MEDAL FLURRY!

JAMAICA’S JUNIOR athletes saved their best performance for yesterday’s final day of competition at the World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya, finishing with a flurry of medals - seven in total - including a world record in the women’s 4x100 metres relay final.

In a dominating performance, the quartet of Serena Cole, Tina Clayton, her identical twin, Tia Clayton, and Kerrica Hill led comfortably from start to finish and wrote their names in the history books with a World Under-20 record 42.94 seconds.

Cole ran a blistering opening leg, breezing past the runner in the lane ahead of Jamaica, handing off to individual 100 metres champion Tina. The latter extended the lead and third-leg runner Hill, who was seventh in the 100 metres final, took the baton safely to Tia, who completed the final rites for a comprehensive win.

Namibia's anchor-leg runner, Christine Mboma, who got the baton in fifth, ran brilliantly to take her team to second and silver in a national record of 43.76 seconds, as Nigeria ended third in a season best 43.90 seconds.

SILVER MEDALS

Jamaica won silver medals in the other three relays yesterday, with the men’s 4x100 metres team, and the male and female 4x400-metre quartets claiming the runners-up spot in their respective events.

In the other events, Jamaica won three more medals as Ralford Mullings, 66.68 metres in the discus final, and Jaydon Hibbert, 16.05 metres in the triple jump, produced personal bests for silver. Devontie Archer also produced a personal best, 49.78 seconds, to take the bronze medal in the men’s 400 metres hurdles final.

Trevor Gunzell could only manage eighth place in the discus after his 58.32 metres effort.

Jamaica ended the Championships with 11 medals, which included three gold, six silver, and two bronze to end fifth overall.

The men’s 4x100 metres relay quartet of Alexavier Monfries, Bryan Levell, Andrew Gilipps, and Sandrey Davison finished second in a season’s best and Area Under-20 record of 38.61 seconds. South Africa won in a world record 38.51 seconds, with Poland taking third in an Area Under-20 record of 38.90 seconds.

In the women’s 4x400 metres relay, the quartet of Annalee Robinson, Aalliyah Francis, Alliah Baker, and Daena Baker clocked a season best 3:36.57 minutes for silver. Nigeria won gold in a world-leading 3.31.46 minutes, with third and bronze going to Italy, in a season best 3:36.57.

In the men’s equivalent, Malachi Johnson, Jeremy Bembridge, Tahj Hamm, and Archer logged a season’s best 3:05.75 minutes to take the silver medal. Botswana won in a world Under-20 leading time of 3.05.22 minutes while it was third for Kenya in 3:05.94 minutes.

Archer picked up bronze in the men’s 400 metres hurdles after being promoted, this after an original fourth-place finish. However, first-place Oker Edlund of Sweden was disqualified. Berka Akcam of Turkey, who finished second, was promoted to first and the gold medal in a national Under-20 record of 49.38 seconds.

Two other Jamaicans competed in individual events yesterday but failed to win a medal. In the women’s 400 metres hurdles final, Moseiha Bridgeen was seventh in 58.64 seconds, and Garriel Whyte failed to show for the event.

In the women’s long jump final, Shantae Foreman just missed a medal after a fourth-place finish with a personal best of 6.47 metres.

Hosts Kenya came out on top of the five-day meet with 16 medals, which included eight gold, one silver, and seven bronze.