Jamaica’s Clayton delighted to follow in Brianna Williams’ golden path

NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 20 -Tina Clayton says she is delighted to have successfully ensured the women’s 100m World Athletics Under-20 Championships title stays in Jamaica as she s=followed Olympic Gold Medalist Brianna Williams’ path in clinching the title.

Williams who claimed the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Tokyo won the same race at the last World Under-20 Championship in Tampere, Finland in 2018.

“I really feel delighted because I have ensured that the title still remains in Jamaica and I am really proud to have followed in Brianna’s path. I owe this to my parents and the manner in which they have supported me and my managers as well,” Clayton said.

“It wasn’t easy because it was a very loaded field with good athletes and I am hoping I can continue improving from here,” she added.

Clayton had the second fastest reaction time off the blocks and went on to clock a new Personal Best time of 11.09secs ahead of Namibia’s Beatrice Masilingi who timed 11.39secs with a good gush of speed in the final 50m.

Masilingi wasn’t too pleased with the result, having previously run a new Namibian National Record of 11.20secs.

“I could have done better but I am grateful for the silver. I wasn’t very efficient off the blocks but it is still a learning process,” said Masilingi who finished fifth in the women’s 200m final at the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Canadian Melisa Gutschmidt who had the fastest reaction time off the blocks timed 11.51secs for bronze.

“To be honest I wasn’t really expecting this. I just ran well and thankfully I have a medal,” the excited 19-year old stated.

Meanwhile in the corresponding men’s race, Letsile Tebogo won Botswana’s first ever 100m race at the Junior event and the country’s only second gold at the World U20 Championships.

Tebogo has been in sizzling form and twice broken the Botswana national record.

He was slower off the blocks, but once he rose on the 50m mark, he blazed the track to cross the line in a time of 10.19secs. South Africa’s Benjamin Richardson came home second for silver in 10.28secs while Cuba’s Rengifo Montoya just but managed to dip in for third in 10.32secs.

Tebogo was over the moon having clinched gold.

“I was very clear from the start that I was coming here to win gold. I was a bit slow to start today but I can’t blame myself or anyone. Sometimes when the weather changes, things change but the most important thing is that I am here as a gold medalist,” the 18-year old stated.

He now hopes for double delight having also enlisted for the 200m which starts off with the heats on Friday.