LILLE, France (CMC) – Stephen Newbold, Chanice Porter, and Jamaica’s girls’ medley relay squad brought the curtain down on a highly successful World Youth Championships for English-speaking Caribbean athletes with gold medal-winning performances on Sunday.
Newbold of the Bahamas was crowned the new boys’ 200 metres champion, Porter showed the increasing depth in Jamaica’s national programme with a stunning victory in the long jump, and her compatriots Christania Williams, Shericka Jackson, Chrisann Gordon, and Olivia James ran a World Youth record time in the medley relay.
Jamaica finished third in the medal table, collecting nine medals, comprising four gold, one silver, and four bronze, and the Bahamas was third with four medals, consisting of three gold and a bronze.
The Jamaicans and the Bahamians were the only two English-speaking Caribbean nations to produce medallists at the Championships.
Newbold ran a lifetime best of 20.89 seconds to claim a comprehensive victory, and deny 100 metres champion O’Dail Todd of Jamaica a sprint double.
The 16-year-old Newbold did not have the best start, and coming around the bend and into the final straight the race was still quite open, although American Ronald Darby was looking menacing along with Todd.
But coming into the final 20 metres, Newbold worked his tall frame, and powered away to deny Todd, who also lowered his PB to 21.00 secs, with Darby third in 21.08.
Jackson clocked 23.62, and had to settle for the bronze in the girls’ 200, which was won by Britain’s Desiree Henry in a lifetime best and World Youth leading time of 23.24.
Henry shot out of the starting blocks, and never relinquished her lead. Her speed around the bend saw her hit the finishing straight with a couple of strides advantage ahead of Jackson, the previous fastest World Youth runner, and Christian Brennan of Canada.
Jackson and Brennan were left to fight for silver, with the Canadian claiming it by 0.15 in a PB 23.47.
Porter had an inconsistent afternoon, but got her act together to win the long jump with a last round leap of 6.22 metres – well short of her PB of 6.35.
The Jamaican deprived Anastassia Angioi of the gold medal, which would have also been Italy’s first ever in the WYC, relegating her rival to runner-up with a leap 6.17 in the second round.
The Jamaicans squad later ended the United States’ dominance with a WYC record in the girls’ medley relay.
Williams, Jackson, Gordon, and James were never headed, as they stormed around the track in a Championship and World leading time for the year of two minutes, 03.42 seconds.
They had a 20-metre lead, when Gordon handed over the baton to James on their final circuit, but behind Youth Olympic gold medallist Robin Reynolds, who ran a courageous leg for the defending champions.
Reynolds, despite stumbling and almost falling over with 300 metres remaining, regained her balance to close the margin at the finish to just half a second and a season’s best of 2 mins, 03.92 secs.
On Saturday, the Collie-Minns twins, Latario and Lathone, brought glory to the Bahamas with a gold and bronze in the boys’ triple jump.
Latario was measured at 16.06m with his first attempt for the gold, and Lathone cleared 15.51 in the second round for the bronze, being outdone by South Africa’s Albert Janki, whose last attempt was 15.95.
On Friday, Shaune Miller, a compatriot of the Collie-Minns twins, entered the history books, when when she became the first female to win a World Junior and World Youth 400 title, with a thrilling personal best of 51.84.
Despite the swirling wind, the race was a classic and made even more memorable by the devil-may-care tactic of Canada’s Christian Brennan who flew from her blocks and roared down the backstraight.
At the halfway point, Brennan held a one-metre lead over the field after a strong burst from the blocks and roaring down the backstretch.
But Miller gathered pace, and attacked the Canadian early in the home straight to runaway with the victory, giving the Bahamas their first-ever title.
Brennan held on to clinch second place with a time of 52.12, and James also set a PB of 52.14.
The other medal for the day came from Porter. She cleared 1.82m to finish third in the girls’ high jump, which was won by Romania’s Ligia Grozav with a clearance of 1.87.