Tina Clayton and Tima Seikeseye Godbless impressed in World U20 Championships 100m heats

Defending champion Tina Clayton began the defense of her World U20 women’s 100m title in fine style, while Nigeria’s Tima Seikeseye Godbless, Dutch sprinter N’Ketia Seedo and USA’s Shawnti Jackson all impressed in the morning session here at the Pascual Guerrero Olympic Stadium in Cali, Colombia, on Tuesday, 2 August.

Clayton, the quickest among the entrants here in Cali, with a personal best of 10.96 seconds, eased into the semi-finals with a time of 11.38 secs to win heat one over Great Britain’s Joy Eze (11.47).

The Jamaican said in the build-up to the World Athletics U20 Championships that she is confident about retaining her world title, and she showed that she’s in very good form with her first round crusing performance. Read more: Tina Clayton confident about retaining World U20 women’s 100m title at Cali 22

Qualifying with the fastest time, though, was Nigeria’s Godbless, who blasted to a new national U20 record of 11.09 secs to win her heat ahead of Australia’s Taylah Cruttenden, who was a distant second with 11.58.

The 18-year-old Godbless entered the event with a PB of 11.25 secs, and she smashed that time with her blistering run to send the sternness of warnings to Clayton that it may not be as easy as she thought to retain the title she won in Nairobi in 2021.

Meanwhile, Seedo qualified with the second fastest performance of the first round with 11.16, a time which is a Dutch national U20 record, while American Jackson won her heat by matching her personal best time of 11.28.

Also advancing were Serena Cole of Jamaica who ran 11.39 to win heat two, South African Viwe Jingqi clocked 11.36 for first place in heat three, while USA’s Mia Brahe-Pedersen ran 11.45 to take the seventh and final heat.

The semi-finals of the women’s 100m at the World Athletics U20 Championships 2022 will take place on Wednesday, 3 August.

Photo by Oscar Munoz Badilla for World Athletics

100 METERS WOMEN WORLD U20 HEATS RESULTS