha time).

The two Jamaicans are not among the favourites for the quick sprint. The world leader is Laverne Jones-Ferrett of the Virgin Islands with a best of 6.97 seconds, while Carmelita Jeter has done 7.02 at altitude. Campbell-Brown's best for 2010 is 7.14 while Brooks has a season-best 7.19.

The other Jamaicans down to compete today are Nesta Carter and Lerone Clarke (men's 60m), Bobby-Gaye Wilkins and Novlene Williams-Mills (women's 400m), Edino Steele, Ricardo Williams (men's 400m), Dwight Thomas and Maurice Wignall (men's 60m hurdles), Lacena Golding-Clarke and Vonette Dixon (women's 60m hurdles).

Xiang happy to be competing

Chinese sprint hurdler Liu Xiang is happy just to be competing again, two years after an ankle injury at the Beijing Olympics started a long road to recovery.

Even now, the former world and Olympic champion says only making the final is his goal, not winning. The role of favourite in the 60m hurdles belongs to Liu's rival Dayron Robles, the Cuban who took over his reign as Olympic champion in the 110 hurdles.

In the women's hurdles, Lolo Jones will seek to become the first woman to successfully defend her indoor title but will face tough challenges from fellow US hurdler Ginnie Powell and Canada's Priscilla Lopes-Schliep, the season's top performer.

In a season without a major outdoor global championship, victory at the three-day world indoors could go a long way to defining a season for many of the world's stars.

Some, though, are not interested in indoor competition - with its short straights and tight, banked curves of the 200-metre oval. Jamaican sprint superstar Usain Bolt is among those not competing here.

US sprinter Ivory Williams was dropped from the American team because he tested positive for marijuana after winning the US indoor championships. Britain's Dwain Chambers, continuing a comeback after a two-year doping ban, will be a favourite for the 60m gold
.