World Indoors: Farquharson leads Jamaica to bronze in 4x400m

FORMER CALABAR High standout Kimar Farquharson ran an outstanding final leg to pilot Jamaica to a bronze medal in the men’s 4x4000 metres at the 2026 World Indoor Athletics Championship which ended yesterday in Torun, Poland.

After collecting the baton in fourth spot, Farquharson ran a blistering 45.54 seconds leg to overtake the Netherlands and earn the bronze. Reheem Hayles led off in 47.60, Delano Kennedy had a 46.74 split, and third-leg runner Tyrice Taylor, 46.11. Jamaica clocked 3:05.99 for third behind winners United States in a championship-record 3:01.52 and Belgium in a season’s best 3:03.29.

The bronze was Jamaica’s fourth and final medal of the championships. They ended 18th overall with two silver and two bronze medals. The United States topped the medal standings with 18 (five gold, seven silver and six bronze). Great Britain were next with four gold medals, and Italy third with three gold and two silver medals.

Five other Jamaicans were involved in individual action yesterday with women’s long jumper Nia Robinson the first in action. Robinson ended fifth in the event with 6.75 metres. The event was won by Agate De Sousa of Portugal with a best of 6.92m.

Two other Jamaicans were involved in field events action. In the men’s long jump, Tajay Gayle was seventh with 8.12m and Carey McLeod ninth with 7.98m. Gerson Blade of Portugal won the event with a world-leading 8.46m, relegating defending champion Mattia Furlani of Italy into second with a personal-best 8.39m. Bozhidar Saraboyukov of Belgium ended third with 8.31m

Megan Simmonds and Oneika Wilson were the other Jamaicans in action on the track, where both competed in the women’s 60m hurdles. Wilson did not advance from the semi-final round after finishing seventh in her heat in 8.12 seconds.

Simmonds had a brilliant start in her semi-final and clocked a personal best of 7.82 seconds for a second-place finish and advanced to the final. She reproduced that time in the medal round but had to settle for fifth. Here, Devyyne Charlton of The Bahamas created history by becoming the first woman to win the title three times in a row and in the process equalled her world record of 7.65. Nadine Visser of the Netherlands finished second in a personal best and national record of 7.75. It was was also personal best for Pia Skrzyszowska of Poland, who clocked 7.82 for third and the bronze.

In the men’s 800m final, 17 year-old American Cooper Lutkenhaus stormed to victory to become the youngest individual medallist in World Indoor Championships history.

At the age of 17 years and 93 days, Lutkenhaus also became the youngest man to win a senior individual world medal, indoors or outdoors.

He took the lead with 300 metres to go and crossed the finish line in 1:44.24. Belgium’s Eliott Crestan was second in 1:44.38, just ahead of Spain’s Mohamed Attaoui, who clocked 1:44.66 for bronze.