by Clayton Clarke

BYDGOSZCZ, Poland:(Sunday, July, 24): Team Bahamas 13 member contingent finished joint 38th on the point table at the 16th IAAF World Under 20 Track and Field Championships at the Zawisza Stadium which ended earlier today. The point table ranks teams based on top eight finishes. Bahamas  finished with 10 points (along with Ecuador) following  fourth place finishes by Serena Brown (women’s discus) and Jenae Ambrose (women’s 200m).

Brown was the stand out performer for Bahamas with national record performances. She first broke the national junior record in the women’s discus with 50.94m in the qualifying round, erasing the previous best of 47.66 by Chafree Bain established in 2000. She finished eighth and advanced to the finals, become the second Bahamian thrower in the history to qualify for a global World Junior/U20 finals. In the medal round, the two-time Carifta discus medallist finished fourth after leading the competition in the first round with another national junior record of 52.73m.  Her new mark also improved the national senior record of 52.52 held by Laverne Eve since 1990.

Shaquania Dorsett (women’s 400m) and Sampson Colebrooke  (men’s 200m) advanced to the semifinals of their events. Dorsett ran 54.55 in her heatone  to book a lane in the semifinals but did not start while Colebrooke clocked 21.35 in his heat to move on to the semis where he clocked a personal best of 21.30 but failed to secure a lane in the finals.

Bahamas failed to win a medal for the second straight World Junior/U20 meet after not getting among the medals in 2014.  The last World Junior/U20 medal for Bahamas came was at the 2012 edition in Barcelona, Spain, the country’s most successful championships with four medals (two gold, two bronze). Anthonique Strachan won the women’s 100m and 200m titles and Ryan Ingraham (men’s high jump) and Lathario Collie-Minns (men’s triple jump) copped bronze medals. Over the 16 editions of the World Juniors Bahamas has medalled in five meets (2012, 2010, 2008, 2002, 1988).  The women’s 200m remains the top event for Bahamas with two gold medals (Strachan-2012, Sheniqua Ferguson-2008). Bahamas has also produced five finalists (Ambrose-2016, Strachan-2012, Shenigua Ferguson-2008/2006, Debbie Ferguson-1994 and Chandra Sturrup-1990).