The results of the IAAF World Under 20 Championships and the Commonwealth Games, where US-bred Aisha Praught won the steeplechase, are clear signs of a bright future. Their Tampere triumphs are bound to encourage others to seek to wear black-green-and-gold. It's great that they chose Jamaica as British-based Marilyn Neufville did in 1970, when she set a world record to win the Commonwealth Games 400 metres. Stona's personal best of 66.41 metres was the longest in the world for 2017 last year and he has rarely lost in two seasons.Īdd the reported hamstring strain endured by national junior double sprint champion Michael Bentley in Tampere and you see the possibilities. With a 100 per cent team on duty, the world junior record of 43.27 seconds might not have been safe. 18-year-old Harriot, the 2017 Carifta 200m champion, and the speedy 17-year-old Steele would have guaranteed advancement in the 4x100 metre relay, with Williams and Davis, both 16, to lift the clutch in the final. Sign up for The Gleaner’s morning and evening newsletters.Ī fit Davis could have doubled the haul in the girls' sprints given her ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Athletics Championships Class Two double winning times of 11.16 and 22.72 seconds. Missing were injured sprinters Kevona Davis, Michae Harriot and Sashieka Steele and ailing ace discus thrower Roje Stona. One can't help but wonder how many medals Jamaica would have won if the team had been at full strength. Similarly, the long jump bronze garnered by Wayne Pinnock was Jamaica's first in the horizontal jumps since the World Under-20 Championships began in 1986. Through Thomas, Jamaica won the 110-metre -hurdles for the first time. Led last week by gold medallists Briana Williams, Damion Thomas and Kai Chang, the team showed prowess in sprinting, hurdling, jumping and throwing.
A Jamaican senior team is coming that could be hugely successful.
With a record medal haul of four gold, five silver and three bronze medals at last week's IAAF World Under 20 Championships in Tampere, Finland, the Jamaica junior team has answered one of the nation's most persistent sporting questions - What will happen in the post-Bolt era? The response is simple.
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