Photo by Anthony Foster - Jamaica's Nickel Ashmeade (second left) runs towards the line during the final of the men's 200m final, on yesterday's fourth day of the 12th IAAF World Junior Championships at the Zawisza Stadium in Bydgoszcz, Poland. Ashmeade finished second in 20.84 seconds.Anthony Foster,Freelance Writer

BYDGOSZCZ, Poland:

Jamaica yesterday secured its second medal, a silver, when Nickel Ashmeade finished second in the men's 200m on the fourth day of the 12th IAAF World Junior Championships at the Zawisza Stadium in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

Ashmeade, running out of lane five, was pipped on the line by the fast finishing Frenchman, Christophe Lemaitre. Jamaica's medal tally now stands at two as Dexter Lee won gold on Wednesday.

Wanted to do better

"I'm very happy that I won a medal, but I'm not happy with the time, since I did not do a personal best," said Ashmeade who emphasised that he wanted to do better, but the weather, with temperatures in the 60s, affected him. "I felt good off the curve but, in the straight, I felt a little tight because of the cold breeze."

The winner, Lemaitre, said he was surprised. "I am really happy, but also surprised," he said. "I hadn't seen it in my wildest dreams."

In the women's equivalent, Jura Levy finished eighth in 23.95 seconds, in a race where Bahamian sprinter Sheniqua Ferguson led a Caribbean trifecta.

Levy, though disappointed with the result, was thankful.

"I must thank God I made the final - I am a finalist," she said. "I am just disappointed with the time. I wanted to run a low 23 and that did not happen, so I am really disappointed."

Ferguson, who held her form into the straight, crossed the line in 23.24 seconds ahead of fellow Caribbean runners, Meritzer Williams of St Kitts-Nevis (23.40) and Janelle Redhead of Grenada (23.52).

The Bahamian was pleased with the outcome. "Thank God, I finally won a medal. I wanted to win the gold after my disappointing bronze medal in the 100m. This race was perfect," she said, despite finishing way off her personal best of 22.85, which placed her second at the Bahamas Olympic trials.

In the women's 400m hurdles, Nikita Tracey finished eighth in 59.05, her slowest time over the past three days.

She blamed poor technique for her low placing. "I shuffled over all the hurdles," she explained.

Advancing

Meanwhile, Shermaine Williams and Natasha Ruddock both advanced to today's final in the women's 100m hurdles.

Williams finished second in semi-final two in 13.37, while Ruddock also finished second, in semi-final three in 13.79.

Williams, a student at Johnson C Smith University, said: "It (run) was okay, even though I did not have a good start."

Looking ahead to today's final, she said: "If I focus on my lane and do what I was taught in training, I should be able to win a medal."

Ruddock said: "I am just happy that I am in the final. Now, I can focus on winning a medal."

In the sprint relays, both Jamaica's men's and women's teams advanced to today's final.

The women's team of Danielle Jeffrey, Kaycea Jones, Gayon Evans and Shawna Anderson won their heat in a season best 44.55, but will enter today's final with the fifth-fastest time. Jura Levy, who was eighth in the 200m, should strengthen the team.

The quartet of Oshane Bailey, World Junior 100m champion Dexter Lee, Rasheed Dwyer and Yohan Blake, stopped the clock in what, at the time, was a world junior leading 39.62. The United States, which ran in heat three, lowered the mark to 39.37.

The men's team will be boosted for today's final with the addition of 200m silver medallist Ashmeade.

The 4x400m heats will also be run today.