Jamaica’s rising track stars capped off a challenging World Under-20 Championships in triumphant fashion, clinching gold in both the men’s and women’s 4×100-meter relays, securing their place among the global elite with an impressive haul of five medals.
The team concluded the championships on Saturday with a total of five medals, including four gold and one bronze.
The United States led the overall rankings, amassing 16 medals—eight gold, four silver, and four bronze. Ethiopia followed in second place with 10 medals, six of which were gold, while China secured third place with 11 medals, including four gold.
In the women’s 4×100-meter relay, the Jamaican team, heavily favored to win, executed a flawless race. Shanoya Douglas, stepping in for Sabrina Dockery, who had competed in the preliminary round, gave the team an explosive start. Seamless baton exchanges between Alliah Baker and Briana Campbell positioned 100-meter champion Alana Reid perfectly to anchor the final leg. Despite a brief challenge from Australia—whose team was later disqualified—Reid powered across the finish line, securing the victory for Jamaica in 43.39 seconds. This triumph marked Jamaica’s third consecutive victory in this event, following wins in Nairobi, Kenya, and Cali, Colombia. Switzerland and Canada finished second and third with times of 44.06 and 44.60 seconds, respectively.
A thrilling performance
The Jamaican boys’ relay team also delivered a thrilling performance, earning their first medal of the championships. Deandre Daley’s outstanding anchor leg edged out Great Britain’s runner in a photo finish, with Jamaica clocking 39.18 seconds, just 0.02 seconds ahead of Great Britain. Thailand claimed third place, setting a new national under-20 record with a time of 39.39 seconds.
However, Jamaica faced difficulties in other finals on the last day of the championships. Shaiquan Dunn, the world leader in the men’s discus, managed a seventh-place finish with a throw of 59.79 meters. In the women’s triple jump, Jade-Ann Dawkins finished ninth with a best attempt of 12.91 meters. Meanwhile, Daniel Wright placed seventh in the men’s 400-meter hurdles final, completing the race in 51.61 seconds.
The women’s 4×400-meter relay team, consisting of Abrina Wright, Alliah Baker, Anecia Campbell, and Kelly-Ann Carr, also struggled, finishing eighth with a time of 3:39.30 minutes. The United States won the event in 3:30.74, followed by Australia in 3:31.47 and Great Britain in 3:32.80.
