Quartet ends World Champs with record run

Michael Dyke, the man charged with relay duties for Jamaica’s 4x100 metres women’s team at the World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya, said he had no doubt that the islanders would have “destroyed” the world record in the event.

The quartet of Serena Cole, Tina Clayton, twin sister Tia Clayton, and Kerrica Hill wrote their names in the history books with a World Under-20 record 42.94 seconds, capping a dominant performance.

Dyke, the Edwin Allen High head coach who was assigned relay duties for the girls in Nairobi, feels vindicated by the record-breaking performance.

“I am happy for the girls,” Dyke told The Gleaner.

“I had no doubt that this would have happened based on the preparation going into the Championships due to the chemistry and cohesion of the girls in practice. I knew that with the presence of the 100 metres champion, we would have destroyed the world record.”

The Jamaicans are also buoyant because the quartet can compete again at next year’s Under-20 World Championships.

The team included three members from the all-conquering Edwin Allen High Class Two sprint relay team in the Clayton twins and Cole, who have been breaking records all season.

Cole, who was surprisingly not given a spot to run the individual 100m at the championships, showed that she was in the form of her life as she ran a blistering opening leg, breezing past the runner in the lane ahead of Jamaica.

Individual 100m champion Tina Clayton extended the lead and third-leg runner Hill, who was seventh in the 100m final, took the baton safely to Tia, who completed the final rites for a comprehensive win.

Namibia's anchor-leg runner, Christine Mboma, who got the baton in fifth, ran brilliantly to take her team to second and silver in a national record of 43.76 seconds, as Nigeria ended third in a season-best 43.90s.

Jamaica ended the championships with 11 medals, including three gold, six silver, and two bronze, to end fifth overall.

Hosts Kenya came out on top of the five-day meet with 16 medals: eight gold, one silver, and seven bronze.