Jamaica added two more medals to its tally on the seventh day of action at the World Athletics Championships, as Bryan Levell and Shericka Jackson both claimed bronze in the men’s and women’s 200 metres finals, respectively.
The performances lifted Jamaica’s overall medal count to eight — one gold, four silver, and three bronze — placing the island in sixth position on the medal standings at the close of competition today.
For Levell, the achievement was a career breakthrough. The 21-year-old sprinter clocked a blistering personal best of 19.64 seconds, the fastest time of his life, to secure his first World Championship medal. He finished behind the American duo of Noah Lyles, who struck gold in 19.52 seconds, and Kenny Bednarek, who grabbed silver with a season-best 19.58 seconds.
In the women’s 200 metres, defending champion Shericka Jackson had to settle for third place, running 22.18 seconds as she surrendered her crown. The event was won by the in-form Mellisa Jefferson-Wooden of the USA, who completed a stunning sprint double with a world-leading 21.68 seconds. Britain’s Amy Hunt took silver in 22.14 seconds.
Elsewhere on the day, Jamaica’s Jordan Scott placed fifth in the men’s long jump final with a best effort of 17.21 metres, while Shiann Salmon finished at the back of the field in the women’s 400-metre hurdles final. The event was dominated by the Netherlands’ outstanding Femke Bol, who stormed to victory in a world-leading 51.54 seconds.
Meanwhile, in the women’s 800 metres, Natoya Goule-Toppin narrowly missed out on a spot in the final after placing fifth in her semi-final with a time of 1:59.58 minutes.
