Sprint relay silver for Jamaica

JAMAICA improved their medal tally to two at the 13th IAAF World Junior Championships in Moncton Canada, yesterday, as the quartet of Brandon Tomlinson, Bernardo Brady, Odean Skeen and Dexter Lee produced a season-best 39.55 seconds to win the silver medal in the boys' 4x100 metres.

The relay silver also gave Lee his second medal of the meet following his historic back-to-back gold in the 100 metres final.

A crack American quartet won the relay gold in a world junior-leading 38.93 seconds, the second-fastest time ever at these Championships. Trinidad and Tobago also picked up their second medal of the Championships as they finished third in a season-best 39.72.

There was no luck for the girls in the 4x100m. Siedetha Palmer, Deandra Whitehorne, Diandra Gilbert and Danielle Williams ran their hearts out, but were edged out of the bronze medal by Netherlands as they finished fourth in 44.26 seconds.

Gold for Americans

Gold again went to the Americans in a world-leading 43.44 seconds, with Germany taking the silver in a national junior record 43.74. The Netherlands got the bronze, also in a national junior record of 44.09.

Jamaica also finished out of the medals in the girls' 400 metres hurdles final. After being in medal contention approaching the final flight of hurdles, Ristananna Tracey clipped the last barrier and faded into sixth place. She did, however, clock a personal-best 57.77 seconds. The gold medal winner was Katsiaryna Artsiuk of Belarus in a world junior-leading 56.16 seconds. Russian Vera Rudakova (57.17 seconds) was second and third went to American Evonne Britton in 57.32 seconds.

Despite failing to medal in the discus final, Chad Wright (60.33m) and Travis Smikle with a personal-best 59.59m finished fifth and seventh, respectively, for the country's best-ever performance at a global meet, in a throwing event.

Kamal Fuller and Stefan Fennell were eliminated at the semi-final stage of the 110m hurdles. Fuller failed to finish the event as he crashed into the first hurdle and fell to the ground. Fennell ran well in the early stages of his race, but lost his momentum a bit after hitting the final hurdle and ended sixth in 14.19 seconds.

4x400m finals

When the competition ends today, Jamaica will be hoping to increase their medal tally as they will compete in the finals of the boys' and girls' 4x400m.

Yesterday, Danielle Dowie, Jeneive Russell, Natoya Goule and Chris Ann Gordon raced to a world-leading time of 3:32.30 to win their heat, making them the fastest qualifiers going into the finals. The Bahamas produced a national junior record 3:33.50 for second, behind Jamaica. They have the second-fastest time going into today's final.

The boys team - Demar Murray, Javere Bell, Nasive Denton and Dwayne Extol - finished third in their heat in a season-best 3:07.86. They are the fifth-fastest going into the final.

NOTE: The final day of the World Junior Championships can be seen live on cable channel 120 (Flow) starting at 11:30 a.m.

CAPTION: Members of Jamaica's boys' 4x100 metres quartet parade with the National Flag after clocking a season-best 39.55 seconds to earn silver in yesterday's final at the 13th IAAF World Junior Championships in Moncton, Canada. From left: Bernardo Brady, Odean Skeen, Dexter Lee and Brandon Tomlinson. - photo by Marc Grandmaison