Jamaica secure three medals on final day in Nanjing

NANJING, China (CMC):

Jamaica concluded the World Athletics Indoor Championships here in Nanjing, China, on a triumphant note yesterday securing three medals, two silver and a bronze.

Long jump sensation Wayne Pinnock and the men's 4x400m relay team delivered standout performances while sprint hurdler Ackera Nugent earned a bronze, her first senior global medal.

Pinnock continued to solidify his reputation as one of the world's premier horizontal jumpers, clinching silver in the men's long jump final with a season-best leap of 8.29 metres.

The event was a nail-biter, with Italy's Mattia Furlani narrowly outjumping Pinnock by a mere centimetre, securing gold with a mark of 8.30m. Australia's Liam Adcock rounded out the podium with a bronze-winning jump of 8.28m.

Not long after Pinnock's success, Jamaica's men's 4x400m relay team stepped up to the challenge, delivering a season-best time of 3:05.05 to claim silver.

The quartet of Rusheen McDonald, Jasauna Dennis, Kimar Farquharson, and Demar Francis showcased exceptional teamwork and determination, finishing behind the United States, who took gold with a time of 3:03.13. The Jamaican team held off a spirited Hungarian squad, who set a national record of 3:06.03 to secure bronze.

Nugent clocked a season's best 7.74 seconds to finish behind gold medallist Devynne Charlton (7.72 SB) of The Bahamas and Switzerland's Ditaji Kambundji (7.73).

Jamaica ended the meet with four medals and 17th spot on the overall medal table. Raymond Richards had earlier won a bronze medal in the men's high jump.

The United States topped the meet with 16 medals, six gold, four silver and six bronze.