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Beautiful beaches and blue skies – could it be the winning combination for teenage track star Riley Day?

The Bahamas 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games gold medallist will test the theory now her campaign has kicked off on the Gold Coast today.

The Queenslander finished third (23.71) in the 200m heat at Carrara Stadium this afternoon with an automatic qualification into the semi final tomorrow.

“I didn’t run the full way, I knew I had to run relatively hard but once I saw where I was I eased up to conserve as much energy as I could,” Day said.

“For the semi-final I’ll just run as fast I can and try and get into the final”.

Having only turned 18 two weeks ago, the teenager is on a fast track to success.

Day first ran into GC2018 contention on the back of her stellar dual gold medal performances in the Bahamas, which led to her senior Australian debut at the World Championships in London.

Day will be flanked by the cream of Australia’s track and field talent, competing on our doorstep over the next four days.