Jamaica eye rare men’s, women’s 100m U20 titles

For the past four World Under-20 Championships, Jamaican women have ruled supreme in the 100 metres, with Briana Williams winning gold in 2018, Tina Clayton claiming back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022, and Alana Reid taking the crown at the last staging in Lima, Peru.

Jamaica have won the men’s blue-riband event on just two occasions, with Dexter Lee capturing back-to-back titles in 2008 and 2010.

When both finals are contested at this year’s championships in Eugene, Oregon, Jamaica could replicate the rare feat achieved by the United States at the 2016 championships in Bydgoszcz, where Candace Hill and Noah Lyles were crowned champions. It remains the only time athletes from the same country have won both the men’s and women’s 100m titles at the same event.

Jamaica, through Shanoya Douglas and Gary Card, could become only the second nation to accomplish the feat, as both enter the championships as world leaders with outstanding chances of going all the way.

Douglas is the only woman in the field to have gone below 11 seconds, boasting a personal best of 10.98. She will be hoping to claim the title, with her biggest threat expected to come from the United States’ Mia Maxwell, who has a personal best of 11.08.

Card heads into the championships with the fastest time in the field at 9.93 seconds, making him the only athlete entered to have broken the 10-second barrier. His main challengers are expected to be Nigeria’s John Caleb (10.00), the United States’ Tate Taylor (10.04), and South Africa’s Marko Ferreira (10.04).

It is a great opportunity for both Jamaicans to write their names in the record books. Both tasted success in Lima, Peru, two years ago when they helped Jamaica to victory in the 4x100m relays.

Raymond Graham