NAIROBI, Kenya, CMC – Jamaican Kavian Kerr captured bronze in the long jump here yesterday to hand the Caribbean track and field powerhouses their second medal of the Under-20 World Championships.
Just a day after Tina Clayton won gold in the women’s 100 metres in a personal best 11.09 seconds, Kerr followed up with a leap of 7.90 metres – also a personal best – to get onto the podium.
France’s Erwan Konate took gold with a world-leading 8.12 metres while Jhon Andres Berrio of Colombia clinched silver with a measurement of 7.97.
The 19-year-old Kerr’s medal-winning effort came in the third round and vaulted him from near the rear of the field into podium contention.
Meanwhile, Jamaica also put themselves in line for more medals in the women’s 200 metres, after Brianna Lyston and Aalliyah Francis both finished second in their respective semi-finals.
Lyston clocked a personal best 23.18 seconds to follow home Christine Mboma of Namibia who set a new championship record 22.41.
Francis was timed at 23.70, another personal best, behind winner Favour Ofili of Nigeria in 22.37.
There was disappointment, however, for Bahamian Camille Rutherford who was fourth in the second semi-final in 23.76 to miss out on Saturday’s final.
There was little success for the Caribbean in the men’s 200 metres as only Cuban Shainer Rengifo Montoya managed to reach the final, also scheduled for Saturday, when he finished third in semi-final one in 20.58.
Bahamian Wendell Miller (20.69) and Nazzio John (20.79) of Grenada were fourth and fifth respectively, joining Bahamian Carlos Brown (20.92) who was fifth in semi-final two and Jamaican Bryan Levell (20.71), third in the third semi-final, as those missing out. In the women’s sprint hurdles, Oneka Wilson of Jamaica stormed to victory in the first semi-final in 13.39 while teammate Ackera Nugent matched her by winning the third semi in 13.02, to clinch their spots in Saturday’s medal race
In the men’s equivalent, Vashaun Vascianna won semi-final one in a season-best 13.35 to book his spot in the final today.
