Impressive 200m win for Taylor

Christopher Taylor clocked an impressive 20.38 seconds to mine gold in the 200 metres at the XIX Junior Pan American Championships in Trujillo, Peru, yesterday.

Overall, Jamaica picked up three more medals on yesterday's second day to add to the two they captured on Friday's first day. The boys and girls' sprint relay teams both earned silver medals.

Taylor went into the 200m final as the second-fastest qualifier after winning his heat in 21.08. American Tyres Cooper was the fastest qualifier with 20.95.

In the final, however, Taylor showed his class and relegated Cooper to second with 20.59. Brazilian Derick deSouza Silva was third in 20.77.

Patrice Moody and Kasheika Cameron were fourth and fifth, respectively, with times of 24.04 and 24.21 in the girls' 200m final.

Fastest qualifier

Jamaica were second twice to the United States in the sprint relays. In the girls' event, Jamaica clocked 44.92 as the United States won in 44.07, while Canada were third in 45.14. The Jamaican boys stopped the clock at 39.74 as the USA won in 39.33. Trinidad and Tobago took third in 39.90.

In other finals yesterday, Tissana Hickling finished sixth in the triple jump with 12.85 metres, and Akeen Colley was also sixth in the 800m in 1:53.12.

Nicolee Foster is the fastest qualifier with 58.95 seconds going into today's 400m hurdles final. Javauney James is also through to the boys' final after finishing second in his semi-final in 51.66. He is the fourth-fastest qualifier. Timor Barrett, fourth in his semi-final in 53.73, did not advance.