Wed | Nov 12, 2025

Shining 2023

Junior male athletes prove Jamaica’s track and field future bright

Published:Sunday | December 31, 2023 | 12:11 AMRaymond Graham - Gleaner Writer
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Jamaica’s Jaydon Hibbert competing in the men’s triple jump qualifiers at the 2023 World Athletics Championships at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest, Hungary, on August 19.
Gladstone Taylor/Multimedia Photo Editor
Jamaica’s Jaydon Hibbert competing in the men’s triple jump qualifiers at the 2023 World Athletics Championships at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest, Hungary, on August 19.
Jamaica’s Bouwahjgie Nkrumie.
Gladstone Taylor
Jamaica’s Bouwahjgie Nkrumie.
Roshawn Clarke competing in the 400-metre hurdles at the 2023 World Athletics Championships at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest, Hungary, on August 21.
Gladstone Taylor/Multimedia Photo Editor
Roshawn Clarke competing in the 400-metre hurdles at the 2023 World Athletics Championships at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest, Hungary, on August 21.
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JAMAICA’S YOUNG athletes continued showing their prowess on the world stage in track and field in the past year with excellent performances, proving the country has a bright future in the sport.

In 2023, Jamaica’s young men came to the fore, in contrast to previous years when it was the young women who proved dominant on the international scene.

Roshawn Clarke, Jaydon Hibbert and Bouwahjgie Nkrumie lead the pack of aspiring world-beaters.

Hibbert, the former Kingston College standout, had an outstanding season in the triple jump for the University of Arkansas in what was his first collegiate year.

The 18-year-old, unbeaten on the collegiate circuit, produced under-20 world records both indoors and outdoors. At the NCAA Indoor Championships, he won the event with a world record of 17.54 metres.

Earlier, he captured the South Eastern Championships (SEC) title with 17.10 metres.

He continued his exploits outdoors, again winning the SEC title, this time with a world record of 17.87 metres. He also took home the NCAA Division 1 title with a hop, skip and jump of 17.56 metres.

Hibbert also copped gold for Jamaica at the Carifta Games in The Bahamas and went on to win the senior title at the National Championships to book his spot for the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, where his only blip occurred.

After producing the top mark of 17.70 metres in the preliminary round, a hamstring injury forced him out of the final.

TOP MARK

Hibbert’s season and personal best of 17.87 metres was the top mark in the event on the world list.

His collegiate achievements brought him the prestigious Bowerman Award for being the most outstanding male collegiate athlete of the year, becoming the first Jamaican in history to do so.

Clarke, the former Camperdown High School 400-metre hurdler, had the performances of his life in the event this past season.

The 19-year-old started with a bang at the Carifta Games in The Bahamas, mining a gold medal in the under-20 event in 49.92 seconds. His performance earned him the Austin Sealy Award for being the most outstanding athlete of the meet.

More greatness was to come for Clarke with his next stop – the National Senior Championships in June. He produced a personal best of 47.85 seconds to become national champion and booked his ticket to the World Athletics Championships in Budapest. His winning time tied the United States Sean Burrell’s world under-20 record, becoming just the second Jamaican to run sub-48.

Young Clarke saved his best for the World Championships. In the preliminary round, he clocked a personal best of 47.34 seconds, giving him sole ownership of the World Under-20 record, and the fourth fastest time on the planet in 2023.

Clarke went on to finish fourth in the final, clocking 48.07 seconds. World Athletics, the globe’s governing body, selected Clarke among three athletes for the Rising Star Award.

Nkrumie, another Kingston College standout, also made his presence felt. Competing at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships, he produced a winning time of 9.99 seconds to claim the Boys’ Class 1 100-metre title. His winning time was a national junior record with Nkrumie becoming the first junior in the country to go under 10 seconds.

Ranked number two in the world among juniors, Issamale Asinga 9.89 seconds, Nkrumie won silver in the 100 metres at the Pan Am Under-20 Championships in Mayaguez.