World at their feet
Clayton leads nine Jamaicans on opening day of global Under-20 Championships
Published:Tuesday | August 17, 2021 | 12:08 AMRaymond Graham/Gleaner Writer
JAMAICA’S JUNIOR athletes will begin their hunt for glory at the World Athletics Under-20 Championships as day-one action gets under way inside the Kassarani Stadium in Nairobi, Kenya, tomorrow at 1 a.m. (Jamaica time).
After a one-year delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the championships will start a day later and will be held over five days instead of six.
Jamaica will be involved in the first event, the mixed 4x400 metres relay. Up to press time, the quartet had not been finalised. The final is slated for the second session, at 9:15 a.m. Jamaica time.
One of the country’s athletes, gold-medal favourite Tina Clayton, will be involved in the preliminary round of the women’s 100 metres, which will take place at 1:35 a.m. Jamaica time.
Clayton will be hoping to follow up on the performance of her countrywoman, Briana Williams, who won gold in the event three years ago in Tampere, Finland. The Edwin Allen High School athlete registered a season and personal best 11.17 seconds to win gold at the NACAC Under-18 Championships in San José, Costa Rica.
In a very controversial decision, Clayton’s teammate at Edwin Allen High, Serena Cole, was removed from the 100 metres and was replaced by Kerrica Hill. Cole, who it is understood is in good shape, is ranked at number four with a season and personal best 11.42 seconds, while Hill is ranked below her at five with a best of 11.43 seconds. The semi-finals are slated for 8:10 a.m. Jamaican time.
Bryan Levell and Alicke Cranston will also be hoping to advance to the next round of the men’s 100 metres as they are down to compete in the preliminary round of the event at 2:20 a.m. Jamaica time.
Levell, with a best of 10.21 seconds, is the fourth-ranked athlete in the event, and Cranston, with a best of 10.37 seconds, is ranked at number 14. Semi-final action is slated for 8:40 a.m. Jamaica time.
Jamaicans will also be involved in the 400 metres, with the women set to compete in the preliminaries at 3:15 a.m. Jamaica time as Oneika McAnuff, with a best time of 52.51 and Annaley Robinson, with a best of 53.26 seconds, are ranked at four and six, respectively, and will be hoping to advance to the semi-finals, which are slated for Thursday.
On the male side, third-ranked Jeremy Bembridge, with a season best of 45.94 seconds and eighth-ranked Tahj Hamm, with a season’s best 46.22 seconds, will be in action at 3:40 a.m. Jamaica time.
The country will also have a competitor in the field event category as Kobe Lawrence will contest the preliminary round of the men’s shot put at 1:47 a.m. Jamaica time.