NAIROBI, Kenya — Jamaica ended the third day of the 10th IAAF World Under-18 championships at Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi, Kenya in a blaze of glory, wining two gold medals as favourite Dejour Russell in the boys 110m hurdles and dark horse Antonio Watson in the 400m won their events.
The two gold medals saw Jamaica move from 12th overnight into fourth position on the medal tables with four medals including two earlier bronze in the boys and girls 100m respectively.
Owayne Owens was a surprise fifth in the boys’ triple jump with a new personal best 15.55m while Shaqueena Foote also finished fifth in the girls 400m while Janique Burgher was eighth in the high jump.
Russell ran a new personal best 13.04 seconds (-0.1m/s) and broke his one-day old Championship Record to land the 110m hurdles title, making up for a disappointing fourth place in the Under-20 last year in Poland.
It was only the second time a Jamaican man was winning the event after Jaheel Hyde won in Ukraine in 2013.
Watson finished like a runaway train, passing at least four runners including teammate Anthony Cox in the final 50 metres to land the 400m gold in a new personal best 46.59 seconds.
It was the third consecutive Under-18 Championships gold for Jamaica in the event following Martin Manley in 2013 in Ukraine and Christopher Taylor in Cali, Colombia in 2015.
Cox finished fourth in 46.77 seconds and just missed a bronze as he was edged by Colby Jennings of the Turks and Caicos on photo finish who had the same time. (Jamaica Observer)
