Jamaica’s charge at the 2025 World Athletics Championships surged forward on Tuesday as Orlando Bennett and Tyler Mason powered their way to the podium in the men’s 110m hurdles final at Japan’s National Stadium.
Their brilliance ensured Jamaica left the sprint hurdles with two medals, even as teammate Demario Prince suffered the cruel fate of missing the final by a microscopic two-thousandths of a second.
Bennett produced the race of his life, storming to a personal best of 13.08 seconds for silver. Mason, who had equaled his lifetime best in the semi-final just over an hour earlier, repeated the feat with 13.12 seconds to claim bronze. The gold medal went to America’s Cordell Tinch, the season’s most consistent hurdler, who again dipped under 13 seconds with 12.99 seconds.
Prince’s heartbreak by a hair
For Prince, the day carried only anguish. He clocked 13.22 seconds in his semi-final — the identical time as Italy’s Lorenzo Simonelli — but was denied advancement by the cruelest of margins. The two fastest non-automatic qualifiers emerged from the third semi: America’s Ja’Kobe Tharp at 13.19 seconds and France’s Just Kwaou-Mathey at 13.22 seconds, edging Prince by a mere two-thousandths of a second.
That sliver of time left Prince on the outside looking in, despite a performance worthy of the world stage.
Jamaica’s medal tally mounts
With Bennett and Mason’s silver and bronze, Jamaica’s overall collection now sits at five medals: one gold, three silvers, and one bronze. The result reinforced the island’s dominance not only in flat sprints but also across the high-intensity hurdles.
McDonald storms into 400m final
The men’s 400m heats saw Rusheen McDonald unleash one of his finest tactical performances. Running from heat two, he produced a blistering season’s best 44.04 seconds for second place behind Botswana’s Busang Kebinatshipi, who scorched to a world-leading 43.61 seconds.
So fast was the heat that it also provided the two non-automatic qualifiers: Trinidad and Tobago’s Jereem Richards (44.12) and America’s Jacory Patterson (44.19). Jamaica’s Bovell McPherson (44.99) and Delano Kennedy (44.97) both bowed out, while Grenada’s iconic Kirani James placed eighth in his heat (44.97), failing to advance.
Pryce powers into women’s 400m final
Nickisha Pryce added to Jamaica’s advancing hopes in the women’s 400m. Despite missing an automatic qualifying spot in heat three, she grabbed the fastest non-automatic slot with a season’s best 49.46 seconds.
The race was dominated by American superstar Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who smashed the U.S. flat 400m record with a jaw-dropping 48.29 seconds, the fastest in the world this year. Great Britain’s Amber Anning finished second in 49.38 seconds, with Pryce safely advancing.
Pryce’s teammates Dejanae Oakley (51.42) and Stacey Ann Williams (50.39) were unable to progress. Among regional athletes, Barbados’ Sada Williams advanced with 50.39 seconds, while Cuba’s Roxana Gómez qualified from heat two in 49.78 seconds.
Triple jumpers march on
Jamaica also enjoyed success in the women’s triple jump, as Olympic silver medalist Shanieka Ricketts (14.30m) and Ackelia Smith (14.21m) advanced to the final.
They will join a world-class field featuring Cuba’s Leyanis Hernández, who leapt the day’s best at 14.66m, and Venezuela’s legendary Yulimar Rojas (14.49m). Dominica’s Olympic champion Thea LaFond also progressed with 14.40m.
Middle-distance progress
In the men’s 800m, both Jamaicans advanced to the semi-finals. Tyrice Taylor clocked 1:45.13 minutes for third in heat four, while Navasky Anderson matched that position in heat seven with 1:44.87 minutes. St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Handal Roban missed out after a strong but insufficient 1:45.32 minutes.
Beckford falls short in high jump
The men’s high jump brought disappointment as Jamaica’s Romaine Beckford failed to clear the bar in his three attempts. The gold went to New Zealand’s Hamish Kerr, who soared to a world-leading 2.36m. South Korea’s Sanghyeok Woo claimed silver (2.34m), and Jan Štefela of the Czech Republic secured bronze (2.31m).
Looking ahead: More medals on the horizon
Wednesday’s schedule offers tantalizing prospects for Jamaica, with the men’s long jump final headlined by 2019 World Champion Tajay Gayle, who advanced with the best jump of the heats (8.28m). He will be joined by compatriot Nikaoli Williams, second in his group with 8.15m.
Also set for action are the men’s triple jump final, the men’s and women’s 200m heats, and the 400m hurdles semi-finals, all carrying further medal potential for the Caribbean powerhouse.
