There was never any doubt that the future of Jamaica’s track and field legacy is safe, but the performance of the diminutive 12-year-old Brianna Lyston has done more to underline that fact than any other at the recently concluded Inter Secondary Schools Association (ISSA) Boys and Girls Championships in Kingston, Jamaica.
The child prodigy left the fans inside the turnstiles spellbound as she shattered the class four 200 meters sprint record. Lyston was flawless and displayed a sprinting technique that seemed so effortless as she blew away the opposition.
Brianna is one who, if she remains healthy, is destined for glory.
She first turned heads two years ago, when she sauntered to victory in both the TA/Sagicor National Athletic Championships, and the Caribbean Union Teachers Championships held in Trinidad and Tobago.
There she broke the record in the both the 200-metre and 300-metre events. Her time of 42.41 seconds in the Under-11 category for the 300m was over a second faster than the winning time recorded for boys in her age group.
But she seemed to be warming up for the premier schools athletics championships of the world to showcase her real talent and she did not disappoint.
In fact, Brianna Lyston achieved a feat that may well take decades to surpass. Her record time of 23.72 Is within two seconds of the senior women’s 200 meters record held by Florence Griffith-Joyner.
She had already broken the championship record of 24.21 set by Joanne Reid in the semi-final with a sub 24 second time.
To add to her amazing feat was an equally easy win in the 100 meters in a time of 11.86.
This St Jago High School athlete still has a far way to go before she can conquer the world but for the time being Brianna Lyston has emerged as one of the brightest stars from Champs 2017 and the world is paying close attention.
