Mayagüez, Puerto Rico – (August 10) – The recently concluded Pan American U20 Championships held in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, was a display of exceptional talent and fierce competition, as young athletes from across the Americas showcased their prowess on the track and field.
Over three days of competitive action, several standout performances left spectators fulfilled, while there were several new championship records achieved. – Read more: USA smashes Pan American U20 Championships 4x100m record with 42.88secs
Shawnti Jackson Breaks 200m Pan American U20 Championship Record
USA’s Shawnti Jackson was one of the standout performers on the third and final day after she broke the Pan American U20 Championships record in the women’s 200m event.
Clocking an impressive personal best time of 22.38 seconds (+1.6 m/s), Jackson secured the gold medal, while surpassing the previous record of 22.70 secs set in 2011 by Bahamas’ Anthonique Strachan.
Speaking after her victory, the 18-year-old Jackson revealed that she had been nursing a slight injury but was determined to end her season on a high note.
Read more: How to watch the 2023 European Athletics U20 Championships coverage?
Her impressive performance also ranks her first among the World U20 women’s 200m performances this season, surpassing the 22.43 secs clocked earlier this year by fellow American Mia Brahe-Pedersen.
Elise Cooper Shines in 200m too…
USA’s Elise Cooper, just 16 years old, also proved herself a rising star in the women’s 200m event. The talented sprinter clocked a new personal best time of 22.80 seconds to secure the silver medal. She came into the race with a lifetime best of 22.82.
The bronze medal went to Emily Martin of Canada, who posted a time of 23.75 secs to finish behind the two American athletes.
Brazil’s Renan de Lima Gallina Dominates Men’s 200m
In the men’s 200m dash, Brazil’s Renan de Lima Gallina pulled away from the pack in the latter part of the race to clinch the gold medal with a swift time of 20.44 seconds (+1.3 m/s).
He finished ahead of USA’s Garrett Kaalund (20.57) and Puerto Rico’s Jose Figueroa Acevedo (20.63), who collected the silver and bronze medals, respectively.
USA Dominance in the Relays
The United States also dominated both the women’s and men’s 4x400m relay races.
In the women’s contest, the team of Lauren Lewis, Madison Whyte, Sydney Segalla, and Christine Mallard ran unchallenged from start to finish –securing the gold medal with a time of 3:30.25.
Jamaica took the silver medal (3:38.56), and Brazil settled for the bronze (3:38.87).
On the men’s side, the quartet of George Garcia, Jacob Andrews, Jace McGavock, and Grant Buckmiller was just as impressive when clocking a time of 3:05.98 to clinch the gold medal.
Once again, Jamaica claimed the silver medal (3:09.17), and Brazil ended with the bronze (3:09.57).
Other Notable Pan American U20 Championships Performances
In other notable results from the third day of the 2023 Pan American U20 Championships, USA’s Daniel Watcke triumphed in the men’s 800m race, posting a time of 1:48.86.
Meanwhile, fellow American Sophia Gorriarian displayed her talent in the women’s 800m race, securing the gold medal with a time of 2:04.68.
In the women’s heptathlon, Jaicieonna Gero-Holt and Abby Elmore finished first and second with 5463 and 5186 points, respectively.
The 2023 Pan American U20 Championships took place over three days from 4-6 August at the Jose A. Figueroa Freire Stadium in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.
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