Watch Dunn in Peru

Jamaica will be seeking to pocket back-to-back global titles in the discus when the five-day World Under-20 Championships gets under way on August 27 in Peru. Jamaica will be among 134 nations at the championships which has attracted more than 1,650 athletes.

Four Jamaicans, including discus thrower Shaiquan Dunn, are ranked at number one in their respective events.

Following Roje Stona’s historic gold in the event in Paris when he became the first Jamaican to win a medal in the event at the Olympic Games, Dunn could easily give the country its second success in the event at the global level in the same month.

With a season’s best of 65.48 metres Dunn is ahead of Zehao Jiang of China with 63.28m and Juan Morais of South Africa with a best of 63.15m. Two Jamaicans have already won the discus at the World Under-20 level. Fedrick Dacres won gold in 2012 when the meet was known as the World Junior Championships and in 2018 Kai Chang was the gold medallist.

Alana Reid, Kerrica Hill and Shanoya Douglas are the other Jamaicans ranked at the top in their respective events.

With a best of 11.09 seconds, Reid who competed for Jamaica at the recent Olympics where she was the lead-off runner in the women’s 4x100m final will not have things her own way. She will be strongly challenged by Torrie Lewis of Australia and teammate Theianna-Lee-Terrelonge.

OLYMPICS

Lewis is just behind Reid with a best of 11.10 and recently represented her country in the individual event and the 4x100m at the Olympics. She also represented her country at last year’s Budapest World Championships in both events. The fast-improving and confident Terrelonge who is ranked third with a personal best 11.13 could upset the top two.

The injury-prone Hill has had a low-key season but she will be hoping to defend her 100m hurdles title. Despite little competition so far this season, Hill showed her class in late July at a meet in Luxemburg where she clocked12.85 seconds to be the fastest junior in the event ahead of the championships. Her teammate, Habiba Harris, with a best of 12.95, is at number two. Both are the only athletes under the 13 seconds barrier where, Jocelyn Echazabel of Cuba is third ranked with 13.06.

With her brilliant showing at the national championships in June where she clocked a personal best 22.59 seconds to win the 200m, Shanoya Douglas is the number-one ranked athlete in the half-lap event. She could go all the way here, but will be wary of Adaejah Hodge of the British Virgin Islands and Elise Cooper of the United States.

Hodge who represented her country at the recent Olympic Games has a best of 22.66 while the American’s best is 22.71. They are ranked second and third respectively.

In an interview with The Gleaner at the Olympics in Paris, a confident Hodge said ‘I know I am going to dominate there (Peru)’.