Douglas, Card take silver medals - Americans sweep U20 sprint titles

JAMAICA'S athletes picked up their first two medals on yesterday’s second day of competition at the World Under-20 Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, but they were not the colour many had expected.

Favourites Shanoya Douglas and Gary Card, world leaders in the women’s and men’s 100 metres respectively, had to settle for silver after being upstaged by Americans Mia Maxwell and Tate Taylor.

Douglas, the only under-20 female to dip below 11 seconds this season with her 10.98, did not look her usual dominant self throughout the rounds. She was beaten by Maxwell, who got a flying start and led from the gun to win in 11.14 seconds into a slight headwind of -0.1 m/s. Douglas clocked 11.17 for silver, while Italy’s Keley Ann Maevana Douall took bronze in 11.27. Jamaica’s Theianna-Lee Terrelonge finished sixth in 11.37.

Taylor completed a quick sprint double for the Americans with a commanding performance against Card, who entered the championships as the only athlete in the field to have run below 10 seconds this season. Taylor stayed level with the Jamaican for 60 metres before pulling away to win in a personal best 9.94 — the second-fastest winning time in championship history. Card earned silver in 10.05, while South Africa’s Marko Ferreira claimed bronze in 10.16.

It marked only the second time in history that one country has won both the men’s and women’s 100m titles at the same World Under-20 Championships, following the United States’ sprint double in 2016.

Overall, yesterday proved difficult for Jamaica. In the field, Able Mills, who qualified for both the women’s discus and shot put finals, failed to register a legal mark in either event.

There will also be no Jamaican representation in the 400m finals after disappointing semi-final performances. In the women’s event, Daniella Dixon finished fifth in her heat in 53.77 for 12th overall, while Shameika McLean placed fourth in her heat in 54.24 for 16th overall.

In the men’s semi-finals, Jason Pitter clocked 46.50 for 14th overall, while Jabari Matheson, who had already run twice the previous day in the mixed 4x400m relay, managed 47.70 for 18th overall.

Jamaica will hope for better fortune today when Michael Andre Edwards contests the men’s triple jump final at 8:25 p.m., having qualified with a leap of 16.00 metres, the fifth-best mark heading into the final.

Several Jamaicans will also be in first-round action during the morning session: Ackeelah Bell and Tiana Marshall in the women’s 100m hurdles; Marquies Page and Taj O’Neil Gordon in the men’s 110m hurdles; Shanoya Douglas and Sashana Johnson in the women’s 200m; and Gary Card and Nathaniel Martin in the men’s 200m.