World Athletics has officially ratified Roshawn Clarke’s remarkable performance in the 400m hurdles during the semi-finals of the 2023 World Athletics Championships held in Budapest, Hungary, last August.
The 19-year-old Jamaican athlete’s achievement has been recognized as both a World U20 record and Jamaica’s national record.
Clarke’s journey to this historic record was marked by a breakthrough season in 2023. At the beginning of the year, his personal best (PB) in the event stood at 49.35 seconds, which he had achieved while securing a bronze medal at the 2022 World U20 Championships. In mid-May, he surpassed his previous best time and then made two more notable improvements at the senior Jamaican Championships in July. During the heats, he clocked an impressive 48.91 seconds, and in the final on July 7, he recorded a remarkable 47.85 seconds, equalling the World U20 record set by the USA’s Sean Burrell on June 11, 2021.
Pinnacle at the World Championships
Clarke’s progress reached its pinnacle at the World Championships. Following his successful heat performance, he continued to shine by finishing second in his semi-final with a World U20 record time of 47.34 seconds. Notably, this time would have secured a gold medal in many previous editions of the championships.
In the final, held just one day later, Clarke further solidified his status as a rising star by finishing fourth with a time of 48.07 seconds, besting some of the world’s top 400m hurdlers. His achievements mark a significant milestone in his burgeoning career and have elevated him to the forefront of Jamaican and global athletics.
