Jamaica had a medal-filled final day of the 2021 World Under-20 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya yesterday capped by a gold-medal run in world-record time by the Women’s 4×100 metres team.
Jamaica won seven medals on the final day and 11 medals overall that included two gold medals.
The team of Serena Cole, Tia Clayton, Kerrica Hill and Tina Clayton, clocked a world-record 42.94 seconds to win by about 10 metres over a fast-finishing Namibian team that ran 43.76 seconds for the silver medal. Namibia’s anchor, Christine Mboma clocked an astonishing 9.86 seconds on the anchor leg.
Nigeria ran a season-best 43.90 seconds for the bronze medal.
Jamaica’s winning time broke the previous World Record of 43.27 seconds set by Germany in 2017. The time also erased the championship record of 43.40 seconds set by Sherone Simpson, Kerron Stewart, Aneisha McLaughlin and Simone Facey when the championships were held in Jamaica in 2002.
It was Jamaica’s third gold medal of the championships following those won by Tina Clayton in the 100 metres and Ackera Nugent in the 100 metres hurdles.
Jaydon Hibbert jumped a personal best 16.05 metres to win the silver medal in the triple jump competition won by Sweden’s Gabriel Wallmark with a leap of 16.43 metres, a Swedish national Under-20 record. Frenchman, Simon Gore jumped a personal best 15.85 metres for the bronze medal.
Jamaica also won a silver medal in the discus through Ralford Mullings who threw a personal best 66.68 metres to finish behind the now two-time champion, Mykolas Alekna of Lithuania who won with a new championship record of 69.81 metres.
Raman Khartanovich threw a personal best 62.19 metres for the bronze medal.
Devontie Archer was an unexpected medalist in the 400 metres hurdles. He finished fourth in a new personal best of 49.78 seconds. However, Sweden’s Oskar Edlund, who crossed the finish line first was disqualified which meant that Archer was promoted to third place and a medal.
Jamaica won additional silver medals in the Men’s 4×100 metres, the Women’s 4×400 metres and the Men’s 4×400 metres.
Overall, Jamaica finished fifth on the medal table with three gold, six silver and two bronze medals at the championships.
