JAMAICA'S SPRINT sensation Usain Bolt easily won the 200 metres final in a championship record, 20.40, on yesterday's final day of the third IAAF World Youth Championships in Sherbrooke, Canada.
Bolt's golden run was the first of two medals for Jamaica, which finished the championships in seventh position behind USA, Russia, Kenya, China, Saudi Arabia and Germany.
Adding to Anneisha McLaughlin's 200 metres gold and Latoya Greaves 100m hurdles silver, the girls' medley relay silver, Bolt's gold pushed Jamaica's medal tally to four, two gold and two silver.
On his way to victory, Bolt, a 16-year-old student of William Knibb High school, left behind USA's 17-year-old Michael Grant (21.04), who ran a personal best 20.88 in the heats, and Great Britain's Jamahl Albert (21.35).
Earlier, Bolt, who was on course for a championship double, had to withdraw from the 400 metres semi-final because of stomach pains.
Bolt had taken his 200m semi-final heat in 21.08, slower than Grant's heat one time of 20.96. The American must have fancied his chances, knowing his two previous times were faster than that of the Jamaican.
Meanwhile, the girls' medley relay team of Samantha Henry, Sherline Duncan, Sonita Sutherland and McLaughlin ran 2:07.05 to place second behind USA, who won in a world leading 2:03.87.
The USA team was made up of 100 metres champion Jessica Onyepunuka, Alexandria Anderson, Krystin Lacy and 400 metres champion Natasha Hastings.
The other Jamaican in action yesterday was Aiphous Jackson, who failed to secure a medal, despite reaching the last 12 of the boys' high jump. After jumping 2.00, Jackson failed in three attempts to jump 2.05 and had to settle for eighth behind top finishers Germany's Martin Gunther, Ukrainian Oleksandr Nartov and Japanese Hikaru Tsuchiya, who all scaled 2.11 metres.
Final medal tally at the championships: - United States 14 medals (six Gold, four Silver, four Bronze); Russia 12 (four Gold, five Silver, three Bronze); Kenya nine (three Gold, four silver, two bronze); China four (three gold, one Silver); Saudi Arabia seven (two Gold, three Silver, two Bronze); Germany eight (two Gold, two silver, four Bronze); JAMAICA FOUR (two Gold, two silver).
