Jamaica tops medal table at IAAF WYC
By Dania Bogle
Jamaica topped the medal table at a major world championship for the first time after topping the tally eight medals including six gold and two bronze at the IAAF World Youth Championships in Donetsk, Ukraine.
The Jamaicans earned gold in the girls 100m hurdles, boys 110m hurdles, boys 200m, boys 400m hurdles, boys 400m, boys 1000m medley relay and bronze medals in the girls 400m and boys high jump.
Marvin Williams ran a Jamaican record and World Youth Leading 50.39 seconds secure the country’s first ever men's 400m hurdles title. Race favourite Okeen Williams fell on the penultimate hurdle and did not finish.
Yanique Thompson and Jaheel Hyde wrapped sprint hurdles double for the Jamaicans early it the championships.
Thompson clocked world youth record 12.94 seconds to win the girls 100m hurdles ahead of the USA’s Dior Hall in a personal best 13.01. Her team-mate Rushelle Burton had a personal best 13.32 to finish fourth.
Hyde, who late last year made the decision to forego a spot on the national youth football team to focus on his track and field, clocked championship record 13.13 seconds to win the boys high hurdles.
Michael O’Hara figured in the final two medals of the championships. He first posted world youth leading 20.63 seconds to win the 200m before returning later in the day to run the second leg as Jamaica won the boys 1000m medley relay in world youth record time of 1:49.23.
The race was anchored by another double gold medallist, Martin Manley, who earlier in the week posted world youth leading 45.89 seconds to win the 400m. Devaughn Baker, 47.97 was seventh.
Meanwhile, Tiffany James of Papine high posted 53.56 to finish third in the girls 400m while Christoff Bryan won the bronze in the high jump with a clearance of 2.16m, also a first time for Jamaica in the history of the competition.