Jamaicans Stacey-Ann Williams and Charokee Young are set to kick off the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, as they gear up to showcase their talent on the global stage. Williams, under the guidance of coach Reynoldo Walcott, comes into the championships with an impressive season’s best time of 51.86 seconds. The 24-year-old quarter-miler, who was part of Jamaica’s silver medal-winning women’s 4x400m relay team in Budapest, Hungary, in 2023, holds a personal best time of 50.12.
Young, another member of the silver medal-winning 4x400m relay team in Budapest, brings her season’s best time of 52.83 to the championships. The 23-year-old, a former standout at Hydel High, boasts a personal best time of 49.87 in the event. The action is set to commence at 5:20 am Jamaica time.
In the previous championships in Belgrade, Serbia, the Jamaican team clinched three medals, including one gold and two bronze, finishing 12th on the medals table. Garth Gayle, president of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA), expressed optimism for the country’s athletes, anticipating strong performances at the championships.
Rusheen McDonald, the national 400m record holder, is the sole Jamaican male athlete in the event in Glasgow. With a national record time of 43.93, McDonald enters the championships with a personal season’s best time of 47.08, set to compete in the preliminary round at 6:00 am.
Danniel Thomas-Dodd, the veteran shot putter and national record holder, is vying for success in the women’s final at 6:06 am. Thomas-Dodd, a silver medallist at the 2018 World Indoor in Birmingham, England, holds a season’s best mark of 18.75 metres. Rajindra Campbell is scheduled to contest the final of the men’s shot put event at 3:20 pm Jamaica time, while distance runner Natoya Goule is set to run the heats of the women’s 800m at 6:45 am Jamaica time. Sprinter Ackeem Blake is also slated to run in the men’s 60m at 6:50 am.
The Jamaican team also includes quarter-miler Stephenie-Ann McPherson, a bronze medallist in Belgrade, listed as part of the 4x400m relay team; and triple jumper Kimberly Williams, a bronze medallist at the last championships.
