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Sprint kings and queens

Jamaica sweep 4x100s to end difficult World U20 Champs

Published:Sunday | September 1, 2024 | 12:14 AMRaymond Graham - Gleaner Writer
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From left: Jamaica’s 4x100-metre women’s relay team, Alana Reid, Briana Campbell, Alliah Baker, and Shaoya Douglas celebrate winning the event at the World Under-20 Championships inside the Estadio Atlético de la Villa Deportiva Nacional in Lima, Per
@WorldAthletics
From left: Jamaica’s 4x100-metre women’s relay team, Alana Reid, Briana Campbell, Alliah Baker, and Shaoya Douglas celebrate winning the event at the World Under-20 Championships inside the Estadio Atlético de la Villa Deportiva Nacional in Lima, Peru, yesterday.
From left: Jamaica’s Deandre Daley, Alana Reid, Shanoya Douglas, Gary Card, and Nyrone Wade celebrate with each other inside Estadio Atlético de la Villa Deportiva Nacional in Lima, Peru, at the World Under-20 Championships yesterday.
@WorldAthletics
From left: Jamaica’s Deandre Daley, Alana Reid, Shanoya Douglas, Gary Card, and Nyrone Wade celebrate with each other inside Estadio Atlético de la Villa Deportiva Nacional in Lima, Peru, at the World Under-20 Championships yesterday.
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JAMAICA’S YOUNG sprinters ended a difficult World Under-20 Championships on a high yesterday, sweeping the 4x100-metre relays in fine style.

The island ended with five medals, four gold and one bronze, to finish fourth overall.

The United States came out on top with 16 medals, eight gold, four silver and four bronze, ahead of Ethiopa, second with 10 medals, six gold, two silver and two bronze.

China were third on 11, four gold, four silver and three bronze.

Resounding favourites to win the women’s 4x100-metre relays, there were no problems for the Jamaicans as 200 bronze medallist, Shanoya Douglas, who replaced Sabrina Dockery, who ran in the preliminary round, gave them a perfect start.

Smooth baton changes between Alliah Baker, on the second leg, and Briana Campbell, on third, ensured that 100-metre champion Alana Reid got the baton in a good position.

Despite a slight challenge from Australia on anchor, who were later disqualified, Reid easily took the team home, Jamaica winning in 43.39 seconds.

The win was Jamaica third in a row following successes in Nairobi, Kenya and Cali, Colombia.

Switzerland finished second in 44.06 and Canada, third in 44.60.

Jamaica’s boys picked up their first medal of the championships, led by a brilliant anchor leg from Deandre Daley, who pipped Great Britain’s anchor leg runner on the line to give the team victory by 200ths of a second. Jamaica ended in 39.18 seconds, ahead of Great Britain, second in 39.20, and Thailand third in a national under-20 record of 39.39.

Jamaica were in six finals yesterday, but the three individuals in finals and the island’s women’s 4x400-metre relay team found the going tough.

World leader Shaiquan Dunn, the first Jamaican in action, threw 59.79 metres in the men’s discus final for seventh place.

Jade-Ann Dawkins, competing in the women’s triple jump final, could only manage ninth with 12.91 metres, while Daniel Wright was seventh in the men’s 400-metre hurdles final in 51.61 seconds.

The women’s 4x400-metre relay quartet of Abrina Wright, Alliah Baker, Anecia Campbell, and Kelly-Ann Carr ended eighth in 3:39.30 minutes. The United States won in 3:30.74, ahead of Australia, 3:31.47, and Great Britain, 3:32.80.