Paul A. Reid, Senior Staff Reporter
Great Britain's Vernicha James (left) powers around the bend on her way to pip Anneisha McLaughlin (centre) of Jamaica on the line in the 200 metres finals. United State's Sanya Richads (right) finished third and Usain Bolt (right) gets a hug from his mother, Jennifer after he won the 200 metre gold medal. - Michael Sloley /Freelance Photographer
WESTERN BUREAU:
JAMAICAN athletes set four National Junior Records and established 10 personal bests at the recently concluded 9th International Associations of Athletics Federation's (IAAF) World Junior Championships that was held at the National Stadium in Kingston July 16-21.
The event was hailed as the best ever by the president of the IAAF Lamine Diack at last Sunday's closing ceremony while the crowds for the last three days were the best in the history of the event. In excess of 30,000 spectators filled the stadium for the final session.
Three World Junior Records were set, American Lashinda Demus' 54.70 seconds in the 400m hurdles, Sweden's Caroline Kluft's 6470 points in the Heptathlon and the US quartet's 38.92 seconds in the men's 4x100. In addition two more records are to be ratified later this year, the men's shot put and the discuss which were won by Croatia's Edis Elkasevic and Tao Wu of China.
The implements were lighter in both disciplines since January 1 following a decision by the IAAF Council and the marks will be ratified by December 31 if they remain the best marks in the world then.
A total of nine Championship records were bettered including the 100m by Trinidad and Tobago's Darrel Brown. Eight Continental records were also registered and 73 national records.
Thirty-seven of the 159 countries that turned up won medals while 83 countries had athletes competing in a final.
Jamaican athletes took part in 24 individual events plus the relays and finished tied for second place in the medals table with 11, their best ever effort in the history of the event, with two gold, five silver and four bronze.
Usain Bolt of William Knibb with the gold medal in the men's 200m, becoming the youngest ever individual champion in WJC led the Jamaican assault but there were also individual silver medals for Simone Facey in the 100m, Anneisha McLaughlin in the 200m and Melaine Walker in the 400m hurdles.
There were bronze medals for Jermaine Gonzales and Sheryl Morgan in the 400m events, Jermaine Mason in the High Jump and Camille Robinson in the 400m hurdles.
The good results at the WJC is being hailed in some quarters as a result of the re-assessment taken by the Jamaican coaching staff following the success at the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in Barbados. A number of athletes were dropped while the decision was taken to limit a number of athletes including Bolt and McLaughlin to just one event to maximize their efforts.
Shaneka Parkes set the only new individual National Junior Record when she hurled the javelin 43.38m. This was not enough to even get her in the finals however as she finished ninth in her group and failed to advance.
The other National Junior Records all came on the final day in the relays. The girls' team of Sherone Simpson, Kerron Stewart, McLaughlin and Facey brought the home crowd alive with a dazzling run in the finals. Despite a slow start by Simpson who had picked the start earlier, the team ran 43.40 seconds, a new Championships Record and just .02 outside the World Junior Record. The previous record was 43.69 seconds.
The Boys team of 100m finalist Winston Hutton, Orion Nicely, Yhann Plummer and Bolt ran a sensational 39.15 seconds and was only bettered by a World Junior Record run by the United States team. The new time broke the old Jamaica record of 39.70 seconds set in August 1998.
Bolt returned an hour after to help the 4x400m team that included Sekou Clarke, Jermaine Myers and Gonzales to another national record of 3:04.06 breaking an eight-year-old record of 3:04.12. They again finished behind the United States.
Despite placing a disappointing fourth place after three members were injured and were forced to withdraw, the women's 4x400mteam still managed to run a season best 3:31.90.
In individual events, Facey ran faster every time she took to the track, lowering her time in the 100m in each of the three rounds for an 11.43 seconds clocking in the finals. Kerron Stewart who was fourth in the finals also ran a personal best 11.46 seconds in the semi-finals.
Hutton who was a surprise finalists in the 100m twice lowered his best time in the first two rounds for a 10.30 seconds.
Bolt's 20.58 in the first round of the 200m was his best and the best ever by a 15 year-old ever while McLaughlin's 22.94 seconds in the finals was her first time under the 23.00 barrier.
Gonzales saved his best for the finals where he ran 45.84 seconds despite telling reporters following the race he had set a sub-45.50 timing as his mark.
In the women's 400m hurdles Robinson twice lowered her personal best in the 400m hurdles, ending up with 56.14 seconds and a surprise bronze medal.
Edwin Allen High's Nicola Maye was not a factor in the 1500m but managed to cut over five seconds off her best time when she ran 4:40.61 seconds.
Richard Phillips, a University freshman, had a legal best time of 14.02 second which he ran in the semi-finals of the 110m hurdles but was pushed by a plus 2.6 metres per second head win in the finals on Sunday to 13.90 seconds.
The bubbly Peaches Roach twice jumped her personal best 1.83m in the high jump while Fabian Morgan's 54.85m effort in his last attempt in the javelin was his best ever.
