‘The job will be done’

Cali, Colombia:

JUST OVER a week ago, Jamaica’s female sprinters re-established themselves as the best in the world at the senior level, completing a one-two-three podium finish in the women’s 100-metre final at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, through the efforts of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Shericka Jackson and Elaine Thompson Herah (gold, silver and bronze, respectively).

A year ago at the Tokyo Olympic Games, all three, in a different order, occupied the top three spots.

Today, we turn to the juniors, and again, female dominance in the 100 metres could be on the cards.

The six-day World Athletics Under-20 Championships will get under way tomorrow in Cali, Colombia, at the Pascual Guerero Olympic Stadium where defending 100-metre champion Tina Clayton and teammate, Serena Cole, look set to continue making history for Jamaica in the event.

Blue-riband event

Both athletes will make their appearances in the blue-riband event on Tuesday’s second day of the championships in the preliminary round at 12:30 p.m. and both are expected to advance to the final the following day (Wednesday) at 6:35 p.m.

Yesterday, after a training session, The Sunday Gleaner caught up with both athletes, who are oozing with confidence going into the event.

Clayton is confident of making it back-to-back titles in the event.

“I am feeling very confident going into the event and I know myself and Serena will be on the podium,” she said.

“The hard work given by the coach has been done and I have a title to defend and the job will be done,” she said.

Asked if she can go faster than her personal best of 10.96 seconds, her response was:

“I am not thinking about time. At the National Championships when I ran 10. 96 seconds, I was not thinking about a fast time but it came and I will be happy if that does come again, but the focus is to execute properly and come out on top,” she said.

Cole, on the other hand, is searching for redemption after not being able to compete in the event a year ago in Nairobi, Kenya, despite being the second- fastest female at the time.

“That has gone past me and I am very confident of doing well. Both myself and Tina are highly motivated by what the seniors did recently in Eugene and we want to follow in their footsteps as we want to make the country proud once again and definitely we are aiming for the two top spots,” said Cole, who this season has dropped her personal best from 11.42 seconds to 11.13.