Mixed relay team clocks season’s best for fourth at World U20

Jamaica's mixed relay team clocked a season's best 3:22.74 in the final but missed out on a medal on the opening day of the World Under-20 Championships in Lima, Peru, yesterday.

Demarco Bennett, Shanniqua Williams, Marcinho Rose and Alliah Baker, the Jamaican quartet, were out of the top three from the start of the event Baker ran on well on the final leg and got the team into fourth ahead of India. Australia won in a national record 3:19.27 from Poland 3:20.44 (season's best) and China 3:21.27.

Shaiquan Dunn also reached the men's shot put final but finished ninth with a best of 18.92 metres. Jarno Van Daalen of the Netherlands won gold with a personal best 20.76m, JL Van Rensburg of South Africa threw a personal best 20.74 for silver while bronze went to Germany 's Georg Harpf (20.28m).

On a chilly day in Lima, Jamaica's athletes found the going tough but Alana Reid, Deandre Daley and Gary Card are in the finals of the women's and men's 100 metres.

Reid won her semi-final in 11.44 seconds and advanced to the final with the third best time. Kishawna Niles of Barbados and Nia Wedderburn-Goodison of Great Britain are the two fastest qualifiers with 11.39.

Both Daley and Card will have to be at their best today in the men's final. Daley won his semi-final in 10.34 to be the fourth fastest qualifier while Card finished third in his semi-final in 10.39 to advance as the fastest loser.

Puripol Boonsan of Thailand and South Africa's Bradley Nkoana are joint fastest qualifiers after finishing first and second in their semi final. Both were awarded the same time, 10.30. Another South African, Bayanda Walaza, won his semi-final in 10.33.

Chavez Penn advanced to the final of the men's triple jump with a best of 15.32m.

One of the biggest disappointments of the day came in the women's 100m where Thieanna Lee- Terrelonge, the third ranked athlete in the event, failed to advance from the first round. She ended fourth in her heat in 12.03 which was 33rd overall.

Rohana Sudlow failed to advance in the women's long jump after finishing fourth in her group with a distance of 5.94m which was 14th overall

Both Najhada Seymoure and Shamoyea Morris did not advance in the women's discus. Seymoure ended 12th in Group A with 47.24m and 21st overall , while in Group B Morris ended 13th with 43.62ms and 28th overall.

Kitania Headley also failed to make progress in the 800m. Competing in heat two, Headley finished eighth in 2:14.81.