Monopoly mission!

AT THE recent Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, Jamaica’s females dominated the 100 metres as they swept the medals, with Elaine Thompson-Herah winning gold, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, silver and Shericka Jackson, bronze.

When Thompson-Herah won the gold medal, it secured the country’s second title at consecutive global events in the event, as Fraser-Pryce is the defending World champion in the 100 metres, having won in Doha, Qatar.

Come next week at the World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya, Jamaica’s women will look to add another gold in this event as Edwin Allen High schoolgirl Tina Clayton will be hoping to maintain the country’s global 100 metres female monopoly by winning.

Williams’ focus on seniors

Olympian Briana Williams, who won the sprint double at this meet three years ago in Tampere, Finland, will not defend her titles, as the 19-year-old will not compete. Earlier last year, her coach, Ato Boldon, stated that Williams will not compete at junior level any more, as she would concentrate her focus on competing with seniors. Interestingly, Williams is the world leader in the event, with 10.97 seconds this season.

Despite her absence, Jamaica has a big chance of winning the event, as world number three-ranked Clayton will now be the top-ranked athlete in the event. This is so as another Jamaican, Ackera Nugent, whose 11.09 seconds ranks her as the number two junior athlete in the world, will only be contesting the 100-metre hurdles.

Clayton’s best is 11.17 seconds.

Her high school coach, Michael Dyke, who is part of the Jamaica team’s coaching staff to Nairobi, says Clayton has improved and he has high hopes she should deliver.

“Tina is now in better shape than when she competed at the ISSA Boys and Girls’ Championships as she’s had more time to prepare for this,” said Dyke. “Nothing is certain, and this is her first time competing at this level, and I know she is going to give of her best.”

Cold conditions

The Jamaica team departs tomorrow and having been to the African city before, Dyke is wary of the travel and cold conditions, which are also likely to impact performance.

“At about this time in 2017, we went to Nairobi at the World Under-18 Championships and it was very cold and it is a long travel, so we will have to ensure that we have the correct clothing, as there was the first time Kevona (Davis) got injured,” he reminded of another Jamaica junior sprint ace.

Davis, who is also conditioned by Dyke, was the favourite to win the 100 metres, but got injured in the finals after looking an easy winner. Fortunately, Davis was able to complete the race and settled for third and the bronze medal.

The Jamaican’s biggest challenge should come from Antigua and Barbuda’s Joella Lloyd, a student at the University of Tennessee in the United States, who has a season- and personal-best 11.19 seconds.

However, Clayton has the pedigree and class to go all the way and, like Thompson-Herah in Tokyo, Fraser-Pryce in Doha and Williams in Tampere, fasten Jamaica’s stranglehold on the female 100-metre titles at the global level.