James takes gold for Jamaica, T&T’s St Fort grabs bronze

-at IAAF World Under-20 Championships

BYDGOSZCZ, Poland,  CMC – Tiffany James became the first Jamaican to win the women’s 400 metres title at the IAAF World Under-20 Championships when she copped the gold medal in the final here last night.

James clocked a world-leading junior time of 51.32 for the win and edging out American Lynna Irby (51.39) and compatriot Junelle Bromfield (52.05)

The Jamaican champion took control of the race from the start and was the stronger finisher to deny Irby the title.

Khalifa St Fort of Trinidad and Tobago … won bronze in the women’s 100 metres.
Khalifa St Fort of Trinidad and Tobago … won bronze in the women’s 100 metres.
Jamaican Tiffany James … won gold in the 400 metres women’s hurdles.
Jamaican Tiffany James … won gold in the 400 metres women’s hurdles.

She said her targets were achieved after setting a personal best for the qualifiers and a podium spot in the final,

“I’m very happy. This is my first major gold. After 2013, when I won bronze at the World Youth Championships, I had a bad period. I told myself this was my final junior season, so I had to do it now,” said James.

“I set a big PB (personal best) here, but I had worked hard and I expected I would be able to do this. I was very nervous before the final, but I knew I had to go out hard, so I did.”

Bromfield, who fought off Jessica Thornton of Australia for the bronze, was making up for the disappointment at last year’s World Youth Championships in Cali, Colombia.

“This medal means a lot to me. After the disappointment last year in Cali, this year it was my goal to win a medal here. So it’s a very good year,” she said.

Trinidad and Tobago picked up their first medal of the 2016 championships and their second in the women’s 100m overall when Khalifa St Fort secured the bronze to join Fana Ashby, who also won a bronze in the 2000 championships in Santiago de Chile.

St Fort came home in 11.18 seconds behind American Candace Hill, who copped the gold in a championship record of 11.07 and Ewa Swoboda of Poland (11.12). Hill removed the 16-year-old record of 11.12 held by Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica.