NAIROBI, Kenya, CMC – Ackera Nugent delivered Jamaica’s second gold of the Under-20 World Champion-ships when she stormed to victory in the women’s 100 metres sprint hurdles here yesterday.
The 19-year-old clocked 12.95 seconds to cross the line first, well ahead of Estonia’s Anna Maria Millend in 13.45 seconds, with Anna Tóth of Hungary clinching bronze in 13.58.
Nugent’s success followed that of Tina Clayton who won gold in the women’s 100 metres earlier in the week.
“I’m feeling really good,” Nugent said following her victory.
“I really feel good because I came out here and I did my best and I didn’t let my country down.”
She added: “I really really feel phenomenal to see that the hurdlers are taking over, like we’re making history.
“Megan (Tapper) made history getting the first bronze medal in the Olympics for Jamaica and now I’m getting gold in the Under-20, really means a lot that I’m in the history books too.”
Running out of lane seven, Nugent duelled early on with Ditaji Kambundji in lane six before the Swiss athlete stumbled off the fourth hurdle and then crashed on the fifth.
Her demise left Nugent to run away with the event as only four runners finished the race.
“I thought she (Kambundji) would have brought me lower in my time because she was a bit ahead of me and I was coming back, so I know I was really focussed to get her,” said Nugent, a Psychology major at Baylor University.
“The fact that I caught her on the fourth hurdle and she stumbled, I was like [darn]. I was really looking forward [to her getting a medal] because she’s a very good competitor and she’s really dedicated.”
There was more success for Jamaica in the men’s 110 metres hurdles final as Vashaun Vascianna grabbed silver in a personal best time of 13.25.
France’s Sasha Zhoya won gold in a world record 12.72 while Poland’s Jakub Szymański was third in a personal best 13.43.
There was disappointment though for the Jamaican pair of Aalliyah Francis and Brianna Lyston who finished at the back of the field in the women’s 200 metres final.
Francis was seventh in 23.96 seconds while Lyston was disqualified for a lane violation after finishing fourth.
The race was won by Namibia’s Christine Mboma in a championship record 21.84 – the 18-year-old following up her Olympic silver in Tokyo earlier this month with another impressive showing.
In the men’s 400 metres hurdles, Jamaican Devontie Archer finished second in semi-final one to reach the final while there was disappointment for teammate Roshawn Clarke who was fourth in the third semi.
The Caribbean will be without a presence in the men’s 800 metres final after Vincentian Handal Roban and Jamaican Chevonne Hall finished out of the qualification places in their respective semi-finals.
