JAMAICA’S junior athletes at the World Youth Championships in Lille, France saved their best performance for the final day of competition.  They picked up four more medals on Sunday, which included gold in the girl's long jump and medley relay as well as silver in the boy's 200 and bronze in the girl's 200 metres. By virtue of their excellent final day performance, the country ended the Championships with its best results ever as they finished with nine medals - 4 gold, 1 silver and 4 bronze.   Coming into Sunday's final day of competition the young Jamaicans, well placed in the final events, did not disappoint.  Chanice Porter and the girls medley relay team delivered big performances writing their names in the record book with a World Youth Championships record.

Porter, one of the more experienced members of the team, delivered big-time in the girl’s long jump, setting the pace for the day.  Following her bronze in the high jump earlier at the Championships she picked up her second medal by producing a golden leap of 6.22 metres in the final of the girl's long jump.  Porter, who just completed her fifth form studies at Manchester High School, kept her composure to produce her winning mark on her final attempt.  This truly gutsy leap moved her from fifth place to first place.

The performance of the quartet of Christania Williams, Shericka Jackson, Chris Ann Gordon and  Olivia James, however, had the Jamaican contingent at the Championships rocking as they put a halt to the United States’ stranglehold in the medley relay.  This young Jamaican team recorded the country's first success in the medley relay with their gold medal run and Championship record of 2:03.42.   The United States (2:03.92) had to settle for silver and Canada took the bronze after finishing third in 2:05.72. Following their leading time in the heats, Jamaica’s coaching staff made a slight adjustment in the running order in the final, switching 400 metres bronze medalist James to anchor and Gordon to run the third leg.  Jamaica got brilliant first and second legs from Williams (100m) and Jackson (200m) and although the United States made up ground on the next two legs, they were denied victory as James held her cool on the anchor leg pulling the Jamaican team to gold.

Earlier, gold medalist Odail Todd and Jackson picked up more medals for Jamaica in the 200 metres. Despite coming to the Championships as the world leader, Jackson had to settle for third in the girl's event in 23.62 seconds. Here, Great Britain’s Desiree Henry produced a personal best of 23.25 seconds to take the gold medal, ahead of Canadian Christian Brennan.  Brennan who took the silver also did a personal best of 23.47 seconds to pocket her second silver of the Championships after her second place finish in the girl's 400 metres final.

Like Porter, it was also two medals for Green Island High’s Todd who did not come to the Championships as a favourite in either of his two events, but left his mark in fine style. After a personal best in capturing the Boy's 100 metres title a few days earlier it was another personal best for Todd as he produced a run of 21.00 seconds winning the silver medal and finishing second to the Bahamas’ Stephen Newbold.  Newbold, clocked a personal best of 20.89 seconds for the gold as pre race favourite, Ronald Derby of the United States had to settle for bronze with a time of 21.08 seconds.

There was some misfortune for Jamaica on the final day as they did not contest the final of the boy's medley Relay. However, Jamaica ended up third overall on the medal table as only the United States with 16 medals and Kenya with 14 medals bettered them at the Championships. Jamaica also finished third in the place table with 81 points. Despite getting nine medals in Ostrava in 2007, this year's performance was much better as the 4 gold here bettered the two gold four years ago.  This makes up for the disappointment two years ago when Jamaica had its lowest medal haul of two in Bressanone, Italy.  The Championships was also a good one for Caribbean neighbours, The Bahamas, as they also had their best ever showing finishing fourth overall in the medal table with four medals, which included three gold and one bronze. 

Contributed by Raymond Graham

Photos courtesy of The Gleaner