STARLETS RISE

Former World U20 200-metre champion Brianna Lyston will be part of the 32-member team the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) has named to compete at the 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships, scheduled to take place from March 20 to March 22 in Toruń, Poland.

Lyston, who had a brilliant season for Louisianna State University before a slight injury convinced her to skip Trials for the Olympics in 2024, was expected to be part of a rising cadre of very fast women who dominated youth sprinting through the last five years. She was also a no-show at Trials for the World Championships last year.

Lyston will be joined on the team in the women’s 60 metres by Jonielle Smith, while Tina Clayton was selected as a reserve member.

Smith is the joint sixth-fastest woman in the world over the distance this year with her best of 7.04, just ahead of Lyston, who ran 7.07 at the Tyson Invitational inside the Randal Tyson Indoor Center in Fayetteville, Aizona, last month.

Kishane Thompson, Bryan Levell and Akeem Blake lead the charge in the men’s 60m, with Kadrian Goldson serving as the team’s reserve.

Thompson and Levell currently hold two of the top five fastest times this year, as Thompson is fourth in the world with a season’s best of 6.46 seconds. just ahead of Levell, who is fifth with 6.47.

Blake is the third-fastest Jamaican in the world this year, and sits joint eighth with his season’s best of 6.48.

In-form sprint hurdler Megan Simmonds will line up in the women’s 60m hurdles, alongside Oneka Wilson, who is also competing in her first senior team.

Wilson, who competes for Clemson University, has been a rising talent for Jamaica since her junior career and is the reigning four-time Atlantic Coast Conference Indoor women’s 60m hurdles champion.

National 800m indoor record holder Navasky Anderson is expected to light up the track in the men’s 800m as he ran a new personal best of 1:44.75 last month to see his ranking climb to 11th in the world.

He will be joined by Rivaldo Marshall, the second-fastest Jamaican over the distance, who has set a personal best of 1:45.62 this year.

Relay sore point

Jamaica has selected a pool of six athletes each for the men’s and women’s 4x400m relays, which has been a sore point for the nation over the past few years.

In the women’s relay pool, Nickisha Pryce, who is Jamaica’s lone competitor in the individual event, is expected to lead the way.

She will be joined by Shana-Kaye Anderson, Leah Anderson, Kelly-Ann Beckford, Natoya Goule-Toppin, and rising starlet Shanoya Douglas.

Douglas has been in form this season, running personal bests of 11.06 in the 100m, 22.58 in the 200m, 36.98 in the 300m, and 52.60 in the 400m.

Her time of 36.98 in the 300m was also a national junior indoor record.

On the men’s side, Jamaica will look to Delano Kennedy, Reheem Hayles, Kimar Farquharson, Tyrice Taylor, Rivaldo Marshall and Demar Francis to lead their charge.

Farquharson and Francis are the only two members to return from the quartet that won silver at last year’s World Indoors.

Jamaica will also be represented in the field events, as Lamara Distin will be Jamaica’s lone competitor in the high jump when she lines up in the women’s event.

Nia Robinson will also be Jamaica’s lone competitor in the women’s long jump, while Carey McLeod and Tajay Gayle will compete in the men’s long jump.

Jamaica will be represented by Jordan Scott in the men’s triple jump, while Shantae Foreman will compete in the women’s equivalent.

The country claimed four medals at the 2025 World Indoors, two silver and two bronze.

gregory.bryce@gleanerjm.com

World Indoor Team

Men

60m - Ackeem Blake, Kishane Thompson, Bryan Levell, Kadrian Goldson (reserve)

60m hurdles - Demario Prince, Jerome Campbell, Vashaun Vascianna (reserve)

400m - Delano Kennedy, Reheem Hayles

800m - Navasky Anderson, Rivaldo Marshall

4x400m relay - Delano Kennedy, Reheem Hayles, Kimar Farquharson, Tyrice Taylor, Rivaldo Marshall, Demar Francis

Long Jump - Carey McLeod, Tajay Gayle

Triple Jump - Jordan Scott

Women

60m - Jonielle Smith, Brianna Lyston, Tina Clayton (reserve)

60m hurdles - Megan Simmonds, Oneka Wilson

400m - Nickisha Pryce

800m - Natoya Goule-Toppin, Kelly Ann Beckford

4x400m relay - Nickisha Pryce, Shana Kaye Anderson, Leah Anderson, Kelly Ann Beckford, Natoya Goule-Toppin, Shanoya Douglas

High Jump - Lamara Distin

Long Jump - Nia Robinson

Triple Jump - Shantae Foreman