No off-season for Jamaica’s women sprinters
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Jamaica’s female athletes are sending strong signals to their competitors in the 100 metres despite not having a major global championship this year, with nine of them already going under the 11-second barrier while seven are ranked among the world’s top 10.
Leading the Jamaican charge is World Championships 4x100m silver medallist Tia Clayton. Tia, who has a personal best of 10.82 seconds, set last year, sped to a season-best 10.91 last Saturday on her way to winning the event at the JAAA/PUMA Meet.
Her winning time is the second-fastest by a Jamaican woman so far this season and moved her to number three on the World Top List, behind leader Adaejah Hodge of the British Virgin Islands, who clocked 10.77 on April 18 in Gainesville, Florida.
The country’s top performer so far this season is Shenese Walker of Florida State University. Walker’s mark of 10.80 also came in Gainesville, where she finished second behind Hodge.
After a lengthy injury lay-off, Elaine Thompson-Herah returned with a bang on April 19 inside the National Stadium, clocking 10.92 in winning her heat. That performance placed her fourth on the World Top List and made her the third-fastest Jamaican so far this season.
Former World Under-20 200m champion Brianna Lyston is the fourth-fastest Jamaican so far after clocking 10.94 in Clermont, Florida, in April, a time which has her at number five on the World Top List.
Breakout sprinter Lavanya Williams, who was a member of Jamaica’s winning 4x100m relay team at the recent World Relays, is the fifth-fastest Jamaican in the event with her personal-best 10.96, achieved at the National Stadium last month.
The other Jamaicans to go sub-11 seconds so far this season are World Championships 100m silver medallist Tina Clayton, schoolgirl Shanoya Douglas, and World Championships 4x100m silver medallist Jonielle Smith.
Tina finished second behind sister Tia at last Saturday’s JAAA/PUMA Meet in 10.98, the same time recorded by Douglas in March, while Smith has a personal best of 10.99 achieved in April inside the National Stadium.