Jamaica’s 4×100 metres relay team set a new women’s under-20 world record at the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) Games in Kingston, a competition that the home nation dominated once again.
The quartet of Serena Cole, Tina Clayton, Brianna Lyston and Tia Clayton set a new best of 42.58sec at the National Stadium, beating the former mark set last year at the World U-20 Athletics Championships of 42.94 set by another Jamaican team.
Three of the four athletes on the World Championship team returned for the CARIFTA Games final, with only Lyston coming in for Kerrica Hill.
The run in Kingston improved on the previous CARIFTA Games record of 44.03, set 11 years ago by Jamaica too—a run that featured Shericka Jackson and Christania Williams.
Barbados claimed silver in 45.36 and Trinidad and Tobago were third in 46.12.
Tina Clayton, the world junior champion, also won the women’s 100m in 11.22 in front of her twin sister Tia, who took silver in 11.30.
Trinidad and Tobago’s Shaniqua Bascombe took bronze in 11.57.
Jamaica’s U-20 men’s team of Bouwahjgie Nkrumie, Bryan Levell, DeAndre Daley and Sandrey Davison won the 4x100m relay title too with a new CARIFTA Games record of 39.15, beating the previous best set in 2014.
The Bahamas and Cayman Islands finished second and third in 40.41 and 40.72, respectively.
Daley led home a Jamaican one-two in the men’s 100m in 10.23, with Nkrumie taking silver in 10.28.
Zachary Evans of The Bahamas took bronze, crossing the line in 10.45.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe was present at the event, which marked the CARIFTA Games’ return for the first time since 2019.
